DIY A Modern Metal Lampshade For Any Light With This Affordable Dollar Tree Hack

Are you looking to add some modern flair to your home's decor? If so, consider upgrading your lighting. You could DIY a lamp from IKEA products. But, did you know that Dollar Tree also sells tons of incredible items for projects like this? According to TikTok user @onthecheaptip, you can have a fun, affordable, and customizable lamp that's perfect for any space using nothing more than metal wreath forms and bamboo skewers. And the best part? All these items are available at Dollar Tree, which means this hack won't break the bank. 

If you're looking for a versatile project, you're in the right place. You can easily add this bespoke shade to table lamps, pendant lights, and floor lamps. Although you may have seen other ways to make a wire mesh lamp that involve wrapping chicken wire around a lampshade, creating a form that resembles a cylindrical cage, this one uses bamboo skewers to build the shade. The metal wire only forms the lampshade's base, allowing you to manipulate your bamboo sticks more easily than wire mesh and to arrange them in any pattern you'd like. Although @onthecheaptip's TikTok video shows the sticks attached abstractly, you could layer them to resemble a lattice or basket weave pattern for a more uniform look. Here's how to get started.

To design a DIY lamp, begin by gathering your materials from Dollar Tree. You'll need bamboo skewers, a round wire wreath form, and a bicycle wheel metal wreath ring. You'll also need fast-drying glue, wire cutters, and spray paint. In the TikTok video, @onthecheaptip layers matte black and gold paint, but you should choose whatever color complements your home's decor. Black paint is available on Amazon for less than $7, making this a project that costs less than $20. If you already have paint, the entire hack could cost $3.75. 

Use the wire cutters to remove the innermost rings from your round wreath form, so you just have two rows of metal left to work with. Due to the risk of injuring your hand, scissors aren't recommended for cutting wire unless it has a small diameter. If you don't have wire cutters, pliers also work. Next, make three cuts in the innermost ring of the wreath form, bending each piece of wire upward. 

Attach these three "legs" to your bicycle wheel wreath ring before gluing your bamboo skewers in place. Your wreath forms are the "base" of your lampshade, and the bamboo sticks are its "sides." After you attach the sticks, bring your wreath into a well-ventilated area — preferably outside — and spray with the paint of your choosing. To attach your new DIY lampshade to a pendant light, make a single snip in the center of the bicycle wheel to fit it over the light on the hanging wire. 

Lampshades, although decorative, protect your eyes from harsh lighting. This hack doesn't do much to soften the light emanating from your lamp, so you may want to use it in tandem with lower-wattage lightbulbs. Before adding lightbulbs, always check to see what type of wattage is recommended for your lamp. Since this DIY lampshade doesn't conceal the lightbulb, consider adding something decorative for a bit of flair. You could install a vintage pineapple-shaped Edison bulb for less than $13 on Amazon, or stick with a modern, industrial feel and install squirrel cage Edison bulbs for less than $20 on Amazon.

That's not all you can do to make this DIY modern metal lampshade your own. In addition to custom lightbulbs, also consider swapping out your round wreath form with a square one from Dollar Tree. Or, add a bit of whimsy to your project by incorporating these smaller bamboo sticks from Dollar Tree, complete with tiny hearts. 

If you're out thrifting and find a lamp you love, you may encounter one missing a harp filter. This thin piece of metal keeps your lampshade securely in place and is a must-have for a project like this. The good news is that you can still tackle this DIY; you'll just need to purchase a new harp filter or something similar. For example, you could snap on a universal lampshade adapter, available on Amazon for less than $6. However you choose to customize it, the result is a one-of-a-kind lampshade you can create on a budget.