Diy Tripod Floor Lamp... Get the Look for Less

I love the look of the tripod floor lamps. I however do not like the price. $200 on up to $1000. No thank you. Today I was out at a local antique store and found this little guy....

He was $78 but the owner of the store told me she could do $60. So I decided that sounded do able. You can probably find them for cheaper on ebay but I liked this one so I got it. 

The one problem I ran into with this one was that it had a little metal thing in the middle that needed to be taken out. I used my Dremel to remove it. 

Here is what you need for the lamp part I got it all at home depot. You simply follow the instructions on the back... 

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Westinghouse-3-Way-Socket-Make-A-Lamp-Kit-7026800/100351517#.UivwUeAyT88

Westinghouse 3-Way Socket Make-A-Lamp Kit

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Westinghouse-Assorted-1-8-IP-Zinc-Plated-Nipples-8-Pack-7015000/100351463#.UivwgOAyT88

Westinghouse Assorted 1/8-IP Zinc-Plated Nipples (8-Pack)

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Westinghouse-Brass-Plated-Nuts-and-Washers-6-Pack-7062800/100351492?keyword=westinghouse+nuts+and+washers#.UivwrOAyT88

Westinghouse Brass Plated Nuts and Washers (6-Pack)

I used the nipples, nuts and washers in the hole in the tripod to act as my base and give it a firm hold. Then you simply put together and wire the lamp kit. Don't be scared its very easy! I had never wired anything before. The directions lay it all out for you..took me maybe 10 mins to get it all set up. I still need to find a shade. I stole this one from another lamp in the house for the picture.

DIY Stenciled Pillows

Can't find the pillows you want? Price tag makes you think you could never actually use them?
Try this!

I have two small children, a husband and two dogs. I quite often reference the saying "this is why I cant have anything nice." This isn't totally true, we have many nice things that I am thankful for; however, if I do buy something or work hard on something there tends to be a pattern of someone quickly messing it up. No.... I'm not still frustrated that my daughter decided to use the back of my newly upholstered sofa as her artist palate for her new found love of red permeant marker. Epic fail... Just a quick example into my "this is why I can't have anything nice". 

If your like me and have to be somewhat guarded in how you spend your  money on things for your home. Or you look at a gleaming white sofa and count in your head the amount of seconds it will take before your well meaning 4 yr old lets the dog in that just finished running through the oil that was left sitting out by your well meaning husband... this might be for you. 

For this project I used painters drop cloths. Don't worry they fill stiff in the stores but once you get them home and wash them the soften up. 

Take your drop cloth and cut it to what ever pillow size your making, I had pillow forms in 17x17 and 16x16. 

Search pinterest or magazines for design ideas you like. For this one I did just simple straight lines. You can buy stencils or make your own. For the bird one I just traced a bird silhouette off my ipad onto some of that clear table cloth material. I bought a yard of it at Joann's and have used it multiple times to make stencils... 

Paint on what ever color you like. I used some paint I had left over from a sample size of bher acrylic paint. 

Here is with the tape pulled off.

Sewing a pillow is a great beginners sewing project its very simple. 

Make sure you pretty side, or right side of the fabric is facing up towards you. Lay your back fabric on top. If you chose to do a fabric that has a right side and wrong side make sure the right side is facing in towards the inside touching your right side of the front panel. 

Next simply sew around your pillow being sure to leave an opening to stuff your pillow form in. Then slip stitch your pillow closed. Here is a video on how to do that if your not sure.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHWD1qjNrqs

Enjoy your custom pillows.