DIY Upcycled Vintage Tin Lamp

Over the past couple of years I have gotten really into making upcycled lamps! I have several in my home, and a whole list of more lamps and shades I’d like to craft. One of the lamps I have been wanting to make for a while now was a vintage tin lamp. I have been searching for a tin that was vintage but still in decent shape without too much rust. I found this wonderful soft green cookie tin recently and knew it would be perfect for the lamp I wanted to make for my sewing room. 

Here’s What You Need:

*Vintage Tin

*Lamp Kit

*Extra Couplers(I used 3)

*Drill and drill bits

*Screwdriver

*Small piece of PVC tubing

*Glue (e6000 or super glue)

Instructions:

Gather your supplies and take everything out of the package. Measure your threaded rod from your kit and grab a drill bit the same size as the rod.

You can start by making the hole in the lid of your tin. Mark the center of your tin. Take your drill bit that is the same size as your rod and drill a hole where you marked in the lid with your drill.

 

Now you need to add your couplers to the threaded rod. They just screw on. Screw each one on snugly and tightly next to the previous.

Now you are ready to add your fixture to your lid. Slide the gold plate onto the bottom of the rod so it meets your couplers. Then slide on the lid, then a washer, then the nut. Tighten the nut down snugly to make the fixture nice and firm and straight.

Now you need to make the hole in the back of your tin for the wire cord. Mark where you want the cord to come out. Drill a hole slightly larger than the cord.

Next, slide a small piece of pvc tubing onto the cord. Then push it into the hole in the back of the tin half way and glue it in with some e6000 or super glue.

 

Now, slide the cording in the inside of the tin and up through the threaded rod and through the lid up through the socket.

 

Follow the instructions for wiring on the lamp kit package. Basically you take the twisted ends of the wires and wrap the corresponding wire around the screws on the socket then tighten the screws down.

To finish off you coil the wires into the bottom of the socket and push the top into the bottom socket piece. Now you are ready to add a lampshade and light it up.

I absolutely adore my lamp! It was so easy and fun to make. Daryl and I did it together in about twenty minutes. It is a great size for the small suitcase table in my sewing room and gives me a nice amount of extra light when I’m working. So, next time you guys come across a wonderful old tin, snatch it up. They make wonderful lamps, and a great conversation piece for your favorite space! I hope some of you will give it a try sometime! Lamp making is so fun! I’ll be back Thursday with a diy for the lamp shade. Until then…

Happy Crafting!