I recently wrote about great green lighting options for your home.
But I left out one of the best, most environmentally friendly ways to add personality and illumination to your rooms: by making (or remaking) lighting from materials you already have.
Updating the lighting in your home can be as easy as jazzing up an existing lamp. I’m a fan of scouring thrift shops and other places for great old lamps, then remaking them. With a bold splash of (no-VOC) paint, a ho-hum wooden lamp looks fantastic in no time.
Purchase an old lamp at a secondhand store and remake it with paint on the base and wallpaper, wrapping paper, or fabric on the shade. Voila! A stylish new lamp in no time. Photo By Kristin Roach/Courtesy Flickr.
It’s also easy to add personality to a plain-Jane shade. Attach ribbon, buttons, fabric, wallpaper, leaves, photos–you name it. Anything you have lying around is fair game.
Of course, you can also make a lamp from scratch. Lamp kits come with the basic components you need to transform everyday items into functional lighting options, and most only cost a couple of bucks.
With some creativity and a touch of craftiness, objects ranging from vases and boxes to baskets can serve as lamp bases.
It’s hard to believe, but this striking pendant is made from old egg cartons. Photo by Project H Design/Courtesy Flickr.
Another bright idea: opt for a hanging kit to transform paper globes, mason jars, tea cups, or even egg cartons into striking pendants. Really!
A host of other supplies you may have on hand–think chopsticks or twigs can be transformed into terrific lighting too.
So what are you waiting for? Get to brainstorming and get crafty.