DIY Plant Pots from Glass Light Shades

Ever since I first started this blog way back in 2013, I have ALWAYS loved upcycling old light fixtures. Unsurprisingly, these glass-and-metal shades caught my eye as soon as I saw them in Habitat ReStore. And right away, I knew they were destined to become DIY plant pots for our home.

In a sea of glass shades at Habitat ReStore, they really stood out and grabbed my attention. Up close and in person, though, they were a little…grungy.

But that certainly wasn’t going to stop me from snapping them up and attempting a little makeover. So let me show you how I transformed them; or rather, how I “improved upon” their original color scheme and look.

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Transformation into DIY Plant Pots

Originally, the glass shades were a lightly marbled cream color. The ends had darkened, either from bulb heat or perhaps it was original? I may never know, but that’s ok.

And the metal frames reminded me of- and this isn’t flattering- the inside of my dirty over door. Can you see what I mean, though? They had that baked-on grease look, just without feeling greasy.

My plan was to effectively improve upon the existing appearance- a light inner shade and a vintage brass/bronze metal covering. First, I wiped them down (which did nothing but dust them off). Then, I set up my spray paint station so that I could paint the metal cages black.

A flat black, to be precise. I definitely didn’t want to use a satin or glossy black for this project. On a nice, dry day, I gave them both two light coats of flat black paint, ensuring that the entire surface of each metal “spoke” was covered.

Next, I painted the glass shades with a pearly cream spray paint. It wouldn’t have the marbled effect as the original surface, but it wouldn’t be plain cream, either.

While the glass shades dried, I brought the metal cages inside for the rest of their makeover. And it involved Rub n Buff- using Grecian Gold on one and Antique Gold one the other.

I only planned on adding the gilding wax to the very outermost side of each “spoke”. The other three sides would remain black. To help avoid getting gold wax on the sides, I used a cheap eye shadow sponge applicator to maintain a (relatively) flat applicator surface.

After swiping on some gold wax and buffing it off with a rag, this is how the Grecian Gold looked.

The Antique Gold looked ok- but it was brighter and opaquer than Grecian, interestingly enough. I definitely preferred the look of the Grecian Gold.

Anyway, it was time to assemble them as DIY plant pots. Since there was no bottom on the glass shade, I needed to rig something inside it. So, I traced the bottom of the glass shade onto a piece of scrap cardboard and then wedged it inside the glass shade.

Lastly, I “potted” an artificial plant in some floral foam that I already had. From there, I filled up the dead space inside the glass shade/pot with dried lentils as my “soil”. (Normally, I use aquarium gravel for faux soil, but I didn’t want that kind of weight on the cardboard or within the thin glass shades.)

And that was all there was to it. Ready to see how the first of my DIY plant pots turned out?

From Light Fixtures to DIY Plant Pots

We are, I’m afraid, a fake plant-only household, which is why I used a bush pick from Michaels. But there’s no reason you couldn’t simply use this kind of shade as a flowerpot cover for a real plant, too. Because look how gorgeous it looks!

This angle kind of explains my painting technique with Rub n Buff. I wanted my DIY plant pots to have a lot of depth to them- and solid gold or brass wouldn’t have cut it. But by waxing the exterior only and leaving the inner sides black, it gave everything more dimension and shadowing. I honestly COULDN’T be happier with how they turned out.

My camera couldn’t really capture it properly, but the glass pots really did have a subtle pearlescent sheen that is beautiful in person.

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Also, I’ve re-teamed up with my old blogging gal pals- the Thrift Store Decor Team, who always post on the second Wednesday of each month. And they’ve also been upcycling up a storm! Check out their latest projects below:

1. Thrift Store Basket Makeover   2. DIY Window Wood Coffee Table with Storage

3. How to Sew Felt Easter Bunny Treat Bags  4. Chic and Upcycled Light Shades (that’s me!)

5. Modern Use for a Vintage Wood Wall Pocket  6. Gorgeous Thrift Store Gold Framed Floral Print

7. Aged Stone Planter  8. How to Make a DIY China Plate Wreath

9. Tin Top Wall Clock

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I hope you enjoyed this upcycle idea for DIY plant pots or flowerpot covers as much as I did! And definitely file the Rub n Buff technique away for future possibilities. On the right pieces, I think it could really pack a (decorative) punch.

And yes- you might recognize the Brutalist-inspired wall hanging behind my new planter! It still looks as good as the day I upcycled it.

If you want even more planter inspiration, maybe this recycling bin craft might spark some interest. It’s hard to imagine how it originally started out, eh?

Craft on!

S

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