diy copycat
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Have you seen something recently that you couldn’t
possibly afford but you’d like to see Megan try and recreate? Tell us about it at erin@ vintagekcmag.com and we may just feature a tutorial here!
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In order to get the wire through your owl, you will have to drill some holes in the ceramic. I used a diamond tile drill bit for this part and it worked like a charm. But these are a little pricy at around $16. I didn’t include this in the total cost of the lamp because it might be something you already have on hand or can borrow from a friend. (Friends and family are great resources for DIY projects!) The drill bit needs to stay cool as it is going through the ceramic. To make that happen,
Inspiration This darling lamp from West Elm served as the inspiration for Megan’s lamp. If you can afford it, buy it, but we think her version is just as grand, espcially at about one-third the price!
paint. Make sure to tape off the parts that you don’t want to get painted. Just like with the owl, cover the areas with very thin coats to eliminate drips (4). Once your base is evenly painted and dry, get your epoxy out to secure the owl to the base (5). After the epoxy is set, you are almost done! Now all you need to do is find a white drum shade and stick it on. I grabbed mine at Target for $10, but there are drum shades all over estate and garage sales. Who would have dreamed that an ugly little thrift store owl could turn into a new focal point in your home with a little spray paint, glue and elbow grease? Costing a grand total of $29, our DIY lamp is an affordable home accessory compared with the store bought version at $99. Your friends will never know the difference!
pour cold water on the surface as you are drilling (1). This part will require an extra set of hands. The top of my owl turned out pretty well, but it’s definitely not perfect. After assembling the rest of the lamp and using some white spray paint for touch ups, the flaws aren’t noticeable. Drill another hole in the back and toward the bottom for the other end of the cord to go through (2). Push your cord up through the top hole and assemble the other parts of the lamp ac- cording to the package instructions. After the lamp is assembled (don’t forget to plug it in to make sure it works), the top will need to be secured to the owl. I picked up some epoxy for this part and so far all of the pieces of the lamp have held up great. Squirt your epoxy on the underside of the top metal lamp piece (3) and hold it in place until it’s secure. (Follow the directions on the epoxy package. It takes a fewminutes to set up.) After my owl started looking more like a lamp, I knew it needed a few final touches. Adding a base would make it look more an- chored. I found a perfect little wooden bowl at the thrift store for under $1. You could use a ceramic bowl, plate, or even a piece of wood for the base. I was also unhappy with the the way the brass parts of the lamp clashed with the white, so I touched it up with a little more white spray
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Megan Kapple lives in Kansas City, MO, with her husband and two daugh- ters. In addition to being a mommy and wife, Megan spends her days dream- ing up projects, scouting out thrift stores, sewing, cooking and many other
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creative endeavors. You can read all about her adventures on her blog: homemadeginger.com.
VintageKC / Summer 2012 41
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