A little while back I got way too excited to take part in a makeover challenge….especially considering I wasn’t on an episode of Jenny Jones Geek to Chic….I was just taking a very classy lamp from Lamps Plus and giving it some holiday glitz. You know how I love a crafting challenge.
The fine folks at Hometalk (have you been there….if you haven’t what the heck are you waiting for) and the sweethearts at Lamps Plus were kind enough to send us a snazzy fillable lamp to makeover just in time for the holidays. What? Don’t tell me that holiday preparation can’t start in August, Scrooge….I say bah humbug all the way to the ornament aisle with that nonsense. I could start Christmas crafts in March if Tim would let me.
So I began brainstorming. I let my Christmas creativity creep all up in my head. I came up with a brilliant plan, no ornaments, no pinecones, no lights. I wanted to fill my lamp with a glorious Christmas scene for everyone in our home to admire. Our dogs are totally into Christmas scenes.
I would put snow in the bottom and take those old Christmas figurines that old aunt Edna gave me and give them the razzle dazzle. Then I would doodle some pretty gold dots for the daytime effect and when you flip that switch BAM…you have snow falling on our little town. It was going to be the Christmas lamp trifecta, well…doublefecta since it really only had two looks.
Here is a sneak peek of us brainstorming our pretty city pre-gold dots. It sort of looks like a Halloween town so I feel like we were killing two birds ya know. We give love to all holidays, no discrimination.
So I scavenged for fake snow. Seriously, did you forget it is August. Finally settled on white sand and got to work laying the fancy down on my little people.
Then the unthinkable happened, I tried to put it together. How do I put sand in from the bottom and keep my little people all adorable. Well, I left that part up to Timbo.
See we will just glue the people to the foam see. And then see we will just pour the sand in the top see, and then I will just use these here tongs to perfectly place your little people. Oh wait…how will I do that without the sand coming out the bottom? And this long rod will make it very hard to maneuver in there. Well, actually…this isn’t going to work. Come up with Plan B.
Literally, after spending hours hand-painting figurines and taking photos and searching for fake snow…I was told to, ahem, and I quote, “scratch that”. Squeeze me?
If you need me I will be at home, rocking back and forth while I try to think of some sort of Christmas miracle.
I can’t picture this lamp situation at all so it’s hard to offer a suggestion. (Does the lamp open from the top or the bottom or both??) I’m sure you two smartypants have thought of everything though. But if I know you, you’re still not 100% willing to give up your dream! Keep thinking 🙂 It sounds so cute (gold included! haha) so you at least get points for a stellar idea, right?!?
It has a large opening at the bottom, and a very small opening at the top. I am still brainstorming…not ready to admit defeat yet hahahaha
Could you “corral” the fauxsnow with something like an inch of cardstock stapled into a circle? That’s assuming you’d be able to lift the “corral” from the small top opening. Dude, MacGyver a string to two sides of the cardstock and lift that sucker out. Get this all on video, please. haha
I thought Tim was a wizard with all things in life?! Quite frankly I’m a bit disappointed that he couldn’t just wave his Perfect Man wand and make this happen. Kidding. Love you guys and that you were real. Not every day’s a beach!
To be honest I am a little diappointed too….we did try Saran Wrap…but it’s so complicated because the whole for the rod inside the lamp is one size while you have access to the top and another when you close the lamp up. Does that even make sense?
I think T’s wand needs recharged hahaha
have you checked Hobby Lobby? They have some Christmas stuff out already.
Yea, their snow was all glittery….well not that it mattered since I can’t use it hahaha!
I am heading their tonight for one more piece to my new design 🙂 Stay tuned
Good luck finding a solution! Love the new site design!
Awwwww thanks Anna!!!
Would something like an icing piper with a straw or tube of long some sort on the end help get the snow into the bottom while the opening is small and the lamp is almost closed up? It sounds so adorable and I want you to succeed!
We considered that….but then thought our people would get buried! To reach any sort of tongs in there we would have to open up the top, which would shift the bottom sand. It’s like a Catch 22 I tell ya 🙂
I am still not ruling this project out, you may see it elsewhere towards the holidays 🙂
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Even if it didn’t work out, I still love the look of the little gold guys. Great way to update old tacky Christmas figurines.
RIGHT! You better believe all those old figurines are getting spruced up this year 🙂
It will be a Gold wonderland!!!