Let There Be Lamp - Decoupage, Glue, and the Satisfaction of Done

There’s a quiet kind of joy that comes from finishing something you started - especially when it involves torn paper, sticky fingers, and a lamp that cost less than lunch at Chick-fil-A.

I told you about the damaged lamp in my office. Here. I spotted another one of similar size at a thrift store. Both were used, but full of potential. One came from Goodwill for $7.99 - a plain white ceramic base with a white shade, picked to create a little indirect light in the living room. The other was from one of those warehouses that resells Amazon returns - equally inexpensive, equally uninspired. Both were patiently waiting for their moment.

Choosing the Decoupage Paper

The living room lamp got the Moonstruck paper from Made by Marley - dark, celestial, and a little moody. Perfect accent for a room with a black accent wall. The office lamp got Woodstock, a riot of florals and pattern that feels like a 1970s dress you’d wear barefoot in the grass.

Moon Struck Made By Marley Decoupage Paper Laid Out With The Two Lamp Shades Waiting To Be Covered

Making a Mess

The first page went on easily. Each Made By Marley set has a small white border which is perfect to use as a guide for folding under the edge of the shade. I painted the Mod Podge onto the shade a little bit at a time, smoothing out the paper as I went.

Decoupage Paper wrapped around lamp shade

Neither paper was wide enough to wrap all the way around, so I had to match patterns at the seams. The rows on Woodstock made that easy. Moonstruck was trickier - its celestial swirls didn’t want to cooperate, and the shade was slightly conical, which meant the pattern drifted just enough to test my patience. So, when applying the second sheet, I tore the paper instead of cutting to soften the edges.

Lamp lit up with seams of the joined papers showing

When I lit the lamp for the first time, I discovered something humbling: every seam that looked invisible in daylight was glowing like a neon roadmap when backlit. Lesson learned - if you’re decoupaging a lampshade, paint the inside before you start. I’ll be going back to do that, because even though I love imperfection, I prefer mine less spotlit.

Lessons (Beyond the Glue)

Every project teaches you something. Sometimes it’s about technique, and sometimes it’s about yourself.

For me, it’s this: finishing something feeds my creative soul in a way that scrolling Pinterest never will. I could feel it happening as I worked - the shift from “I should finish that” to “I can’t wait to see it done.”

Completed lamp project. Two lamps side by side

Crafting, for me, is a kind of meditation. The mess, the texture, the quiet. And yes, the cleanup - because I made myself put it all away before the weekend ended, so the gluey peace wouldn’t be replaced by Monday chaos.

The Reveal

Now both lamps are doing their jobs - welcoming, warming, waiting.

The Moonstruck lamp casts a soft glow in the living room, a nightlight for late-night guests.

Completed Moon Struck Decoupage Paper lamp project in it's new home

Completed Woodstock Decoupage Paper lamp project on the shelf in my office

The Woodstock lamp brightens my office, tucked beneath my old journalism degree - a quiet reminder that writing is creative work too, just in a different medium.

And because you've all joined me in this project, I want to thank my friend, Bev, who noticed in my last email that the lamp looked a little too cozy with the shelf above it. I so appreciate her watching out for me and my family. I’ve since moved the lamp up to the top shelf, where it can shine freely. Its low-watt LED bulb is in no danger of roasting anything except my pride when it shows off those paper seams.

Products Used

(These are Amazon affiliate links. Clicking them earns me a few cents - maybe someday enough to buy another thrift store lamp.)

Grab a set of Made By Marley Decoupage Paper that makes you happy - and let it remind you that even a small project can light things up again.