knock-off "antique" mercury glass lamp

It's official! I've lived to compete another week in the So You Think You're Crafty competition! Thank you to everyone who voted for my "Antique" Mercury Glass Lamp. It's a joy to be in the final seven. I'll let you know when voting is live for next week's Upcycling challenge; as a frequent upcycler (you may have noticed) I'm eager to see how the other crafters interpret the theme!




I love mercury glass. Love it. It's shiny and vintage-looking and meant to look imperfect, all of which make it work well in my house. I especially love the way mercury glass lamps look, and the contrast of a rustic burlap shade really sets off the shiny mirrored glass. What I don't love is the price-tag.



For quite awhile, I've had the desire to try and make a mercury glass lamp with thrift store cast-offs, on a super small budget. Thanks to the "So You Think You're Crafty" competition, I had the motivation I needed to pull it off!



First: the originals and the low-cost knock off:

Originals from Restoration Hardware ($174 w/o shade) and Pottery Barn ($269 w/ shade). My copy: $18, w/shade.



I built it using an extra-tall glass thrift-store vase, a repurposed pan lid, the light kit from an old lamp, and some Looking Glass paint. The drum shade is one I stripped down and re-covered in coffee sack burlap. The Edison-style bulbs were a ReStore score for 50 cents apiece.

Mine has a more rustic shade than the Restoration Hardware version, and straighter lines than Pottery Barn's, and it suits me pretty perfectly.  I hope it suits you, too! At a savings of over 90%, you can't really afford not to make one!

Linking up to:


Junkin' Joe Vintage Finds