D.I…Why?

Sometimes in the world of crafting, I bite off more than I can chew. This is a pattern even from when I was a kid.  I’d start projects and then leave them lying around after being distracted by something else…as my parents like to remind me.  But no more! After seeing this amazing vintage lamp at a nearby arc thrift store (for only $6.99!!!) I knew I wanted to rewire it and had to see it through.  There were several vintage lamps that caught my eye but this one won my heart :). 

The lamp has such beautiful shades of blue and green and I LOVE the 1970s drip glaze.  The only problem was that the plug was bent and the wiring looked rough.  Usually I’d let a little thing like fear of a painful shock turn me away from such a beautiful lamp-but not today! I figured rewiring a lamp couldn’t be that hard, could it?  Could it?!  I’ve seen so many amazing vintage lamps at arc, but I’ve never known how to rewire them-now I will!

The first step was buying a lamp kit from a local hardware store (around $10) so that I could figure out what all of this entailed.  Then when I couldn’t read the miniscule print on the back of the package I resorted to the internet.  Here’s what I had to do (the abbreviated version):

I unscrewed the ornament at the top of the lamp and then popped the oval harp off. 

After that I flipped the lamp over, pulled off the cardboard bottom and unscrewed the nut on the underside of the base that holds it all together.  With that undone I slowly took the whole thing apart and then threaded the new cord all the way back through the base up to the socket.  So far so good!

Things got a little trickier once I had to strip a bit of the wire at the top in order to actually rewire the socket.  I’d like to tell you that I did this no problem and then easily wired each side of the wire to the correct screw.  But that would be a lie.  I needed help! 

I was so worried that I wouldn’t do it correctly and would somehow make something explode that I wimped out.  I don’t even have a picture for you of me completing the job with help.  I should be ashamed…but I’m not.  Because as soon as I plugged this puppy in it lit up beautifully!  (Sorry for the lousy picture, though.)  Another arc treasure to satisfy my love for vintage, and for such an amazing price; I’ve seen drip glaze lamps like this being sold for tons in antique stores.  Arc always hooks me up with fabulous vintage wares for super low prices.  Plus I never feel guilty shopping because it goes to such a great cause.  Now all it needs is a lamp shade.  Wonder where I might find one…

Julie W.