Nautical Rope Lamp

Jun 26, 2013AT HOME

1990lampbefore

I purchased this lamp at Target a couple of years ago.  It’s a typical lamp that you can get for a dime a dozen, and that is exactly what I don’t like about it.  I like to have unique pieces in my home, and this lamp is completely ordinary.  I wanted to do something to spice up the lamp that wouldn’t cost a fortune.  I was recently inspired by this lamp as I was in Pottery Barn and I thought that I could turn my boring run of the mill lamp into something decorative and purposeful.  I thought 30 feet of 5/8 inch thick rope would be enough for this project, but that only got me halfway there- I had to go back to Lowes and get another 30 feet!  I used hot glue to glue the rope to itself as I coiled it around the base and then up the pole of the lamp.
1996start
2037startbase

I started this project months ago.  I would glue a little here, glue a little there as I watched a movie or episodes of Scrubs on Netflix.  If you were really determined, you could probably get an entire lamp finished over a weekend.

As I got close to the top of the lamp, there was a decorative opening.  A friend of mine suggested that I write a note and slip it in there before I closed it off with the rope.  Here is what I wrote in it.
3154note
3187noteinside

One thing about this lamp that caused a bit of a delay in me completing it was that I hated how it looked with the previous glass shade. In order to replace it I needed this type of adapter and a lamp harp to make it work with a normal lamp shade. As I got closer to the very top of the lamp, I tapered the rope off by detaching and cutting one of the three cords that make up the rope, leaving two behind, and when I was about 2-3 inches from the end I cut off another cord of the rope leaving only one.  This prevented the rope from having an abrupt end.

3195tapering
1990beforeafter
3293horizontal

Since I was inspired to make this lamp from the one I saw at Pottery Barn, I thought it was only fair to get my lamp shade from there- that and it was the one that looked the best on my lamp!

Love it or hate it?  I’m still deciding, to be honest.  What do you think?

 

“It’s Just a Patio Breezeway”

“It’s Just a Patio Breezeway”

I figured it was about time to start sharing more details of our home addition with you. Brandon and I broke ground in April earlier this year, (2022) fully intending to be wrapping up by now. We...

read more
Welcome Back!

Welcome Back!

In September 2020 I hit ‘publish’ on my previous blog post, nowhere remotely close to thinking it would be last post so for so long. I closed my laptop, went about my life, and literally two years...

read more
Give Yourself Some Grace

Give Yourself Some Grace

Do you ever feel like you need a 'To-Do list' for your to-do list? I do. The hardest part about being a Realtor is managing expectations and communication. I am constantly updating my To-Do list...

read more
Five Wins of the Week

Five Wins of the Week

Mondays are typically my craziest day in terms of the admin side of my business. This week in particular, I have a property going on the market. I need to coordinate all the details of the...

read more
Selling Schenectady

Selling Schenectady

This past week, as I was browsing on Netflix and Selling Sunset came up as a suggested show for me to watch. Honestly, after I watched the preview for it, I thought to myself: “This is just another...

read more
Welcome Back!

Welcome Back!

In September 2020 I hit ‘publish’ on my previous blog post, nowhere remotely close to thinking it would be last post so for so long. I closed my laptop, went about my life,...

read more
Give Yourself Some Grace

Give Yourself Some Grace

Do you ever feel like you need a 'To-Do list' for your to-do list? I do. The hardest part about being a Realtor is managing expectations and communication. I am constantly...

read more
Five Wins of the Week

Five Wins of the Week

Mondays are typically my craziest day in terms of the admin side of my business. This week in particular, I have a property going on the market. I need to coordinate all the...

read more