Making your own table lamps, provides a great opportunity to add some very personal, artistic -- and super functional --style to spaces you spend the most time in.

Step 1: Table Lamp Base Anatomy

LEFT: Glass Table Lamp - a base w/ no cap, a flat bottom, and non-drillable walls (The Tripod Floor Lamp has similar hardware requirements.)
MIDDLE: Thermos Lamp - a hollow base w/ it's own removable cap, a flat bottom, and drill-able walls
RIGHT: Mug Stack Lamp - sturdy hollow parts stacked on an official lamp base w/ pre-drilled holes that accommodates the cord and a connecting center threaded rod.

The above drawings illustrate the three most common types of bases and their assembly structures. The parts used and how they're put together is dictated by the characteristics of each base, like where the cord exits the hardware or base, and where the force is created by the connecting hardware.

Step 2: Table Lamp Project Ideas

In the instructable link below, I show you 3 different ways to make table lamps that will help further develop the skills you've learned so far:

3 Ways To Make Table Lamps

Choice #1 - Bottle Table Lamp

Choice #2 - Thermos Table Lamp

Choice #3 - Mug Stack Table Lamp

Each lamp shows how to wire up a different type of base, so have a look through their instructions to see which one you may already have a base for, or which one you may want to gather the goods for – if you want to give table lamp making a try!

Step 3: What's Next?

In the next and final lesson, I go over all the different ways to attache shades to table and floor lamps. I also touch on how to go about selling your homemade lamps.

We're almost there!