I have been checking the classifieds for this weekends garage sales and that prompted me to get last weeks finds makeovers finished!  You know my rule: NO HOARDING!

I already did a tutorial on my EAT SIGN which I am glad to report my husband really likes.  He is plugging it in each night and the kitchen is aglow with the colorful bulbs.

Next was the yoga mat that I wanted to recover the damaged Lamp shade.  The bamboo straw mat was surprisingly easy to cut but “look out Charlie…” it unravels really fast so if you try this plan to work on a flat surface with a lot of room and be prepared to work at warp speed. LOL  Have the glue gun hot and handy too.

The first step was the scary part.  Since I only had one project in mind I did not worry about reserving any of the mat, so I just wrapped the mat around the lamp shade centering the lampshade in the middle of the mat like a tootsie roll.

I pulled the mat as tight as I could and tacked it with hot glue in the middle of the shade so I had something to pull against.  When I made the vertical cut I reserved 4 extra inches from where the mat sides would meet.  I WAS REALLY GLAD I RESERVED THE EXTRA FOUR INCHES BECAUSE IT UNRAVELS (AFTER THE VERTICAL)  CUT LIKE THE DICKENS!

If you put some dabs of hot glue while you are tugging to make the mat fit tightly, that cuts down on the unraveling.  After you have applied hot glue to both ends of the mat going up and down the vertical seam.  If the mat is not perfectly taut, fold the seam over and apply hot glue to snug it down.  The seam still will look pretty because the bamboo straw is really flexible.

Now it is fun to take sharp scissors and give the mat a haircut as close to the lampshade as possible.  The whole process from start to finish was about 20 minutes!

Did I say that I got this yoga mat for FREE?  The reason was there were some flaws which I didn’t worry about because I don’t consider this a worth repurposing project until it is really transformed.

I used painters tape to mark off “paint” lines but I didn’t plan to use paint because I wanted to go for a more “stained” look.  I have a drawer full of nail polish that needs to get used up.  It is funny how many garage sales you can find half empty bottles of polish and some of these brands of polish cost $11.00 per bottle!

I don’t use the polish brush when applying the nail polish, I put on a finger cot and make puddles of the polish on a sheet of plastic and so it is applied quickly.  Plus, most of these bottles are quick dry so I can move on quickly!

TIP:  This is a good outdoor task, because the nail polish has a lot of fumes.  I opened the door to my studio which caught a nice breeze plus I opened one of the windows and put on a fan too!

I love how it turned out and although it looks cool on this lamp that I got for $5.00, I think I will turn it into a hanging lamp for the dining room.

I still don’t have a clue what I am doing with the leather pouch but I did get to work on the globe holder for a new driftwood hanging lamp for Sunrose like the one below.

I need a socket cover for the lamp top but it needed a hole in the top.

It is really easy to drill a hole in glass if you have the right tool.

As you can see, mine is well used.  I used to make wine bottle lamps with Christmas string lights inside. You can get the drills on Amazon for less than $5.00. (I am an Amazon affiliate, so if you click on it here, I make a few cents and it doesn’t cost any extra for you.)

The drill bit works great BUT you must keep the drill area wet with water or the glass will heat up and break.  I fill the area I am drilling with water and get splatters every where!

TA DAH!  Now I have no excuse not to make the new lamp for Sunrose Gallery.

But I have repurposed a real keeper for me!

I can hardly wait to see what inspires me this weekend!  Happy Garage Sales to YOU!