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Turn a Birdcage Stand into a Mod Floor Lamp

Budget: $$, D.I.Y. Project, Home Decor, Living Room, Renter Friendly
By Mandi Johnson

Turn a birdcage stand into an amazing mod floor lamp— So easy!Hi, guys! It's Mandi here with a really simple floor lamp project. It seems like every time I went antiquing or hit up the flea markets, I saw so many lonely birdcage stands just waiting to be loved. All of those pretty stands would haunt me at night as I lay awake making plans to take one home. But I just couldn't think of how I should re-purpose one. Plant stand? Nah. Actual birdcage stand? Double nah. But wait… what about a floor lamp? Yes! A mod floor lamp even! My home could always use another globe light (says the girl who's obsessed with orb lamps), so I headed out to the antiques district and adopted a birdcage stand to call my own. My own floor lamp, that is.

If you're having trouble finding an affordable vintage birdcage stand to re-purpose for this project, you could also use an indoor plant hanger like this. In my experience, birdcage stands are everywhere antiques are sold, and where I live (Northeast Ohio), you can find them for anywhere from $25-$70 each.

Turn a birdcage stand into an amazing mod floor lamp— So easy!Turn a birdcage stand into an amazing mod floor lamp— So easy!Supplies:
-birdcage stand or hanging plant stand (like this)
-large acrylic globe (I found my 14" globe here)
-tape (I used black electrical tape because it matched my stand)
-hanging light kit (like what you would use in a paper lantern)
-1 1/2" hole saw (shown in drill)
-power drill

Turn a birdcage stand into an amazing mod floor lamp— So easy!I only wanted a small portion of the light kit to peek through the globe of my light, so I measured the diameter of the end of the kit and bought a carbon hole saw the same size—1 1/2". Your light kit measurements may vary, so before buying a hole saw, you may want to measure the diameter of your own light kit.

My birdcage stand cost $60, though the day I went shopping for mine, I saw five stands I liked, ranging from $25 for a rusty, wobbly, white one to $65 for a more decorative wrought iron one. I liked the shape and simplicity of this birdcage stand, so I decided it would be perfect for this project.

Turn a birdcage stand into an amazing mod floor lamp— So easy!Step One: Drill a hole into the center of the globe (the factory opening of the globe is resting on the table). There will be a little dot at the center from the production of the acrylic globe, so no need to measure. Have someone firmly hold the globe while you drill. (My assistant was taking this picture, but afterwards he held it for me!) Make sure you keep the drill steady, because it will want to skip around a bit. If the surface is too slick, you can cover it with painter's tape to help keep the drill from sliding around.

Step Two: Pull the light kit through the globe, and make sure you like the fit. My hole was maybe a hair too small, but the graduated shape of the light kit made this not a problem at all.

Turn a birdcage stand into an amazing mod floor lamp— So easy!Step Three: Hang the light from the hook of the stand, and make sure it's centered. String the wire along the metal of the stand, securing it with tape along the way. I used black electrical tape, but honestly, clear tape would probably do just fine!

Turn a birdcage stand into an amazing mod floor lamp— So easy!I was amazed at how simple this project turned out to be! It seemed suspiciously easy in theory, but I know from experience that little unexpected things can quickly turn "easy" projects into complicated ones. I promise—this one was a cinch and fun from the very beginning. I love a good antique hunting trip!

(P.S. Interested in the leaning ladder from the first image? Check out the DIY instructions to make your own right here.) -Mandi

Credits // Author and Photography: Mandi Johnson. Photos edited with Valentine of the Signature Collection.

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