Welcome to February! This year is slipping by quickly already! By now you know my slight obsession with crystal chandeliers, but did you know I also have a thing for lamps? ( well, and chairs) But, as you know lamps can be very pricey! For instance a clear glass lamp from Pottery Barn costs about $179. So, I’m going to make a lamp out of a glass jug!
The Pottery Barn lamp that I love is $179 and the lamp shade is sold separately for $89. That’s a whopping $268 for a lamp. I don’t know about you, but I like to save money whenever I can. (You never know when a great chandelier deal comes up!) Of course, Pottery Barn has great sales so you can save some money, but this time I decided to steal the look for less and make a lamp out of a glass jug!
I bought this great 5 gallon glass jug months ago at an antique store. It was in great shape and it was a bargain at $35. In my mind I knew it would make a great lamp but it sat in a holding pattern for a while. Interestingly the bottle says, “this bottle is loaned and never sold.” Oops. After a little research I ordered a make-a-lamp kit from Home Depot. It is by Westinghouse Item #70266. It was $13.55 plus shipping for the kit. It’s worth a shot, right?
This project was easier than I thought! It took about an hour start to finish. The only tricky part was getting the nipple to thread onto the adapter. Also, the largest adapter was too small to fit securely inside the mouth of the jar. I added a round cotton make up remover pad and some clear tape. Now it fits nicely inside the jar. And it WORKS! I’m always a little surprised when one of my projects works on the first try. I love it!
I had a white drum lamp shade on hand and switched out the finial with one from my stash. I’ve seen some people actually drill a hole in the back of the glass jar so that the cord fits inside the jug. But, the one from Pottery Barn also has a cord that extends from the bulb socket, so I don’t feel bad about mine doing the same. I could easily add corks or coins to the jar, but for now I’m loving it just as it is.
As with any electrical projects, please proceed with caution. I read and re-read the instructions carefully but I still held my breath when I flipped the switch for the first time. I got a bad electrical burn on my hand as a teenager so I have a healthy respect for electricity to this day. So, if in doubt, have a professional to it for you.
I made this lamp for about $55. Not bad! I hope you have a wonderful day! Thank you as always for stopping by! I really appreciate it! xoxo Dell
