DIY Battery Bulb Teapot Lamp

I turned a tiny teapot into a lamp in minutes without cutting, gluing or electrical wiring.

Here's my quick and easy tutorial that won't damage your teapot in any way at all.




I've been spending tons of time poolside, enjoying my favorite season.

However, I've also been crafting in the AC when the heat gets to be too much.

And today, I have such a fun DIY to share.

Have you seen those teapot lamps that are suddenly all the rage?

I spotted one in Homegoods months ago and immediately decided I needed to have one.

Unfortunately, the one on the shelf wasn't the right color...plus it was a little pricey.

So in true Kim fashion, I decided I'd make my own.

I had plenty of teapots hanging around, I just needed to figure out the wiring situation.


Which turned out to be a problem. You see wiring up a lamp would require me to cut the teapot in two places. 

On the bottom, so the cord could come out and on the top of the lid, so the center pole that holds all the wires and the bulb, could poke out the top.

Um. No. I wasn't cutting any of my pots. However, not one to be deterred, I decided that I'd just go and buy another at the thrift store - one I was less emotionally attached to - to cut up.

Again, I ran into issues.


Most teapots I found were the wrong color and making them over, like I did with my sticker lamp, wasn't going work.

Or worse, they had tops that couldn't be cut easily. Some had curled or looped handles and some were very ornate. None of which would come clean off. 

Beside the fact that cutting ceramic/ pottery always comes with the risk (and in my case, the definite probability) that it would crack.

Seriously frustrated by all of these facts, I abandoned my idea. Well, not completely. You see, I kept the yellow post it reminding me about that teapot lamp, because I really wanted one.


So last week, I tried again. Although this time, I decided to use a battery operated bulb, like I did when I gave my gorgeous, thrifted, antique lamp a cordless makeover.

How To Make The Easiest Teapot Lamp

I made my teapot lamp without any permanent changes to the teapot itself. This lamp can be made and then undone in a jiffy, if you want your teapot back.

Supplies I used:

• Teapot - how darling is this one?
• Battery operated bulb - I use these
• Lampshade
• Paper towel roll - or something to support the bulb
• Paint 
• Sealer
• Brushes
• Scissors

The simple steps:

Ok, so I basically constructed a support out of a paper towel roll, for the bulb, an plopped in into the teapot.

It worked out really, really well. However, if you want something sturdier, you can use anything that is the right height and shape, and fits inside the pot. I didn't have anything that worked, so I made my own.

1. Cut the paper towel roll.

I started by cutting the paper towel roll to the proper height. To do this, I placed the lampshade on the bulb, held it where I thought it looked best, measured it and then cut.

2. Paint the roll.

Of course, I wanted the cardboard roll to look like it was ceramic. So I painted it to match the pot.

3. Add shine.

To add some "ceramic" shine, I gave the paper towel roll a coat of glossy sealer.

4. Place roll and bulb inside.

I placed the cardboard roll in the teapot, put the bulb inside the roll. It balanced perfectly, since the roll had a wide base.

5. Add a lampshade.

I had several small lampshades in my collection. I simply chose one that I felt looked best...naturally one was red. Big surprise.


That's it. Instant DIY teapot lamp.

One that goes on and off with a timer and looks super charming in my 1920's cottage.

No wires to deal with, no plugs to hide and no broken pottery.

I can move it around from room to room without worrying about messy cords.

Swap lampshades and take it apart when I want my plain old teapot back.


But best of all, I can finally take that ugly, yellow post it off my wall.

😉

How fabulous.

Would you make a teapot lamp?