Man Turns An IKEA Coffee Pot Into An Elegant Lamp On A Budget

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Sometimes you just want to go to IKEA for the experience that you only get from the Swedish retailer. Other times, you have a specific intent, like finding affordable IKEA items to help organize your cluttered cabinets. If you're looking for lamp options, the lighting section would give you plenty of choices. But you could also take inspiration from Drew of the Lone Fox YouTube channel and make your own modern metal lamp using other IKEA products — including a coffee pot, which is probably the last thing you would think of for lighting.

Technically, this DIY does require an item from the lighting section: a BARLAST Table Lamp. But it's completely disguised inside the SLUKA Stainless Steel Vacuum Flask as the lamp's base and a BLANDA BLANK Stainless Steel Serving Bowl as the shade. The SLUKA is a stout metal flask designed to keep drinks hot or cold, but when you remove the handle, it creates a perfect lamp base. The BLANDA is a smooth, rounded, unadorned bowl. When it's all assembled, you create a sleek, modern, metal lamp that costs under $50. But if you want to change up the look, you can refinish or swap out any of the components. You can also add other pieces, like a decorative finial on top or a wooden circle underneath to create a base.

You'll also need a hand saw and pliers to remove the flask's handle and top, and a pair of scissors to trim the lampshade. The original creator used J-B Weld Epoxy to secure the components, but you can use any adhesive you prefer or have on hand. 

The IKEA effect makes you want to assemble your own furniture, and you get that with this project. Assemble the BARLAST lamp. Remove the base. Cut an inch or so off the top of the shade, so the bowl completely covers the lamp. To prepare the pot, cut off the handle and pull off the top with pliers. To change the color, use spray paint. You can spray it all one color or tape off sections with painter's tape for color blocking. Hold the lamp to the top of the flask to see where they meet, then apply epoxy or another adhesive to those spots. Put the lamp in place. 

You can also paint or adapt the bowl as desired. If you want a softer look, attach fringe along the inner edge of the bowl, so it hangs down, for example. If you want a contrasting look with more warmth, use the BLANDA MATT Bamboo Serving Bowl as the shade instead. Or, skip the lamp kit and use an LED puck light instead for a cordless option. Use a lamp harp or something similar as the support for the bowl instead of the lampshade.

Position the bowl over the lamp kit or support system to finish the lamp. Add felt pads to the bottom to keep the lamp from sliding, or glue it to a circle of wood that's larger than the base for extra height and dimension. For a different variation with the BLANDA bowl as a lampshade, try this idea where a woman turns an IKEA metal serving bowl into a lighted home decor piece.