DIY Project – All things can become new (even corroded lamps)
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17)
While it may seem strange for me to post do-it-yourself projects on a blog created to provide inspiration and encouragement, I see God all around me – even in the excitement of fixer-upper projects. There is a lesson to be learned, and skill to be honed, in even the tiniest of experiences.
That being said, on occasion, I intend to share some of these experiences – both good and bad – with you.
As a single person, with a limited budget, I fix most everything myself. The number of projects I undertake is only limited by the amount of time I have.
For example, over the past year, I’ve slowly landscaped my back yard with new flower and vegetable gardens, re-painted my house interior, pressure-washed the exterior, painted furniture, restored a former “chalk wall,” installed a new mailbox and post, refinished and re-stained antique end-tables, and installed an under-the-counter microwave – all with God’s help!
Today, though, I tackled a relatively easy project – restoring corroded lamp bases to their previous splendor.
The back-story is this: I’ve made my house my own by shopping at estate sales to purchase one-of-a-kind items at a fraction of the cost I would find at standard retail outlets.
Two such finds are my unique glass and brass seashell-filled table lamps.
I was fortunate to find these gorgeous creations. True, the shades were dry-rotted and the metal bases, corroded; but, I could see the beauty beyond their imperfections to the fun flair they would provide to my ocean-based, decorating theme. As a result, I snatched them up as soon as I found them.
Since I’d only spent $16 for the pair of lamps, the last thing I wanted to do was spend a fortune on replacement shades. On the way home from the sale, I took a chance and stopped at my local Goodwill store. Miraculously, I found two perfect, beige shades, which I purchased for $4/each. Such a gift!
The bases weren’t real brass; so, I chose to spray-paint them with Rustoleum gold paint to add a brighter glow to the lamps and make them look brand-new.
Now the specifics:
Step 1: I prepared my outdoor painting station by laying out a piece of cardboard I frequently utilize when working on small projects.
Step 2: Using a small piece of fine-grit sandpaper, I sanded away all the rust and corrosion from the base of the lamps. Once sanded, I removed the dust with a dry paper towel.
Step 3: I covered the lamp bodies with brown paper to protect them from overspray. Using blue painter’s tape, I securely fastened the paper to the lower portion of each lamp’s body.
Step 4: I sprayed the lamp bases with two light coats of paint, allowing 15-minutes to dry between coats.
Step 5: Once the paint was dry, I applied a single coat of clear lacquer to further protect the lamps from future rust damage.
Step 6: Satisfied with the results, I removed the brown paper and admired my beautifully restored lamps!
Lesson learned? If I can combine a small amount of work with a big desire to look past a less-than-perfect exterior, imagine what the Creator of everything can do to us!
