This project took me forever. I got the idea about a year ago ... and finished it today.
Here's what I did.
Got my hands on some old and discarded pins. A little bumped and bruised, but that gives them character. I gave one a good wash and roughed it up a bit with sand paper.
The most difficult part of this project is drilling through a pin. I needed a very long drill bit, a vice, and my husband's help.
I primed with spray paint primer. They're coated in plastic and spray paint can be tricky on plastic.
All in all, it has about 5 coats of paint. This is because it smudged a lot. This pin drove me crazy. Every time i painted it, it smudged, no matter how long i let it dry. Still, it's not perfect, but I think it looks cool.
The base is something i found at Michael's. I actually think it's supposed to be used for a clock face, but it seemed perfect for my lamp's base. I drilled hole through the center of this piece to match the hole through the pin and notched out a groove for the cord to sit in so the whole thing will sit flat. Finally, I attached the base to the pin using 2 in. screws.
Then I fed the cord through the base and the pin, fixed the cord in place with some heavy duty tape, and covered the bottom of the base with felt.
The wiring is the easiest part. I just followed the instructions on the lamp kit I got at Home Depot. Piece of cake.
The shade is simply a plain white shade that I covered in fabric. I liked this print so much, I also made a throw pillow to go with the lamp and a big summer tote bag.
It really wasn't a very complicated project and now that I've finished one and learned a few lessons, the next ones will be easier. I've got a new one in mind already.
