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Easy DIY: How to Make a Lamp from a Rustic Oil Lantern

by on Nov 10, 2015

Maybe its my love of the outdoors or maybe its my love of vintage, but I love a good lantern. I have always been drawn to these at flea markets and antique stores and they are a great way to add a little vintage to your decor. Here is how you can turn a vintage (or new) kerosene lamp into a lamp.     

 Here is what you need:

  1. Old or new Lantern. Check your local flea market or I found this new one here.
  2. Lamp cord (do not get one with a plug and adaptor already attached)
  3. Switch interrupter
  4. Hard wired light socket with a collar.
  5. Attachable plug like this one or this one.
  6. Tin Snips
  7. Phillips head screwdriver
  8. Wire cutter and wire stripping tool. (not pictured)
Lantern Lamo

1. Take out the glass and fold back the glass holder to expose the wick.

2. Turn the wick towards you and unscrew the lantern cap.

3. Unscrew the lantern cap and take out the wick. You should now have a hole in the middle and hole where the cap was attached.

3. Take your tin snips ad cut a hole in the bottom of the glass holder. The lantern should already have a small hole for the wick. Use this as your starting place for cutting. The older the lamp, the easier it is to cut.

Lantern Light

5. Read instructions to attach lamp cord to socket.

6. Stick socket through the hole via the bottom of the glass holder.

7. Feed the lamp cord down through the middle hole and out through the cap hole.

8. Pull tight the lamp cord and the socket should rest nicely on the bottom of the lantern.

9. Close the glass holder.

10. Screw the collar onto the socket over the glass holder. This will hold the socket secure in the lamp.

Lantern Lamp

11. Read the instructions and attach the switch interrupter. Remember to cut the hot wire not the white (neutral).

12. Read the instructions and attach the end of the lamp cord to the plug.

13. Insert a bulb and turn on your lamp. I personally like the vintage fillament bulbs with the lantern but any bulb will do. If you are worried about little hands touching the light bulb then you should be able to install the glass back over the bulb. 

Lantern Light

Lanterns can look festive in your thanksgiving holiday decor.

Lantern Lamp

It could also can transition to Christmas, especially if you had a red one. We use ours as a night light in my little boys room on a daily basis. This was so easy to do and its so fun to move around in my home!

Want more unique light ideas? Check out this DIY origami lamp.

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