Friday

How to remove color from glass

I was so excited to come across this pair of lamps at Goodwill.  It's rare to find a pair of lamps that happen to be in good condition and have a great shape.  The color wasn't my favorite, but I figured I could paint them or something.  My mom had actually been looking for a pair of lamps for her guest room and I thought the clean lines of these would work well in there. 

When I looked a little closer I realized the glass wasn't actually colored, but that there was just a yellow film over the glass.  I could tell because part of it was scratched off in certain places.  I was excited to discover this because that meant I could attempt to get it off and end up with clear glass lamps.  I liked the idea of that better than painting the glass.  


So, I did a little experimenting to see what the best way would be to get it off.  I used Brasso on one because it contains ammonia and I thought it might do the trick.  I brushed it on in sections and let it sit for a few minutes.  Then I used an old toothbrush to scrape it off.  Actually the side of the head of the toothbrush ended up working really well to scrape it without scratching it.  It worked, but it still involved quite a bit of scraping and scrubbing so I used a different approach with the second lamp. 

 I had some Citri-Strip in the garage from another project so I thought I'd give it a try.  This method seemed to work much better and go faster.  I did let it sit for about 20-30 minutes and ended up having to go over it twice, but there was much less scrubbing and scraping involved.  So if you want to try it, I would recommend the second method.  



I ended up with perfectly clear glass lamps.  They look so much better than how they started out.  The lampshades were a clearance find from Target a while back.  They have a pinkish patterned inside that will work well with the other pink elements going on in the room.  The container for the succulent is just an old candle jar taped off with frog tape and spray painted gold.    


I'm excited to get this room finished up so I can share it with you guys!

9 comments:

  1. oh they look so much better! love the clear glass!

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  2. Oh get out! They look so good and so expensive now. What a great find!

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  3. Looks so modern now! Love it Bethany!

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  4. I would've never guessed that could be done! Making a mental note! Lookin' great!!

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  5. What a smart idea! LOVE finding a great pair of lamps at the thrift store. The side table looks great and I can't wait to see the whole room!

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  6. gorgeous! now i'm hoping i stumble on a pair of my own to try!

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  7. I had no idea you could do this :) Cool!

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  8. never would've even thought of it!

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Thank you for your sweet comments, they make my day!