diy anthro inspired tea party lamp.

here is one of the projects that i have been working on this month. i am so excited to show you this anthropologie inspired "tea party" lamp, as i like to call it :) i have been obsessed with anthro's "one- lump-or-two" lamp forever now, but didn't believe in shelling out the cash for it. i did some research and asked my wonderful, handy dad if he would help me make one. i am so happy with how it turned out...i think it looks just like a whimsical little tea party! 

here is what you'll need:

1. various sized plates, bowls, tea cups & saucers, and a tea pot. 

2. ceramic and tile drill bits

3. a cup of water

4. epoxy gel

5. a lamp kit

6. a dad who can literally do anything...not mandatory, but definitely an advantage :)

first, you will need to spend some time arranging your dishes to get your desired layout. (a little side note...your top dish or two will be hidden by your lampshade... my silly little brain forgot this part and now my cutest teacup is hidden)

next, you will need to spend some time drilling holes through your dishes. this is definitely a two person job. i held the dishes in place while my dad did the drilling. it's important to drill slowly, but steadily, and to dip your drill bit in the cool cup of water every now and then so the bit won't overheat and crack your dishes. also make sure you drill your holes fairly large so your lamp cord can go through the finished base without any issues. make sure all your holes in each dish line up!

your top dish is what will hold your lightbulb. once all your holes are drilled, insert the part from your lamp kit that holds the lightbulb in your top dish. make sure it is screwed in tightly. 

next, apply epoxy gel to the bottom base of your dishes, one at a time (starting with the bottom dish). place the dish on top of the previous dish and let sit for a minute for two before applying the next dish. it might help to do this part in segments. we built the bottom half and the top half separately, then applied the top half to the bottom half with the epoxy gel. 

i recommend not touching your dishes once the base is built and letting the epoxy bond the dishes together for 24 hours. after 24 hours, add the wiring from your lamp kit. finally, add a lightbulb and a shade! :D

my silly dad didn't want anyone to know that he helped me with such a girly project, but i wouldn't feel right without giving him some credit. i couldn't have done it without him and i owe him a peach cobbler or something for all the time he spent helping me ;)

i adore it! i cannot wait to put it in our living room. 

im thinking i want to make more?!

after writing this, i can see that i should've taken more pictures of the building process to make the directions more clear. sorry! here are some other great teacup lamp resources that helped me:

dream book design blog

vintage revivals