Reuse Wire Hangers To Make A Beautiful Faux Victorian Lamp

Vintage lamps and lighting fixtures can be a beautiful way to add a sense of the past and personality to any room in your home. These gorgeous lights, including richly colored stained glass pieces or intricate Victorian lampshades made of sumptuous fabrics, can be difficult to find in working condition and expensive when you do find them. While some retailers sell reproductions in the Victorian and late 19th-century styles, they can also cost quite a bit of cash. Instagram DIYer @coleendahl.art, however, cleverly creates the perfect vintage lamp with just some metal hangers, fabric, cardboard, clay, and an inexpensive lamp kit. The result is a stunning way to bring a romantic sense of history into your space.

This DIY project can be created in an afternoon to your specifications with customized details to best match your décor and aesthetic. You can pick the fabrics used, luxurious trims like fringe and braiding, and the final shape and size of the finished lamp. While this DIY makes the base from scratch, you can also work with upcycled bases, which are great for tuning into lamps. Options include vintage ginger jars, old vases, pitchers, and other upcycled glass containers. You could also attach a lamp kit to a large silver or brass candlestick as a base. Thread the cord downward or through a drilled hole in the container, or just use an LED bulb for a wireless lamp. These lamps make a great addition to Victorian-style décor, maximalist rooms, and boho-style spaces.

To create a colorful Victorian shade, pick your favorite fabrics in advance. Soft silks, satins, or filigree laces make excellent options with a Victorian flare. Use wire hangers to form the frame, straightening and cutting them to size. Mold and assemble them into a domed lampshade shape with slightly scalloped edges. Then, use electrical tape to fasten the pieces together at the joints and wrap more tape around the wire to give the frame some bulk. This will make sewing the pieces of fabric to the frame much easier. Just fold and create a seam at the edge around each rib of the lamp with alternating fabrics. To embellish the lampshade, use a glue gun to add trim between each rib and a decorative fringe around the bottom, like this Yalulu Handmade Beaded Fringe. 

For the light, assemble an inexpensive lamp kit, like this Creative Hobbies Lamp Kit. Then, if you plan to construct your base from cardboard and clay, form the underlying skeleton with old cardboard, electrical tape, and a glue gun, creating a rectangular column with a base and top area where the lamp kit will rest. Use additional pieces of cardboard to create the rounded shape of the lamp, gluing tiny ribs of cardboard around the center and bottom for a flared look. Cover the framework with quick-dry clay like Sculpey, creating a smooth finish and adding any other molded details you would like. Finish the lamp by waiting for it to dry, then painting it your desired shade. Brass, gold, and silver are great options, but you can also choose a color to match your décor.