DIY Life

It's never too late to bring some festive decor into your home, and with this easy DIY lampshade update, chances are you've already got the tools to do so! Don't believe me? You have a lamp and some paper, right? Good. Then get to work:

The only materials you need for this tutorial are as follows:
black paper, a pair of scissors, a pencil and double-stick, clear tape

Yep, that's it!

Your instructions couldn't be easier! Try these few, easy steps on for size:
1. Download, print and cut out the black cat template.
2. Trace the template onto black paper with a pencil.
3. Cut out the cat shape from the black paper
4. Use double stick tape to adhere the silhouette to the inside of the shade.

And with that, you've got an instant DIY trick up your sleeve, perfect for surprising last-minute Halloween guests.

Today's Thursday, which brings us one day closer to choosing our giveaway winner for this fantastic spray paint lamp. Haven't yet entered? Hurry over to this post and tell us the most creative thing you've done with a can of spray paint.

Contest ends tomorrow at 5PM; don't be late!

Have you ever seen a more adorable [and crafty!] lamp? If so, you're totally lying to us. A lovely example of DIY-done-right, the Krylon Spray Paint Lamp from Etsy seller bblock is a huge inspiration for anyone desiring a unique light fixture that you can't find everywhere else. And get this--- the On/Off switch is the can's nozzle! Genius.

Fortunately for you, bblock is offering a lucky DIY Life reader a Krylon Spray Paint Lamp of his/her choice! Excited yet? You should be.

Enter our giveaway by commenting below and telling us the craftiest thing (legal, please!) you've ever done with a can of spray paint.

CONTEST RULES

• To enter, leave a confirmed comment below telling us the craftiest thing you've ever done with a can of spray paint!
  
• The comment must be left before 5pm ET on Friday, August 7, 2009.
  
• You may enter only once.
  
• One winner will be selected in a random drawing.
  
• One winner will receive one Krylon Spray Paint Lamp (valued at $60) in the winner's choice of standard colors.
  
• Open to legal residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older.
  
• Click here for complete Official Rules. Winners will be notified by email, so be sure to provide a valid address!

Everyone has had the experience of a light bulb breaking off in the socket. Getting the bulb out of the socket can be a real challenge.

Have you ever heard of the potato trick? You take half of a raw potato, push it into the bulb base, and then turn the potato to remove the bulb. I guess this would be effective if I had potatoes on hand, but I usually don't. Also, potatoes can be messy and I picture a lot of moisture, something which doesn't seem like a good idea around electricity.

There are other more effective ways to get the broken light bulb out of the socket. So get out your toolbox.

Now here's a creative way to upcycle those old books: Make a headboard out of them for sweet dreaming. -- CasaSugar

Make that vacation memory permanent by creating a quilted postcard out of your favorite photo. -- Craftster

Lamps are a complete mystery to me, but this restored lamp looks so great, it makes me want to learn. -- CraftyNest

Not sure to do with those old jeans and t-shirts that aren't in good enough shape to donate? Give them new life as a cute and colorful rag rug. -- eHow

Impress your kids during your next beach trip by building them the sandcastle of your dreams. Howcast shows you how.

If it's not the heat, it's the humidity. If summer's making you sweat, check out Lifehacker's best tips for beating the heat.

So you can't afford a house on the beach ... who can in this economy? With a little creativity and some treasure hunting, however, you can bring the beach to your house. -- Shelterpop

All your favorite fruits are in season right now. Buy them up at your local farmer's market right now while the price is low, then freeze them to enjoy all winter. TipNut will teach you how to freeze them for best flavor.

World's easiest fix: Worried about oil rings on your beautiful granite countertops? Dish it -- or keep them in easy reach, but safe and sound on an attractive dish. -- Young House Love

Love the lamp you have but the lampshade has gotten dusty and dirty over the years? My lampshades all took a beating during a recent cross-country move. Instead of running out and purchasing a new shade -- anything but plain white is expensive -- why not remake the lampshade by covering it with some fabric that co-ordinates with your room?

You will need:

Scissors
Spray glue
Paper, for tracing the pattern
Fabric

Step One:
Lay your lampshade down on your craft paper, or the back of wrapping paper. Starting at the seam roll and trace the bottom of your lampshade until you arrive back at the seam. Then roll the lampshade back in the opposite direction and trace the top edge. For the most common style of lampshade, it will be a crescent shape drawing.

You're bound to collect a handful of glow-sticks this summer. They get passed out at firework shows, holiday barbecues, and just about any other outdoor summer evening event. So what do you do after the festivities are over? Well, at our house, we typically find them hiding in the sandbox, lost behind the toy-box, or tossed away in the trash.

Kish, over at Instructables, re-purposed his into this funky glow-stick lamp. You'll need 15 glow-sticks and a plastic bottle; one commenter suggests using a glass bottle instead. If you chose one with an interesting pattern you could get a really cool effect.

This would make a fun accessory for any dorm room, kids room, basement or kitchen (sure, why not!). Check out the video for full instructions.

[via: Daily DIY]

I went to the store the other day and perused the selection of lamps. Talk about cheap crap, er, I mean expensive junk. I couldn't find a lamp under $20 that wasn't ugly or in need of some serious style. I came home totally bummed that I didn't find the perfect lamp.

Design*Sponge's Kate has made some really cool cork lamps. Her perfect lamps are made out of cork, Ikea cutlery caddies, and an Ikea plant pot. She got her lamp wiring kit at the hardware store and purchased her lampshade from Anthropologie.

Kate's instructions are precise and very easy to follow. She explains exactly how to put the lamps together, where to put the lamp wiring through the cork base, and finishes off with some awesome pictures of her completed cork lamps.

Cork is so versatile. You can tack some pictures on the cork, or decorate your new lamp however you wish. You can even paint the cork, if plain brown bores you. Either way, this is the perfect weekend project. I will definitely add this to my project list.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and L G Sourcing, Inc. have announced a recall of approximately 90,000 Portfolio Incandescent Torcherie Lamps, due to the fact that a short circuit in the lamps' wiring poses a fire hazard. Although no injuries have been reported, L G Sourcing has received two reports of lamp fires.

The recalled lamps were manufactured in China and sold exclusively by Lowe's retail stores nationwide from March 2005 through October 2007 and sold for $17. Please check out the CPSC press release to see if you have a recalled lamp.

Stop using the recalled lamp immediately and take it back to any Lowe's retail outlet to get a full refund. For more information, you may contact L G Sourcing toll-free at (866) 916-7233 or visit www.lowes.com.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Kash N' Gold Ltd. have announced a voluntary recall of 60,000 Tinker Bell lamps. The paint on the lamps contains excessive amounts of lead and violates the federal lead paint standard. No injuries have been reported.

The lamps were manufactured in Hong Kong and sold at electrical and appliance stores nationwide, including Lowe's. The lamps were sold from January through October 2007 for about $40. Please check out the CPSC press release to see if you have the Tinker Bell lamp.

Stop using the animated lamps immediately and return to the store where you purchased the lamp to get a full refund. You may also contact Kash N' Gold at (800) 354-8785 or visit their website at www.kngamerica.com to receive a merchandise credit.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Intermatic Inc. of Spring Grove IL. have announced a voluntary recall of 8,500 Intermatic DT-27 digital self-adjusting timers. The timers may have been wired incorrectly, which could lead to a consumer receiving an electric shock. No injuries have been reported.

The lamp and appliance timers were manufactured in China and sold by retailers throughout the nation, including Home Depot and Lowe's. The timers were sold from February 2007 through December 2007 and cost $15 to $25. Check out the CPSC press release to see the pictures of the recalled digital timers to see if you may have the recalled timer.

Stop using the timers immediately and unplug before checking the date code and model number. For more information you may contact Intermatic anytime at (800) 704-3595, or visit their website at www.intermatic.com to request a prepaid shipping label and receive a free replacement.

Every once in a while, a project comes along that is really, really worth doing. If you're into unique home lighting effects and are proud to have self-made items adorning their homes, you'll love this one. With a little pressboard, a small shop or auto light, some routing skills and either a stack of old CDs or even a 50-pack of new CD-Rs, you can have a nice lamp for that side or sofa table.

Well, pull out that fluorescent tube-style bulb assembly you may have sitting around (yes, that is the light source) and follow the visual instructions here. Due to the plastic nature of CDs, they are perfect light transmission vehicles for a small tube light in the middle of a tower of CDs. Have an unused or older tube shop light sitting in the garage? It's the perfect light source for this project.

If you have a chance this weekend, this project may be a hit at that New Year's party next Monday night. Heck, make a few of them while you're at it and double the conversations starters next week!

DIY lighting seems to be all over the blogosphere these days. Today, Apartment Therapy features a tutorial for making a socket chandelier. Their tutorial is inspired by David Allen's Atomic Chandelier, which retails for $200. For far less money, you can create your own version using socket extenders (also known as "y" or twin socket adapters), low wattage bulbs and electrical cord (if you don't already have a chandelier fixture). The result is both fun and modern.

Don't have a chandelier setup and don't want to deal with electrical cord? Never fear, you can create your own fixture by screwing right into your ceiling or wall socket - you just can't do the ball shape the AT writers did.

If you can, check out the September/October issue of Blueprint magazine. They did a feature on the home and studio of designer Lotta Anderson (better known as Lotta Jansdotter). The spread included a full-page shot of her in her studio (scroll down a little) with a "coral-like" chandelier, made of socket extenders, and almost definitely screwed into her ceiling.

If you're missing the bright days of summer you might be finding some rooms in your house too dark. A dark room can affect your work, change the impression of your decor and impact your mood. Learning how to brighten up a dark room can change your space so drastically. Here are the 11 suggested ways:

1. Turn on a lamp
2. Install a light fixture
3. Add task lighting
4. Replace bulbs with higher wattage
5. Open curtains or blinds
6. Install a skylight
7. Use diffused lighting
8. Mimic the sunrise
9. Use mirrors
10. Paint and decorate the room
11. Clear the clutter

After the jump I'll share the details of my favorite tips.

Dan over at Instructables has a nifty tutorial for making your own custom lighting fixture from - among other things - plastic milk jugs. He provides a template that looks sort of like a parallelogram with notches in each corner. You use the template to create as many identical pieces as you like - he even offers suggestions for different methods of cutting.

The pieces are then joined together by the notches - no glue or screws needed. Last thing you need is a basic lamp fixture and a bulb that won't melt whatever material you choose for your fixture. Sheer genius.