My hubby first introduced me to the Restore; it was a morning date with lattes and bargain hunting. I had heard of the Restore from home improvement shows but never considered visiting because I was not great with power tools. Boy was I wrong! It is a treasure trove for those who are into diy projects, whether artsy or home improvement, and you don’t have to be great with power tools. The Restore is a donation type store run by Habitat for Humanity, and you will find a vast array of items…bathtubs, sinks, cabinets, lights, fixtures, doors, shutters, handles & knobs, furniture, dishes, baskets, and the list goes on and on.  My creative mind was going wild with ideas the first time I visited. My Babe and I are frequent shoppers now. We like to make it one of our Saturday morning “things”, first visiting a coffee shop and then in search of treasures up and down the aisles of the Restore.

I want to share one of our latest diy projects, in which we obtained materials from several different Restores in our area. We like to shop around, never knowing what will be on hand at any given time. It is a lot like thrifting; some days you strike it lucky and other days not so much. Because we are both Frugal with a capital “F”, half price days tend to be our favorite shopping times. This bargain project began as a remedy to a problem and grew into a wonderful Christmas gift idea… from the heart.

My babe had a lonely lamp base, missing its glass shade. He did not want to spend a fortune on a new shade, so it collected dust in storage for years, almost forgotten…till recently.

While shopping for an office chandelier, we came across an old stained glass type of chandelier. They must be out of style, as people tend to donate a lot of them. I see them quite often at the Restore. Now, my babe has a fondness for Tiffany style lamps (like the broken one), as well as all things vintage, so he bought the chandelier for $15. He wasn’t sure where he would hang it; down to the basement it went with far too many other treasures. There it sat, collecting dust as well.

 

Then one day he had a “light bulb” moment, realizing that he could use the glass shade from a hanging chandelier as a shade for that lonely lamp base. All he would need to do was remove the shade from the light fixture and hanging chain…very easy.

Unfortunately, the chandelier that he tucked away downstairs was too big and the wrong color, so we had a reason for another hot date of coffee and Restore shopping. We found a beauty that morning for just $10! He removed the chain and used the hardware on his lamp to attach it to its new base. They looked like they were made for each other, and the total cost was $10!

As Christmas rolled around, my babe, Daniel, decided to play “lamp matchmaker” again. He wanted to give his mom a special vintage looking lamp for her new apartment. We found the base first for just $5. It needed to be heavy to hold the weight of a glass shade, and also have an aged patina…no shiny brass. The Restore did not fail us. Across town at a different Restore we found the right size, color, and style of shade, just $10. He assembled the two parts into one lamp, just in time for Christmas. My mother-in-law was delighted with her new lamp. It was just the right size for the corner table beside her loveseat and chair, exactly what her cozy apartment needed. The lamp cost us $15 and loving hands to assemble it, a gift from the heart.

This challenge to recycle cast away lamp parts into beautiful lamps has become a hobby for my hubby. He has a little workshop space, where he finds perfect mates for shades and bases. He’s somewhat of a matchmaker when it comes to lamps!

If you are the type of person who likes to create new things from the cast away of others, then I highly recommend a fun outing to the Restore. In fact, make it a regular date with a loved one or friend, and maybe even visit a local coffee shop. This lamp idea is just one of many projects. You will find a treasure trove of materials for recycling and upcycling. In fact, I can’t wait to share more of our projects.

Please join me again for more diy ideas, bargains, and adventures for building up heart and home.