This Easy Technique Will Give Any Lamp a Major Glow-Up

Isabel Petrou
Isabel Petrou
Isabel is an incoming sophomore at the University of Vermont. She is studying public communication. She grew up in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, where she frequented the beach often during the summer. Even though her heart belongs to the ocean, the mountains are becoming a close…read more
published Jun 18, 2025
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
Cozy bedroom with a bed adorned in soft pink bedding, plush toys, and a wooden desk with decorative items and a lamp.
Credit: Christina Viyar

Listen, I love a fun lamp; they can add so much character to a space. But the thing is, they can also be pretty pricey for seemingly no reason at all. The cuter the lamp, the more expensive it is. Yes, you can thrift a nice one — but that’s only if you’re lucky. 

If you’re feeling bored with your basic, affordable lamps, hear me out. It’s actually not that hard to give them a DIY glow-up in just a few short steps — no sewing required. 

In this video, Katerina Seigal (@katerinaseigal) completely transforms a boring, solid-colored lamp into a cottagecore dream. 

One commenter summed up the results perfectly when they said, “Anthropologie vibes!” 

Seigal’s technique is simple. You can thrift your lamp, or just use one you already have. The first step is to paint the base to your desired color. In her case, she spray-paints it gold (it was originally black). Then go find a fun fabric print to cover the shade in; Seigal chose a green and yellow floral design that’s perfect for the spring and summertime. 

To shape the new fabric Seigal lays it out on a table, places the old shade on top (seam-down), and traces the top and bottom as it rolls along the fabric. After that Seigal cuts out the traced part, and leaves about an inch at the top and at the bottom to fold it under and attach it to the old shade. Now get this: To attach the fabric to the shade, Seigal just sprays it with Gorilla Spray Adhesive. If you don’t want to buy spray adhesive, you can also use sewing pins to secure the fabric for a slightly different look.

Attach it to your base and, voila! You have a brand-new lamp. 

This post was a collaboration between Dorm Therapy and Apartment Therapy and originally appeared on Apartment Therapy. See it there: This Easy Technique Will Give Any Lamp a Major Glow-Up

Isabel Petrou

Contributor

Isabel is an incoming sophomore at the University of Vermont. She is studying public communication. She grew up in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, where she frequented the beach often during the summer. Even though her heart belongs to the ocean, the mountains are becoming a close contender. Her favorite part of living in Burlington, Vermont, for college is its unique coffee shops. Her perfect day would consist of going to a cute café in the morning, then spending the day at the beach swimming and reading, then ending the day by shopping and getting dressed up for a nice dinner downtown. Through Dorm Therapy, Isabel is excited to be a voice for young adults embarking on their college journeys and she hopes to make this big transition of life more comfortable for others in the same place as her.

Follow Isabel
SchoolUniversity of Vermont '26
MajorPublic Communication
FavesShopping, the beach, TV/movies, walks, reading, Taylor Swift
Get to know Isabel Petrou
Related ContentSee All