Stenciling lamp shades for a custom look

June 11, 2009

I have been looking for new bedside lamps forEVER. 

I found these for $20 each a month or so ago...and had to dwell on what I was going to do with them. I loved the shape of the bases and the shades, but the color was wrong for our bedroom: The color was an easy fix. I spray painted them with my oil rubbed bronze paint (all the sudden I can't find this anywhere? Anyone else notice this?). It made a huge difference, but the shades needed something. Usually I cover my shades or add some bling to them, but I wanted to do something different. It hit me. I used this: (My large stencil I've used all over our family room.) And this: (My stencil sponge.) I taped the stencil around the shade a couple times and did this: Oh good Lord I love it! Here it is lit up: Oh good Lord I love it more! Hubby's side, just because I love them so:
Seriously, it turned out exactly how I wanted. Squeal! I would have taken a pic of the whole bed with both of them but that would require making the bed. I do that about three times in a year, and this is not one of those times. Sorry 'bout ya.
I love how it looks different with the light on and off -- here's off: And on:

I used regular paint (the wall color I had leftover) and a little bit of glaze. The glaze is not needed - I should have used more. (I wanted it to be a bit shimmery but it's not.)

Here's a peek at the old ones...

For more stencil fun:

Adding texture to your stencils.

How I stencil wall words.

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Comments

  1. That is just too stinkin' cute.

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  2. Your lamps are just even better than the best! I need some of that paint, so I will be anxious to hear if anyone can suggest where to find it.

    Are you kidding about the Christmas goodies at HL? I need to make a run there real soon if it is already outon the shelves.

    Thanks for sharing your creativity.

    Charla

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  3. They look amazing!

    Makes me want to do some stenciling.

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  4. Oh my gosh...I'm Laughing.Out.Loud. Have you been drinkin'? Seriously, you're cracking me up. We have to get together sometime. We would both laugh until we peed our pants...and it wouldn't even be because of Christmas decorations at Hobby Lobby.

    Ok - love the lamps. You're so creative it blows my mind. And yes, I've noticed the ORB spray paint problem. I've found it at ONE Home Depot in town, but that's it.

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  5. Oh...meant to say. Let me know if you need me to grab some of that paint and mail it to you. I'd be happy to do so.

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  6. Even though there seems to be a disappearance of the paint, I'd love to see a close/closer up shot of how it turned out. I can't get a good idea of how it looks and would love to see them. P.S. Those shades are FAB! They look incredible all lit up and glowing!

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  7. It is getting harder to find Oil-Rubbed bronze spray paint. I have also noticed that Lowe's and Home Depot aren't carrying the American Traditions line of spray paint either. Bah!

    Your lamps look great!

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  8. Did you use craft paint? It looks great and I may be copying your idea soon!

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  9. You are hysterical. Christmas stuff? I just finally got all of mine put away!!!!!!

    Great job on the stencil!

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  10. LOVE. THEM. !!! They turned out fabulous! The stencil really puts those lamps over the top girl...

    okay...and hobby lobby? come on. christmas? i don't even have all my flowers planted outside yet!! :)

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  11. I love your lamps...I have not been to Hobby Lobby....and I can not even imagine Christmas stuff out already....Lord Help us!!

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  12. I love your lamps, I have just found your blog and am really enjoying it. I also LOVE So You Think You Can Dance, here in Australia we get both the Australian and the US version..YEAH!!

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  13. Awesome! Such a nice scale, color and design for the bedroom.

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  14. Wonderful! Love it! Can you tell me what type of paint you used on the stencil?

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  15. So cute! I never would have thought to do this!

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  16. You are so funny! The lamps turned out great! And, yes I saw the MULTIPLE aisles of Christmas stuff at H.L. the other day. That means they have Christmas stuff out almost 9 months out of the year!

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  17. Love the new lamps and what you did with them.

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  18. Those are beautiful! I'm definately using those for inspiration and making a set for the livingroom.

    I LOVE the Christmas aisle at Hobby Lobby. Whenever I have a bad day, I just browse through the Christmas ornaments and everything seems so much better.

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  19. The lamps look awesome - you are very good! And, I was at hobby lobby today and saw the Christmas stuff - so crazy! Who buys Christmas stuff in June, especially when none of it is on sale?

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  20. I can't wait for our Hobby Lobby! I don't know when it'll open but they are working on it.
    ~Michelle

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  21. OK - Your lamps are so cute and you are absolutley hilarious! Great ideas (as usual!)

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  22. God you're good

    how come it took me so long to get here? ;-)

    Sarah

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  23. First of all, Christmas already?! I'm not ready for that!

    I love your lamps! Great idea! I was looking for a new shade for my daughter's room, but maybe I can find a cheaper plain one and stencil it!

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  24. Sorry, but this simply won't do. I need to see the lamps WITH the bed here. (evil!)

    What a gorgeous bedroom! And those lamps... stunning. STUNNING.

    Donna

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  25. I found you through mytrendytykes- now I love both of you :) The end of your post cracked me up and I also try to convince everyone to watch So you Think You Can Dance!

    Thanks for the great blog!

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  26. Your lampshades look great. {Duh}

    Are you freaking kidding me that they have christmas decorations out??? It's JUNE!! I had to scroll back up to make sure this post was actually dated June 11. That is insane!

    I also love So You Think You Can Dance.........except Mary Murphy. But I do a great impersonation! :)

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  27. Gor-geee-ous detail on those shades. I'm gonna remember this one ! I love how pencil thin the bases are - so elegant !

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  28. About 3 months ago I found ONE can of ORB at Home Depot. Went back for another and could not even find the spot that it was in. There was not a tag for it anywhere. I headed over to Lowes and they had 2 whole spots full of this stuff. I ended up painting our kitchen door pulls with ORB and they turned out awesome!

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  29. Wow, those look great, like completely different lamps from the start.

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  30. Picture it: circa 2009, me in my kitchen, kneeling before my computer. "I'm not worthy. I'm not worthy." You've done it again!

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  31. I am seriously in LUVVVVVV with those lamps. I was trying to figure out how to redo the lampshades on my living room lamps...now I know! Thanks for the awesome idea!

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  32. 1. love the lamps!
    2. you are so funny!
    3. love so you think you can dance...a highlight of my summer. ;)

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  33. Love your blog. I've been stalking bedside lamps for 3 years now--looking for something with a base shape & drum shade exactly like yours. WHERE did you find the lamps?? Thanks!!

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  34. Love them! And I love that you say good lord all the time! haha!

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  35. I LOVE your lamps! The stenciling looks awesome.

    I had kind of thought stenciling had gone by the way side but you use it in a updated way to how I picture stenciling. Did that make sense?!

    Keep it up.

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  36. Love the lamps! For some reason, I never thought to stencil the fabic shades. I will have to try that ;o)

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  37. I love the look! I also love your tables!

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  38. Loooooveee. the. Lamps! Fun stuff!

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  39. Love how these turned out. They look great!!

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  40. AMAZING!! I love LOVE your work!! Christmas stuff out already?!?! Crazy!!

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  41. Those are simply GORG!! And I have been pining for a HobLob near me. There's not one anywhere close, but I'm not sure I could handle Christmas decorations in JUNE!

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  42. Oh Good Lord...I love them too. They are Beautiful. I've never done this but you can sure bet I'm gonna be trying me some stenciling.
    Love it Love it Love it!

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  43. I am in serious love with those lamps!! They look amazing! And popcorn is just sooooo goooood! :)

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  44. Those turned out so awesome!!! Great job.

    I ate way too much popcorn at the movies yesterday....and that's so much more fattening than the microwave stuff I buy for home. Oh well.

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  45. Simply lovely!

    You made me laugh at the thought of making the bed only 3x a year. :)

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  46. Hi Sarah!

    Where do you get Oil-Rubbed Bronze spray paint?

    LOVE the lamps!

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  47. I love it! You have inspired me to attempt some crafting. :) Awesome stuff.

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  48. Those lamps are fantastic! I wish we had a Hobby Lobby close, since we've moved I'm like 2hrs away from one which should be illegal!

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  49. I love how these lamps turned out! They look GREAT!

    Oh and SYTYCD- only one of my favorite shows EVER! :) This is going to be an awesome season, I can feel it!

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  50. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the lamps!!!!

    I have been watching So You Think You Can Dance this season also. Some great talent!!!

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  51. Those lamps look about a million times better! LOVE THEM!!

    I have never even heard of this spray paint...i'll have to keep my eyes open next time. You do great work :)

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  52. 1. Those lamps are am-a-zing!!! Very cool idea. :)
    2. Christmas decor already? Even for me, that's a bit too early. Doesn't dampen my desire for a HL to come to my town.
    3. Get out! I LOVE SYTYCD...I even did a weekly video countdown on my blog until this new season started. Who are your faves?? I like Evan, Caitlyn, Randi, and Kayla (sp?) so far. This is the best summer TV evah! ;)

    Happy Friday, Sarah! :)

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  53. Once again...A.Maz.Ing.
    They are absolutely perfect :)

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  54. Wow, your lamps are to die for! Loooove them! I got some oil rubbed bronze spraypaint at wal-mart a few weeks ago. P.S. I took my girls to a movie yesterday and ate a huge bag of popcorn, and I am supposed to be on a diet!:)

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  55. Those lamps turned out great! I had no idea their was oil rubbed bronze paint. I will have to keep that in mind when looking for treasures at goodwill. And YES, I was at HL yesterday and saw all the Christmas decorations and got that "little kid on Christmas morning" feeling in my stomach. I can't wait!

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  56. Love your blog! You have some wonderful ideas. The lamp looks great - what a transformation!

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  57. I have noticed the disappearance of Oil Rubbed Bronze too! I went to 3 different Wal-Marts and a Lowes and no luck! :(

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  58. Those lampshades are too cool! Fabulous job!

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  59. I thought the "BEFORE" picture was great and I didn't think you could make them look any better. They were nice modern lamps. Well I was WRONG, you made something that was good, FABULOUS! Can you come over to my house?

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  60. I love the lamps!

    I also love that HobLob puts their Christmas stuff out this early because it takes me that long to make gifts, etc. for Christmas!

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  61. I totally agree with you on the Christmas stuff in Hob Lob ALREADY being out- I was like, wha, huh? Hellooo?
    And also, SYTYCD is my fave! I knew I loved ya!

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  62. love me a lamp transformation! good job...love the scrolly stuff. I have decided I like anything with curves, curliques, circles, etc.

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  63. I love the change in the lamps. Stellar job. I don't have the chutzpah required to stencil that big on something, so I'll live the experience vicariously through you!

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  64. I love the change in the lamps. Stellar job. I don't have the chutzpah required to stencil that big on something, so I'll live the experience vicariously through you!

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  65. wow, that was a great transformation. I love it along with ya!

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  66. This post came just in time! I am getting ready to do a couple of lamp transformations myself and needed some inspiration!

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  67. so cute,great job!!!

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  68. Love them! Perfect!

    That is all. ;)

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  69. Your post is so funny and timely. I just used the last of my Rust-olium American Accents oil rubbed bronze spray paint on a $4 lamp from Goodwill. I've been spray painting everything in my house with it, chandeliers, candle sticks and now I want to do my cabinet pulls, but I can't find the paint anywhere. Home Depot had a whole row of it two months ago and now it's dissapeared without a trace. I did find it on Amazon though. Apparently you can have Home Deopt order a case for you. I'm tempted:)

    Your lamps are gorgeous btw, love, love, love them.

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  70. I just emailed Rustoleum yesterday trying to figure out what the deal is with the ORB. Someone at my local Home Depot told me that they will not carry American Accents anymore, so once their supply is gone, that's it. They are already sold out of the ORB and 2 Lowes in my area have been sold out for months. It is also no longer listed on their website. I bought a hammered dark brown the other day and it is just not the same. Can we picket or hold some sort of hunger strike until they start up production again? I am willing to lose a few pounds if I get my beloved paint color back . . .

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  71. Absolutely GORG!!! Those turned out fabulous. BTW, what brand of oil rubbed bronze do you use? I LOVE it.

    ~Amanda

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  72. Those are fabulous lamps. Well done!

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  73. Love the lamps, but I also LOVE the old ones...gorg!

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  74. Fabulous lamps! Love them.

    Blessings,
    Marie
    http://emmacallsmemama.com

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  75. Ok......I'm adding you to my list of favorite girlies so I can come back OFTEN.......You are hilarious and there are days......lots of them.....when I REALLY need a good tickle.

    Love your shades!....and I've never even heard of oil rubbed bronze spray paint! Dang, it's already gone and I've missed it? Shoot. Doesn't that just figure.

    Blessings,
    Spencer

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  76. Thanks for stopping by! You sure can link my "mudroom". I would be honored!

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  77. You could pee? LOL!

    Seriously the lampshades are gorgeous!!! :)

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  78. Sarah,

    for your wit and awesome crafti-ness I am selecting you for a Kreativ Blogger award. Check out my post and see how you pass the torch to others...

    http://gooddealgal.blogspot.com/2009/06/kreativ-blogger-award.html

    Keep up the awesome work. I love your blog!!

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  79. Wow! What a great transformation! Great job!
    Sincerely ~ Tricia Anne

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  80. Another good job...the shades are much improved. They look really nice :)

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  81. LOVE the lamps! I am also loving popcorn lately, not the microwave kind, but the real kernels on the stove with salt and butter...yummmmmy! Oh, and SYTYCD is the BEST.SHOW.EVER. :)

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  82. Aagh! I just discovered oil rubbed bronze paint! I am going to have to go and stock up!
    Love your lamps!!!!!! Wow!!

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  83. I e-mailed Rustoleum to get the status of the oil rubbed bronze paint. Here was their reply:

    Good Afternoon,

    Thank You for your inquiry concerning Rustoleum product.

    The product you referenced is product #243898/6 cans per case. Unfortunately,we do not have specific inventory information for each individual retail store as they do not order directly through us. They order through their own warehouses and distribution centers. For that reason, we are not able to inform you of a specific store in your area that would have the products you are looking for in stock. Please keep in mind that it is ultimately our distributors’ discretion in regard to which of our products they choose to stock. For this reason, we have set up “special order” programs with the customer service desks at some of the larger retailers, such as Home Depot, Lowes, and Wal-Mart True Value, Ace Hardware & Do It Best. The “special order” are not placed in the Paint Department but through the Customer Service Desk. Many of our distributors are able to special order; however they may be required to wait until they place their next warehouse order until they can bring your product in. When a special order is placed, it will be ordered as a case quantity only. I would also suggest you take our phone number with you in case you have trouble getting stores to special order. Just have them call us up and we can walk them through the process: 800-323-3584.


    Again, thank you for choosing Rust Oleum Brands!

    Sandy

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  84. Love the lamp shade

    Cheri
    www.itssoverycheri.blogspot.com

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  85. Carmen--I got the exact same email from Rustoleum! Also sent from customer service rep Sandy! Too funny.

    I will be ordering my case of ORB this weekend!

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  86. Great job! Don't you just love it when something turns out EXACTLY the way you hoped?

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  87. I just want to let you know that I LOVE YOU! You are such a huge inspiration! I am new to the blogging world and I have spent the past 2 nights browsing through your blog. Very excite3d to have found this blog!

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If you have a specific question I will do my best to answer you back here!

You can find our paint colors and links to items at the "Our Home" tab at the top of my site.

THANKS so much for reading!