She Turns A Thrifted Duck Into A Cute, Funky Lamp With An Impressive DIY
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If you would describe your taste in home decor as somewhere between slightly quirky and totally unexpected, it might be hard for you to find just the right lamp for your bedside table or reading nook. When you're wandering around your favorite thrift store, you might think, "If only that kooky figurine in other aisle was sitting underneath this lampshade I'm holding right now. Now, that would be a lamp worth taking home!" If this lament sounds familiar, just know you can make good on your creative musings, as TikTok creator Rebecca (@my.thrifted.abode) proved. She made her own cute and funky lamp by drilling a hole through a $4 duck sculpture she found at the thrift store and inserting a basic lamp wiring kit.
The tools required to pull all of this together are few. The DIY calls for blue masking tape, a drill with diamond-tipped bit that matches the size of the lamp's components. You may also find a spray bottle filled with water to be helpful while drilling. As far as the electrical parts are concerned, something like the EMNOOTI Lamp Rewire Kit would work. You'll also need a lampshade. You can try making your own lampshade, ensuring it's not a fire hazard, or look around for a thrifted one.
When you're choosing a figurine that'll become the base of the lamp, look for one that's hollowed out and has a large enough opening in the bottom. The hollow structure will make it easier for you to add the lamp parts to the ceramic piece. The figurine you choose also shouldn't have any fractures, even hairline ones. Otherwise, it could break apart once you start drilling, due to the damage the crack causes to its structural integrity.
A drill and a lamp wiring kit transform a ceramic duck figurine
After picking up the adorable white duck, Rebecca decided to wire the lamp components so the light sits on top of its head. She placed blue masking tape in an "X" shape over the spot, then carefully drilled a hole with a diamond-tipped drill bit. After running the lamp wire through the duck and tightening the bulb socket in place, she topped off the project with a blue gingham lampshade, one of the colors for the cottagecore aesthetic used in her daughter's room. "Suddenly, you really do have the most whimsical lamp ever," she concluded on TikTok.
@my.thrifted.abode Does your thrift store just have boring or worse yet, wierd stuff? Mine does too! But I don't let that stop me! Here's how I turn wierd things I thrift (OK maybe some of them aren't that weird but they're certainly boring and ordinary🙃) into whimsical decor! #thriftfinds #thriftedhome #repurposed #thriftflip #vintagehome
Although this technique is simple in principle, it may come with a learning curve, particularly if you've never learned how to drill through a ceramic tile without cracking it. As such, you may find it helpful to practice first. Work with a plate or a secondhand figurine you don't care much about before you drill into the funky piece you want for your lamp. Placing blue masking tape on the spot where you'll drill will prevent the drill bit from sliding and scratching your figurine. Spritz it with water and drill at very slow speed to prevent it from cracking. Finally, when you're ready to work with the electrical components, follow the directions on your unique lamp kit to safely install the cord.
In addition to choosing a clever lampshade, it's possible to add decorative embellishments to the figurine itself. This little duck lamp would look even cuter if you added a bow to its neck. Other figures might benefit from some painted details or shiny rhinestone jewels. Just make sure that any additions like this don't obstruct the cords or the lamp parts in the process.