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DIY Ceiling Light From A Thrift Store Lamp Shade

Turn a thrift store lamp shade into a budget friendly diy ceiling light.

diy ceiling light
Not only is this DIY ceiling light easy and inexpensive to make, it’s also renter friendly! Just put the old light back in if you move.
 
I’m sharing this as part of our monthly Thrift Store Challenge, so be sure to scroll to the end to see what the other talented bloggers are sharing.
 
Upcycle A Drum Shade Into A Ceiling Light by Our Crafty Mom
 
This post contains affiliate links at no extra cost to you. Please see my full disclosure here.

The Rules:

  • Upcycle an item(s) from a thrift store, resale store, or garage sale into a new piece of decor.
  • There’s no monthly theme.
  • There’s no budget to stick to.

Meet the Hosts

Michelle | Our Crafty Mom
 
Make sure you follow our board on Pinterest for more upcycled decor inspiration!

DIY Ceiling Light From A Thrift Store Lamp Shade

I am sure you have seen, or maybe even have, these globe lights. They are actually better than “boob lights” but they are just very plain and not my taste.

We are decorating on a budget so I decided to diy a new light fixture rather than buy one. Plus, who am I kidding, I just like to make things, lol. 

I removed the globe light carefully, gave it a good cleaning and packed it away.

Globe Light Our Crafty Mom

Next, it was time to take out my favorite crafting tool-a cordless glue gun-that you can get here. Because this glue gun is cordless, it makes it so easy to create.
It also has a long charge time which is a big help.
 
[Tweet “DIY Ceiling Light From A Thrift Store Lamp Shade #ourcraftymom #thriftstorechallenge #diydecor #diyceilinglight #thriftstoreupcycle #repurposeit #ceilinglight”]
 
There is a great thrift store near my house that is ridiculously inexpensive. I’ve talked about some of the great finds before. Whenever I go to the thrift store I go to the furniture section first, then check out the lamps and lamp shades.
 
This large drum shade was a steal at $4! It was perfect for what I had in mind.
 
Thrift Store Drum Shade Our Crafty Mom
 

Gather your supplies and get the glue gun ready!

 
Fabric for Ceiling Fixture Our Crafty Mom

DIY Ceiling Light Supplies

  • Hot Glue Gun
  • Fabric of your choice-I used a deep navy cotton duck to go along with my navy  buffalo check curtains that I shared here. I did have leftover buffalo check fabric, but I thought it might be a little buffalo check overload, as much as I love it.
  • Thrift Store Drum Shade
 
Drum Shade With Fabric Our Crafty Mom
 
Simply lay the fabric over the lamp shade and cut the excess. Then started hot gluing the fabric careful not to add too much glue, as you don’t want it to bleed through.
 
Drum Shade Close Up Our Crafty Mom
 

 

To finish the edges, I ended up cutting an extra strip of fabric. You can also add ribbon if you like. There are so many fun trim options too. I just wanted to use what I had on hand to keep costs down.
 
But, if I change my mind I can always had some fun trim later. 
 
 
Fabric Drum Shade Our Crafty Mom
 
This was seriously a breeze to make. It probably took about 15 minutes and cost about $6. Now check out my favorite bling addition:
 
How To Make A Candle Chandelier From Thrift Store Finds Our Crafty Mom #repurposeit #thriftstorefinds #upcycled #repurposed #ourcraftymom
 
In the next aisle I spotted this lovely candeholder with all its jewels in place for $2! I pick these up whenever I see them because they are great fillers for lights.
You can see a glass chandelier light I made here.
 
Hero Shot Drum Shade Our Crafty Mom
 
I simply hung the chandelier inside the lamp shade and attached it to the interior light fixture with wire. I love how the bling gives it a nice elegant touch.
 
So the entire lamp shade with the bling cost $8. It looks so pretty in the modern farmhouse kitchen I am going for. More projects to come!

Here is the before and after of the light hanging in the kitchen:

before and after Our Crafty Mom

Quite an improvement for $8 and about 20 minutes of your time right? Definitely keep your eyes out for drum shades at thrift stores and flea markets.

There are so many things you can use them for. I hope you enjoyed this ceiling light.

If you do, please pin it for later for easy reference. Just click the photo below and click the pin button…

Thrift Store Shade To Ceiling Light Fixture Our Crafty Mom

 

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4 Easy Ceiling Light Makeovers That Are Renter Friendly

Wednesday 17th of October 2018

[…] of my favorite updates. It was inexpensive, but has a lot of impact. You can get the full tutorial here.  Be sure to check out Week 1 here and Week 2 here. So far I can cross the following off the […]

Mandy Yanga

Monday 17th of September 2018

This is such a great idea! Indeed there are A LOT of great finds in thrift stores. All we need is a creative idea and the tools to do it. Anyways, very nice lamp!

Habiba

Monday 27th of August 2018

Michelle, what a great upcycling project! I have the same hot glue gun as you + for the same exact reasons!!!

Debrashoppeno5

Thursday 23rd of August 2018

Cordless glue gun? I have never heard of it but I do need it. Now on to your light. It is absolutely beautiful. And how smart to bling it up like that. It looks fantastic with the valance.

ourcraftymom

Thursday 23rd of August 2018

Thanks Debra! You will love the cordless glue gun. What a difference! I love our new place, but every light-except the dining room-is a globe light! I am slowly going to change them all and trying to come up with new ideas. I just finished an embroidery hoop one for my entry. This light makes such a difference in the kitchen.

Erlene

Thursday 23rd of August 2018

Did you remove the round light fixture or is the drum hiding it? Either way very clever!

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