Faux Balustrade Lamp DIY-Cheap and Easy

Today I did a quick, cheap and easy project and wanted to share it with you.

If you're like me then you love balustrade lamps! You know, the ones that look like a turned wood farm table leg. Especially shabby distressed ones. And if you're like me you've probably noticed that most are a pretty penny.

Here's an example...

This lamp is one of the first that appeared when I googled the subject. This one is for sale on a website called Visual Comfort. It is 356.90. In fact, in my search I couldn't find any that were under $300. If I spent over $350 on a lamp my husband would  have a melt down. 

Sure, I guess you could find an actual old balustrade and get it wired and distress it.

If you want to spend 40 hours on a lamp. But for a busy mom like me...no way.

I happened upon this lamp at Garden Ridge this morning. 

With flash

without flash

It is tall and somewhat substantial. It is made of metal. The metal was dark (unlike the "flash" photo depicts) and poorly painted with some kind of swipe-y brown distressing. But for 24.99, I knew I could make it work.

 I'll keep this short and sweet...just like the project itself! Honestly, it took maybe 30 minutes total working time (not including the 1 hour drying time between painting and distressing).

So first, paint the lamp with 2 coats of chalk paint. I used Annie Sloan Antique White.

 Here it is before distressing.

Sand it hard on areas that poke out. Just go to town until you reach the desired amount of distressing.

Carry it outside and blow off all the paint "dust". I learned this the hard way.

Now dip into some wax with a wadded up paper towel and buff it on...there are tons of finishing wax brands out there. I just happened to have regular old Johnson's paste wax on hand.

 Buff with a dry paper towel to get off any excess wax.

Now place it in your living room, with a goofy puppy photo bombing your photo...

And just a little side story about this table. This is where we put the xmas tree each year. We always move the chaise part of our sectional into another room to make room for the tree (we have a freakishly small living room compared to the rest of our house.) Anyways, when the chaise comes back you can't see this tiny table. Only the lamp.

I wish you could see it in person, it really looks like wood.

So there you have it! A one hour project for creating a pretty faux balustrade lamp for only 24.99

 Junebug thanks you kindly for coming by, although she is disappointed that you didn't throw her toy squirrel down the hallway or put peanut butter in her kong.

Maybe next time...

~Linsey

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