Hot Glue Lamp Trick

I wanted to pass along a really simple tip that can be used to transform an outdated home accessory or piece of furniture.

This is one of a pair of ginger jar lamps that needed a little update.

They started out white with a smooth black harlequin pattern and I refinished them so that they would look like antique silver with a decorative, raised scroll pattern.

I had this idea but wasn't sure if it would work. I used a hot glue gun and free handed the scroll pattern. It didn't matter if it was a bit messy because I wanted an old look anyway. Once the glue dried I coated the entire lamp with a primer that I tinted gray.

I used a bonding primer so that it would adhere to the smooth jars. Then I painted them with a metallic silver paint and washed some black paint into the crevices to age them.

These are in a low traffic area but if they were going to get more wear I would have finished with a water based polyurethane for added protection.

I use water based paints and work in layers...being careful not to wipe of the previous layer.
If you didn't want to freehand you could actually draw a pattern before applying the glue because you are going to paint over the whole thing anyway.

I think this would work well on a piece of accent furniture too...maybe painted like a wood pattern over the top?