DIY Lamp Tutorial -Making a Tripod Floor Lamp with Drift Wood Branches

I'm in love with my new floor lamp! When I walked into the living room on January first, I decided that it was time to finally replace the shelf lamp (you can see it here) with a drift wood floor lamp. So we whipped one up in half a day! I tell you, making a tripod floor lamp with wood branches is really easy. Making a lamp in general is! But before I start with the diy lamp tutorial...


... here's the scene of discovery! Just a short walk away from where we live right off Main Road (Tiverton, RI). There's a stretch where drift wood washes up. We spotted a bunch of wood branches..., climbed over the wall and found two pieces that were the perfect fit for a tripod lamp.


Unfortunately I forgot to take a picture of the two branches separately. The one to the front is the main branch. It is straight on top and forks into two legs. So we clamped them first...


... then screwed them together. We cut the top and the legs until we liked the overall height and how the lamp stood.


Now the actual lamp tutorial. This is the hardware you'll need to make a lamp, plus the cord of course. You should be able to find the parts at your local hardware store.


We drilled a hole for the threaded rod that holds the socket and a horizontal hole to pull the cord through. We opted to add some hot glue around the hole, but you can try for a press fit.


Then we assembled the lamp parts. You'll also need a lock nut to tighten the harp.


Then we attached the two stripped cord ends to the terminal screws of the socket. The socket we ended up using includes the switch. But you could get a cord with an inline switch too.


Last step to the lamp tutorial -hide the cord! We simply hot glued the wire along one leg.


I think a tripod floor lamp like this, being so sculptural, could complement many decor styles! If you should make one, let me know!

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