• Legal
    • Privacy Policy
  • Featured
  • Nav Social Menu

Everything Karupped

Arts and Crafts addictions....What a "karupp-did" home we have!

  • Home
  • Projects
  • About
    • Contact
Home » Projects » Re-purpose » My Old Birdcage Re-purposed!!

Projects Re-purpose

My Old Birdcage Re-purposed!!

Re-purposed birdcage into hanging outdoor light

Re-purposed birdcage

birdcage re-purposed into a hanging lamp
AFTER
birdcage re-purposed into a hanging lamp
side 2

I had a friend ask me the other day about my outdoor light that we have hanging up in our aluminum gazebo.  I was telling her all about it and thought that I should share how I made it a few years ago.  Taking pictures before and after has become a new thing for me so I don’t have pictures of the process! ugh.  Why did it take a new blog to get me to start doing that?  It would have been nice to have the before pics of all of my projects throughout the years.  SO….take note!!  People will want to see a before picture even if you don’t post your projects online.  UPDATE:  WOW…Just found a wedding before PIC!!

blank
before
blank
BEFORE

Sorry for the weird scanned image here on the left.   My wedding pictures were all hard copy prints and this one had been cut.  I then couldn’t crop it very well.  Well, you can get the idea from it right?

When Ed and I got married we had a birdcage that held all of the cards and gift-cards from our wedding.  People just slid their cards through the slits at the top.  I wish I could take credit for the idea but one of my best friends had a bird cage for her wedding and I asked if I could copy!  I thought it was a great idea and even had one of those fake doves at the top.  Well fast-forward a few years and the birdcage ended up being too large as decoration in my house.  So….I got the bright idea of turning it into a light.  The look I was going for was Moroccan flair.

Here is what I did to turn my old birdcage into a hanging light:birdcage re-purposed into hanging lamp
  • I turned it upside down.  Ed drilled a hole for me at the bottom of the birdcage…which is the top of the lamp.   
  • I added radiator cover metal screening over the slits that was once the top of the birdcage. This was applied at the top and inside of the birdcage.  The top of the bird cage can open which made it easy to apply the radiator cover.  I used utility scissors to cut the radiator cover metal to size and I wrapped and bent the radiator screen metal around the inside of the birdcage.  I applied wire to attach all of the pieces of radiator cover to the birdcage. I also used radiator screen to slant at the top of the lamp so it looked more dome-like instead of completely flat at the top.
  • I added a light kit
  • I painted the whole thing the same color- silver!!

 

That light was up for a couple of years in our sun-room.  When we had our sun-room gutted and insulated into a 4 seasons room, my shabby chic lamp wasn’t welcome anymore. ha.  Ed shook his head at the thought of this birdcage lamp sticking around for another couple of years in our basement closet.   But I am sure happy I did!!! Once our aluminum gazebo was put up 2 years ago…..I ran downstairs to that closet and it was just waiting there for me.    I will never forget….he said “Oh no, that thing?”

The silver didn’t look as nice in my dark aluminum gazebo so I painted it again!!

  • I spray painted again with Rustoleum oil rubbed bronze.  I did not do multiple coats because I wanted to let some of the silver peak through.
birdcage re-purposed into a hanging lamp
AFTER
birdcage re-purposed into hanging lamp
AFTER with light on

The gazebo provides cover for the rain on the lamp.  I would not recommend doing this with an arbor or pergola where it will always be getting wet.  We only use the lights when it has dried out enough for a couple of days.  It is just safer with all of the electrical in the gazebo.  Now I feel like my old birdcage is part of our home, has a place and a story.  And…. I think after all these years, Ed finally likes my hanging birdcage lamp!  Most likely he likes it better when it’s dark but that is beside the point ;)!

 

 

update:  You can see this Re-purposed Birdcage at these link parties.  Click on the link or party button.

My Thrift Store Addiction: vintage charm #89

Wow us Wednesdays#340

A pretty fix: sweet inspiration link party #67

Chic on a shoestring: flaunt it friday #366

Grandmas house DIY: wednesday link party #48

 

blank

blank

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Share on TwitterShare on FacebookShare on PinterestShare on LinkedInShare on Email


16 Comments

blank

About K. Rupp

Author of blog 'Everything Karupped'. Arts and Crafts addictions in our "Karupp-did" home.

Don’t miss a post!! We will send you the latest!

Our policy

What does signing up with my email REALLY mean?   

Subscription Explained

Previous Post: « That’s One “MEST” Up Egg!
Next Post: Concrete Stain Choices for My Patio….Hmmm »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. blankAshly says

    May 10, 2017 at 7:57 pm

    Wow I love it! Super creative and clever idea that I would have never thought to do! Now I’m going to have to come over see it in person lite and all! That would even be fun for the dining room too!

    Reply
    • blankK.Rupp says

      May 10, 2017 at 11:26 pm

      Thanks Ashly! It was a fun project. Yes at night it has a really nice glow. Ed put in dimmers too so it gives a party ambience! ha

      Reply
  2. blankJennifer Anne Fleming says

    June 15, 2017 at 8:34 pm

    What a cool idea!

    Reply
    • blankK.Rupp says

      June 15, 2017 at 11:25 pm

      Thanks Jen!!

      Reply
  3. blankGentle Joy Homemaker says

    June 29, 2017 at 12:13 pm

    What a fun idea! Very unique. 🙂

    Reply
    • blankK.Rupp says

      June 29, 2017 at 12:26 pm

      Thanks so much!!!!

      Reply
  4. blankCecilia says

    June 29, 2017 at 6:00 pm

    Hi Kathleen! I love everything about this! Thanks for sharing @Vintage Charm & welcome to the party! Pinned to our Features & Favorites!

    Reply
    • blankK.Rupp says

      June 29, 2017 at 6:22 pm

      Oh thank you so much!!!! I’m so happy to have found your website and link party! I will be back:)

      Reply
  5. blankirisabbey says

    July 28, 2017 at 7:21 pm

    This is such a creative idea. At first I was concerned about any bird who would live in such a cage, but then I read you covered with metal screening. You did a great job. I saw your link at Sweet Inspirations party.

    Reply
    • blankK.Rupp says

      July 28, 2017 at 7:55 pm

      Thanks so much! I had fun doing that project and love the light in my gazebo! Thank you for stopping by from the linky party!! Come any time:)

      Reply
  6. blankCarol ("Mimi") says

    July 28, 2017 at 8:39 pm

    What a unique outdoor light! I bet nobody would guess that it was a bird cage unless you told them. It looks great as a light fixture — very creative!
    Carol (“Mimi”) from Home with Mimi

    Reply
    • blankK.Rupp says

      July 28, 2017 at 8:52 pm

      Thank you so much! It is one of my favorite features of the gazebo:)

      Reply
  7. blankMary says

    August 4, 2017 at 10:48 pm

    This is a fantastic repurpose. Your lighting fixture is a showstopper and something that is very original.

    Reply
    • blankK.Rupp says

      August 5, 2017 at 2:17 am

      Oh thank you so much! I do love it; one of those things that I could never get rid of and is a great conversation piece. Thank you so much for your complement and stopping by my site!

      Reply
  8. blankBright says

    September 21, 2018 at 11:41 pm

    Okay this is super cool! I loved it as a birdcage and wedding card holder. Turning it into a light means you have a little something from your big day for years and years to come. Who has that much happy memories and joy when they look at their light fixtures. Great idea!

    Reply
    • blankK. Rupp says

      September 21, 2018 at 11:56 pm

      I know!!! I couldn’t get rid of it just for that reason! That is so true. Wish my hubby saw it the same way! HA. I have to update the post because recently I was shopping and saw hanging pendants in a super expensive home dec store looking almost exactly like it. I had to pat myself on the back with that one and show Ed. Thanks for your comment!!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

blank

blankHi there, I'm K. Rupp....an artsy type married to a DIY guy. K is for Kathleen and my husband is Ed. So......years ago when we got married, Kathleen + RUPP + Ed = KARUPPED! It has now evolved into this site! I'm so happy you are here! Read More…

Subscribe


Subscription Explained

Popular posts

Katie’s Rockin’ Rocker

Fetor to Fetching

Woohoo….Our painted concrete patio is DONE!

Re-upholster it WHITE and keep the kids too!

Welded Workbench

Categories

Footer

Copyright © 2021 · Divine theme by Restored 316

This site uses cookies: Find out more.