One of my favorite things to spray paint are lamps. It’s amazing what a coat of paint can do to an otherwise boring, normal lamp! Or maybe I like them because I get to throw out Anchorman quotes in my blog post?
But you can’t just start spraying, there’s some prep work involved in painting a lamp. You don’t want to ruin the electrical parts or get things sloppy, and you want it to work.
I put together this handy dandy photo tutorial that you can easily pin and store for reference!
when spray painting:
-Leave lots of time between coats, the more time the better.
-If you prime the lamp, it’ll hold up really nicely and the paint will stick well. I skipped this step, because I will probably change the color someday, and I didn’t want extra layers.
-SHAKE WELL!!! I’ll say it again, cause it’s that important. SHAKE WELL!!!!
-Don’t try to cram it all in one coat: long, light sprays are the best. Hold the can farther away to avoid drips!
(Geez, these tips need their own fancy picture… I will get on that!)
A few more things about this project:
-I will only use Shaklee’s Basic H when cleaning. It cleans ANYTHING, it’s safe and all-natural, and since it’s concentrated, very cheap! Works great on dusty lamps.
-I use Frogtape, and love how well it performs. I haven’t had an issue with other brands, but honestly I like this one because it’s green. And has a cute frog. No, they did not pay me to say that. (Yes, I am such a girl.)
-This lamp was bought at a garage sale for $10, the shade is from Target.
-The yellow color is Hubble House Golden Maize by Valspar. While I normally stick to Rustoleum or Krylon spray paint, I will be unloyal for this color. It’s the perfect yellow, and Tatertot Jen also used it on her entry way table here. (thanks for the tip, Jen!!!)
What do YOU love to spray paint?
Favorite brands, colors? Any other questions?
I’d love to make another one of these, so what would you like tips on?
shared with Today’s Creative Blog
Hi. Good post! I can’t wait to try this! Does it work on metal too?
Yep! For metal, I use an automobile primer from Rustoleum, then paint, and it adheres pretty well! I make sure to use it for other things that will get a lot of use like curtain rods, knobs, handles, etc.
thanks for commenting! :)
good post! I like your nifty Basic H spray bottle. Is the solution sold in that or is it purchased separately?
Any tricks on folding fitted sheets? ; ) Mine always look a mess!
I have a lamp in my basement that needs a new color! Thanks!!
Hi! Your lamp looks great! I wonder if you might have some advice for me. I recently spray painted a lamp (my first time spray painting anything), and it did not turn out so well. The color looks great, but the finish came out very grainy, not smooth and shiny at all. I used Kyrlon indoor/outdoor gloss in “bright idea” yellow. It said it was good for lots of surfaces, including wood, which my lamp was. I sanded it lightly before starting and primed it with white spray primer. I can’t figure out what I did wrong. The paint can said “apply multiple thin coats, wait 1 minute between each coat,” and then also said, “apply additional coats within 1 hour or after 24.” So, I’m not sure what constitutes a coat. I did it very thin and used a sweeping motion, and it took forever to get it to cover. It took two full cans to get the color to look right. The only things I can think of is that maybe I was holding the can too far away or that I did not sand between coats. I couldn’t figure out when to call it “coated,” though, so I didn’t know when to sand if that makes any sense. The overspray area that got coated also had the same sandy texture, so I don’t think not sanding is why it ended up rough, but I’m a complete novice, so I have no idea. :) If you have time to respond, I would love to know what you think. Thanks!