Repurpose an old yard sale lamp into a garden masterpiece with this simple DIY

Before you wrinkle your nose at the next ugly lamp you see at a thrift store or garage sale, stop for a moment and ask yourself: without its shade, where might this lamp base look good? In a different room? Outdoors, perhaps?
What a bright idea! Lamp bases have been repurposed into bookends, vases, coffee tables, and even doorstops. More creative uses have been found for them outside of the home, and why not? Stripped of shade, wiring and other electrical components, lamp bases are perfectly safe to use outdoors -- and some styles that don't agree with your indoor decor taste may be absolutely gorgeous outside.
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1. Upcycled lamp light post
Karen had originally planned to upcycle this lamp into a fountain, but a year after she picked it up at a yard sale it was still sitting in her garage.
She decided to turn it into a garden light instead -- the heavy base was very stable and perfect for holding its own in sod. "I like this project so much that I'm glad my fountain idea derailed!" Karen says in the blog, To Work With My Hands.
2. Lamp birdbath
Lamp base + wok = birdbath! "I put mine next to my bird feeder," says Jessica, posting at Chapman Place. "I am the hit of the neighborhood with the birds!"
3. Upcycled solar lamp posts
The Kiss of Life blogger Nalin Solis found a matching pair of candlestick lamp bases, added metallic paint and solar lamp heads, and found herself with a fabulous pair of lamps to frame her front door!
The next time you see a sad old lamp at a garage sale or thrift store, think again. You may have just found the centerpiece for your garden!
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What ideas do you have for repurposed lamp bases? Please SHARE these ideas, then tell us yours in the comments below!