Get Creative!!

Finally, the 1970s light hanging in our dining room has been replaced by a fixture that is much more modern, and more importantly, less gaudy.  Isn't it funny how one little change can make a room seem new and crisp?   Lyndee saw the old light laying on the dining room table and said "Keep this!"  My husband looked at her like she was crazy.  What could you do with that ugly old thing?

I decided to take a page from Lyndee's book, and get my creative juices a-bubblin'...and...Presto Change-o!!

The base is one of those glass bulb bases (turned upside down).  A few years ago our dog knocked over the glass bulb and it was smashed to smithereens.  I've been reluctant to replace the ball because they always seem so expensive, and I keep thinking I'll find one on clearance, but have had no such luck.  So, I got creative...

1. Take the light apart.
2. ***TIP ALERT*** Clean the old light by using vinegar.  Before painting anything metal or metal-like, clean it with vinegar, and it should prevent the paint from peeling.  
3. Remove the glass, and spray paint the gold fixture black.  Wait an hour or two, and spray paint with a second coat.
4. Let dry 24 hours, and then replace the glass in the fixture.
5. I've placed a potted plant in the fixture to add a little character to a small flower bed.  You could also seel the bottom with some plastic and caulk and create a small birdbath for your lawn. 

Don't underestimate that old junk you have laying around.  

With a little paint, elbow grease and creativity; you can find another use for something that may have ended up in an already over-loaded landfill.

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