I love the look of urn lamps, but the high store price tag – not so much! Here’s how I created my own ceramic urn knock off lamp from a garage sale find for $5 using diy baking soda paint.

I tend to easily be drawn into pretty things when I look at home decor.

Floral arrangements, beautiful books, and stunning pottery.

And I have fallen in love with those dark and earthy ceramic vases and lamps that are so trendy right now.

But when I initially searched for urn or stone like lamps, I was in sticker shock!

I mean, just look at the prices for some of these lamps:

Those prices are just for one lamp – and in some cases, not even the lamp shade comes with it!!

When our neighborhood had it annual community garage sale, I was on the hunt for a similar lamp that I could DIY.

And I found one, for just $5!!

So here’s how I created a similar look on this garage sale lamp I found.

When I found this ceramic lamp at a garage sale, it had the same shape as this Pottery Barn lamp that has been on my wish list, but at a much better price!

It previously had been updated with spray paint, but it had a lot of texture already.

And it was almost the right color, but the sheen was too shiny.

When I made my own DIY Textured Painted Ceramics, I used a baking soda paint trend and they turned out perfectly.

So I used the same paint and baking soda mixture to give this lamp a brand new look.

Follow the full tutorial below or enjoy watching my video of how I made this lamp over.

Ceramic Urn Knock Off Lamp

(Some affiliate links are provided in this post. Full disclosure here.)

These are the supplies you’ll need for this project.

Old vase or lamp base
Acrylic Paints – I used Charcoal and Dark Brown
Baking Soda
Sponge Brush
Craft Wood Sticks – great for a small stir stick!
Paper Bowls
Measuring Spoon – I ended up eyeballing it
Dropcloth – I love to use old packing paper from packages I order as my work surface 😉

supplies for a gray baking soda ceramic painted lamp

Initially, this lamp was going in our basement family room.

So I wanted a gray color that would blend with our decor, so I combined some gray acrylic paint with a little brown and some baking soda to get a thick paint.

The paint mixture ‘recipe’ I found online said to use 1 cup of paint to 1 Tbsp of baking soda, but that was way too much for this small lamp.

I started with 4 Tablespoons craft paint to 1 Tablespoon baking soda, but I ended up adding baking soda until it created the exact texture that I wanted.

woman painting a lamp with gray baking soda paint with a foam brush

Now we were ready to paint! To begin, I started with a light coat and fully covered the surface of the lamp.

I loved the original lines in the lamp, so I made sure my brush strokes followed that same pattern.

But it was still too similar to the original ceramic without much texture.

So I thickened the paint by adding a little baking soda until it was the right consistency.

That did the trick!

I wanted some of the original texture to show thru, but have more of that rustic, earthen feel.

I finally had the look I wanted after the second coat of paint.

It was the perfect gritty texture creating that aged look.

As I allowed it to dry, I noticed the signature on the bottom of the lamp.

It read, “Elita, ’93”.

I thought it was super cool that this lamp that someone who likely made 30 years ago in a pottery class is now in our home!

Here it is styled in our basement.

How I Styled It

I love that beautiful matte finish!

I added a fun lamp shade that I found at Home Depot and it was the perfect fit for our basement.

view of a family room with a cozy sectional sofa looking into a music room

But you know me, and my love for redecorranging!

And it has found a new home – temporarily, of course!

Here it is in our sunroom.

Sunroom with an unfinished dresser, two armchairs, and vases and a ceramic urn knock of lamp on the dresser

Ceramic urn knock off lamp sitting in front of a window with other textured vases filled with eucalyptus

view of sunroom with an unfinished dresser, two white armchairs and textured vases and lamp on top of the dresser

I set it in my sunroom on my unfinished dresser, one of my favorite DIYs.

I also placed it next to my textured vase I made last year.

The difference between the two surfaces shows you how versatile this method can be!

Here’s one last look of the before and after!

BEFORE

and AFTER

diy ceramic urn lamp painted with baking soda paint

More Affordable Lamp Options

So if the DIY route isn’t your thang, I get it – it’s not for everyone.

Then you should check out these affordable options found for at least half of what those other brands were asking for!

Other options to try

Multi-colored surface: You can create a beautiful finish layering a few different colors. Start with a base layer of paint and then apply a second color for a variegated look.
Smoother finish: You don’t have to go all chunky like I did with this lamp. When I made over a ceramic bud vase, I used very little baking soda and it created a smoother finish.

White Painted Ceramics on a unfinished dresser

Top tip

Don’t be afraid to fail at diy projects! Take a thrifted lamp and give it new life and a new look. And if you don’t like it, you still have learned what to do differently next time!

This baking soda paint lamp a super easy DIY project that I know anyone could tackle!

If you have a thrifted vase, or old lamps you’ve found at garage sales, then give this blog post a try.

So the next time you head to your local thrift store and stumble upon a deal, why not try this simple makeover!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you use any type of paint to mix with baking soda?

From what I’ve read on the World Wide Web, any paint should work, including acrylic paint or latex paint.

Both have elastomeric properties and the baking soda would work great to create your own textured paint.

How do you age a piece after you’ve painted it?

I’ve seen this method before but honestly haven’t given it a try.

You can use coffee grounds, dirt, or even a very watered down white paint applied with a damp rag to create that hazy look.

But I may just have to give it a try! 😉

Do I have to use a lamp?

Certainly not! I tried this method on different ceramic items, like a vase and a planter, and both turned out great!

I’ve even seen someone give the baking soda paint method try on a glass vase, but I’m not sure how long the paint would adhere. So you may have to apply a clear coat to protect the finish.