This project you are either going to love or hate. There is really no in between. It is most random and crazy Roadkill Rescue project to date. It is a floor lamp made out of crutches. What the? I know…craziness I tell you.
When I was doing my monthly creative segment on the show he issued me the challenge of making over an old pair of wood crutches that he himself rescued from a dumpster. I would never stoop so low to jump in a dumpster…{giggle}. Actually they were propped up against a dumpster so he able to rescue them without infection or disease.
So I thought…and I thought…and I thought some more and came up with a fun, quirky, modern floor lamp to go in my coral and gray guest bedroom. Even if this isn’t your style I hope you will appreciate the “think-outside-the-box” idea I came up with.
Wood Crutches
Cotton Poly Rope
Chop Saw
Black Rit Dye
1/2 metal conduit
hacksaw
drill with long 1/2” drill bit
drill
clamps
wood glue
lamp kit
lampshade
hot glue gun
Krylon spray primer
Krylon Satin Ivory spray paint
measuring tape
1. The first thing I did was cut the top of one of the crutches in half with my chop saw (#1). On the other crutch I drilled a hole through the top of the crutch (this will be where the bottom of the lamp cord threads through) Crutch #2.
2. Then I asked a friend (thank you Tim!) who is a contractor to drill a 3/8” hole down the width of the wood where you adjust the height of the crutches (I will now refer to this piece as the “leg”). I didn’t have a drill bit long enough and I was nervous to attempt it myself. Then I screwed the threaded nipple that comes in the lamp kit onto the tip of the leg. This will also be where the lamp cord runs through.
3. I measured about how tall I wanted the lamp to be and adjusted the leg to that height. Then I measured from the bottom of the leg to the top of the base and cut a piece of 1/2” metal conduit piping (about $1.75 for 12 feet) to size with a metal hacksaw.
4. Next I sanded the entire crutch lamp down with a medium grit sandpaper and washed it really well to prep it for paint.
5. I strung the lamp kit through the bottom of the base, through the metal conduit and up through the adjustable leg of the crutch using fishing line and a little weight to thread it through. I also screwed the threaded nipple onto the top of the leg of the crutch.
6. With the bottom of the base together and the metal pipe in place I adjusted the middle wood part to make sure it was a tight fit with the pipe. I used Gorilla Wood Glue and clamped the entire piece together overnight.
7. In the morning I took the clamps off. It was starting to look like a lamp. I taped off both ends of the cord and spray primed the entire piece. After it was dry I gave it a quick coat of Krylon Satin Ivory spray paint.
8. Meanwhile I took the cotton poly rope (50 feet of it) and dyed it a Driftwood Gray using the color formula guide on the Rit Dye site.
9. Once the entire piece was dry I attached the light bulb socket according to the directions on the package.
10. Then I started wrapping the dyed rope around the base of the lamp hot gluing as I went. It just looked naked and boring without the rope.
11. I picked up a large shade at Target and popped it on and added a light bulb.
And there you have it. I bet no one else has a lamp like this in their guest room. {Giggle}. I still need to add some art to the right of the lamp to tie the entire corner together. It took a little time to fall in love with, but now I can say I am quite fond of it.
![page break_thumb[1]](https://i0.wp.com/knockoffdecor.com/0dfebfcf5534_14B39/page-break_thumb1.jpg?ssl=1 "page break_thumb[1]")
