Floor Lamp DIY Makeover with Rattan Shade

We’ve established that I’m cheap right? Like the fact that I have really expensive taste, but neither the budget to support it or the willingness to spend that kind of money on most things. That’s exactly what happened when I saw this amazing lamp from Drew Barrymore’s Flower Home collection (you can find it HERE).

For starters, I didn’t technically need a floor lamp, but sometimes that difference between need and want can be a sticky place. Secondly, there was no way I was going to spend $120 on a lamp that I didn’t really need. It’s important to keep in mind what your goals are for your house and, also, what you’re willing to spend to make them happen. I’ve mentioned here before that we live on Jason’s income, while I pursue growing my business, so we have to watch all the pennies that we can. Does that mean we’re perfect? Absolutely not. I’m a budget offender most of the time. I am trying to get better, though, and that’s where budget-friendly home projects like this floor lamp DIY can come in handy.

While I may not be the best at following a budget, I am resourceful and usually find a way to get what I want #sorryJason. It just so happens that I was out thrifting on my birthday back in June, and I was digging in the rando (my slang for random) tables in the back of the store, and this rattan lantern thingymajig just popped out at me! I knew INSTANTLY what I was going to do with it. So, I gave the cashier my 98¢ and walked away so excited with my find.

Next-up for this project? Find a floor lamp that looked good and would work for what I wanted. I didn’t find anything at the thrift stores that same day, but I did a quick search of the Facebook Marketplace and found this beauty for only $20. It wasn’t exactly what I had been envisioning, but it worked for our space better than I had thought. I had been thinking that I wanted a tall arched floor lamp, but the down-bridge design of this lamp worked for the tighter corners of our home. Someone had listed the lamp in the college town to the north of us, and it looked to be in perfect condition. Sidebar: if you have a college anywhere near you, definitely check out the Facebook Marketplace for that town and, also, its thrift stores. College students almost always buy the cutest and latest things, but don’t usually end up taking them with them when they move home for the summer or are done with school. It can be a great opportunity for you to snag some great pieces for your home without spending a lot of money.

The lamp I picked up from Facebook was a winner all on its own. It’s Threshold brand from Target and is currently on sale for less than $70 (you can find it HERE). Part of me thought I should flip it and sell for more money, but I had to keep my eye on the prize. I picked up the lamp, and once I got it home, I had the original shade taken off, and the rattan shade I’d bought at the thrift store, put on within five minutes. The part of the process that took the longest, was undoing the circular holder that keeps the shade in place. I also listed the lamp shade to sell that I had taken off the lamp, making my end investment in this project even less! I try to list things to sell or take them to the consignment store right away, otherwise, I usually forget, the items sit around for too long, and then I end up just donating them. Donating isn’t a bad thing, but I do normally try to get some money out of them before donating.

I’m in love with how this project has turned out so far, but I do have even more of a vision for it. In case you’re thinking, ‘Hilary…the lamp base on the Drew Barrymore version is brass…’, I have that part all covered. My plan is to use a combo of spray paint and Rub ‘N Buff on the base of the lamp to achieve a similar look—I just haven’t quite gotten there yet. I’ll be sure to update when I do, though. I worked on so many projects for about a month straight, that I’m definitely living in burn-out town right now. I need to take a rest from the DIY’s and revisit them when I’m a bit more refreshed. In the meantime, if you’re wondering about Rub ‘N Buff, you can check-out my post HERE to learn more about it!

I can’t encourage you enough to think outside of the box when you want to decorate your home. It’s easy to want all the new and shiny things at the store, or what you see on Instagram or Facebook, but that can come at a big price tag. If you have a bit of imagination and creativity, it’s amazing what you can find that will be very similar to those brand-new things…at a fraction of the cost. If you’re even a little bit handy or crafty, you can do even more to make your house beautiful—and super unique! If you want to stretch your decorating budget, sourcing second-hand items and doing DIY projects is the way to go. I’m not handy, as far as building things, but I can do smaller projects like this, that help to give our home a completely custom look, without spending a ton of money.

Hopefully this will inspire you to find your own products to dupe or DIY on your own! Take a look at your Pinterest boards, or even your Instagram feed, to find some pieces that you love—and could somehow recreate with thrifted or second-hand items. You will feel like a rock star once you do!