My Twig and Twine Nest: DIY Lamp Makeover

I bet you all have an old lamp somewhere in the attic or basement that isn't being used because you think it's outdated, ugly or doesn't match your decor anymore. I had one of those. In fact, it sat by itself for so long, I almost forgot it was even there. Today that lamp got a face-lift, with a technique I've been dying to try - stenciling!

Here's how I did it:

Oh, can't forget the "Before" photo. Plain Jane cream-colored shade, and gold. Gold. I don't even know why I ever bought this.

I chose to use ASCP in French Linen. I used a small brush and quickly painted a base coat over the entire black base and gold center. Nothing tricky here - just slapped it on. No primer, no prep beforehand. Just paint.

While that was drying, I moved on to the lamp shade - the part I was most excited about, yet still a little nervous to attempt. I hadn't stenciled before and worried that if I screwed it up, that was all she wrote. There were no other lamp shades to take its place. But, my worries quickly faded as I discovered how easy it was.

First, I taped the stencil in place on the lamp.

Next I dipped the flat end of my stencil paint brush into the paint. The directions on the stencil said I should wipe the excess paint off the end of the brush onto a cloth. That is an important warning - too much paint and you'll see it spread underneath the stencil. So take heed - less is more here!

After you've dipped and wiped, then start dabbing at an open section of the stencil, applying the paint in a circular motion. I had to dip and wipe several times just to complete each swirly shape.

An important note to bear in mind as you are working - gently keep your stencil in place with just the tips of your fingers. If you apply too much pressure, you'll inadvertently move the stencil. I found it slid around easily.

Once I painted the sections of the stencil I wanted (in this case, the whole thing), I removed it and marveled at how good it looked, and thought, "dang, that was easy!"

My next step was to turn the shade slightly and start working my way around. I chose to slightly turn my stencil, so the swirls would not all be facing in the same direction. And in some sections of the shade, I had the swirls running off the edges.

You can see a few of the places where the paint was too heavy (I got lazy and stopped wiping the excess on the cloth) and it spread under the stencil border. But, I was so anxious! I had to tell myself to slow down. Once I got one side of the shade completed, I set it aside to dry. Then I went back to the lamp again.

I applied a second coat of French Linen. Once it dried, I started to distress lightly. Since I was working with metal, I chose to not use sand paper, but instead used a wet rag. I lightly rubbed the rag over the paint, until the metal beneath showed through. Like the edges on the base here.