Cork lamp base! Yay!

I made this lamp base out of cork contact paper (Target has everything!), a lightbulb socket kit, cardboard tube from a paper towel roll, and some pebbles to give it a nice, sturdy base. 

I love the natural look of cork, so it's a nice touch I think. But if I ever decide to change it, I can easily pop the lightbulb socket out of the cardboard tube and re-use the cork contact paper (I didn't remove the backing or anything).


You can find a lovely tutorial for the cork lamp base that inspired this project, as posted on Design*Sponge, here. 

I'm linking to...

Tutorial: How to make a $2 version of the starburst mirror

$2 decorative mirror

So, remember this mirror that I referenced in a post earlier this month?

I found it on Crafty Nest, and it totally inspired me to make my own version. So, I popped over to Dollar Tree again, and I found some materials to make my own version. Mine is smaller and, admittedly, not as stunning as the starburst mirror. But for a mere $2 and 30 minutes (which hardly even counts because I was simultaneously watching a movie with the husband), I am pretty pleased with the results. :)

My version

Materials

• Small mirror ($1)
• Package of popsicle sticks ($1 - I'm going to say my package of sticks contained 100, but that's just a guess.)
• Spray paint (I used some leftover white Krylon Fusion; it doesn't take much.)
• Hot glue gun with glue sticks (Already had on hand, but for those who do not have one, I believe they run maybe $5.)

Grad school and DIYing aren't a good mix...

...but that won't stop me!

Books to help me get through my psych program, if possible...

Classes and research are back in full swing for the fall semester. That means lots of reading, writing, lab meetings, running sessions, attending classes...blah blah blah. I am very interested in the field I am in and everything, but the accompanying stress and lack of free time can be overwhelming sometimes, not to mention the detrimental impact they have on my crafting and DIYing. Nonetheless, I am dedicated to keeping up my hobby as well as sharing my projects on this blog. Yay! Plus, I can't resist checking out other people's blogs to see what new projects you and others have been working on, and consequently I will be so inspired that I will put down that journal article and hightail it out of the lab to go home and work on what truly makes me happy. :)