The Pinterest Challenge--A Floor Lamp Make-Over

A little bit ago, Sherry from Young House Love got together with a few of her friends and issued a Pinterest challenge, the idea being to actually use Pinterest to inspire you to make something, and not just to glamour you like a time-sucking vampire with the pretty colors. Oooooo, pretty colors.

Surprisingly, I actually have used Pinterest a few times to inspire real-life projects. How is it that so many projects do not end up on the blog??? My sister and I spent a whole day once doing naughty things to t-shirts (like cutting them up and then not even sewing proper hems on them!) inspired by Pinterest projects. I guess most of those ended up belonging to Melissa, which is why they didn't show up here.



I'm a bit late on this project, but here it is! This is something I've been planning for weeks! And it's finally done! I managed to fit it into my oh-so-busy and important schedule. Did I mention I spent last weekend hiking 16 miles through the Virgin River Narrows in Zion National Park, the same trip that got flash flooded out last year? My first overnight, backpacking trip. Walking in a river for 16 miles with a pack that weighs 24 pounds is stinkin' hard work, people!

That's me in the foreground and David up ahead.

We only crossed that river hundreds of times. No big deal.

So, anyway, amid my 16 mile hikes and cleaning and packing to get ready and recovering from the truly awe-inspiring, wrap-around blisters I got on the hike, I did my project, which was inspired by these yarn balls. I adore them. So much string! Who couldn't love a thing with so much string? I think I have some feline/Dr. Seuss DNA in there somewhere.

I bought this lamp for $3 at a yard sale a while back,with this project in mind. This is the before shot.

I used a 24" beach ball, wrapping it in string that was dipped in a mixture of Mod Podge, cornstarch and water. I made sure to leave a hole in the top and bottom in order to get the light bulb in and out. The photo I pinned has a good tutorial, although I didn't bother with the petroleum jelly. I couldn't imagine that I could glue string to a beach ball with Mod Podge even if I really, really wanted to. A balloon might be different.

And after letting it dry and removing the beach ball (you should have seen Aubrey's face after she realized I cut a hole in it to get it out!), I had this:

Cost for this project:
Lamp: $3
Beach ball: $1
String: $5
Glue: Freeee!
Total: $9

My string ball is pretty much just sitting up there. I need to figure out a way to make it more secure and I'm thinking of spray painting the black lamp stand--maybe a gunmetal? I love the shadows it casts though.