Over time I have collected more necklaces than I know what to do with. Most are in a tangled mess, and I’m lucky to even be able to see or remember what I have. I end up wearing the same ones over and over as a result…. and the rest are forgotten. Every once in a while, when I happen upon my tangled mess, I swear I will get organized or get rid of them. So, this week, I am taking a step in that direction, with this DIY Victorian Gothic Jewelry Stand. Whether you also have a tangled mess or just want a more stylish way to store and display your jewelry… this is for you!!
Do you know that feeling when you’re out thrifting or bargain hunting and you come across a piece that you just have to have. You may not know where you’re going to put it, or what you’re going to do with it, but you know you have to have it. That’s how I felt about this Victorian Lady lamp. She was just so unusual. And I LOVE all things Victorian and all things unusual, so obviously I had to have her!
I assume the poor thing had met her fate with a guillotine, because someone did a shotty job gluing her head back on. I don’t know what they were thinking, because they forgot to line the broken seams up correctly, and they left glue oozing out of the seams. Perhaps that’s exactly why they gave up on her. Not me… I was determine to save my decapitated Victorian Lady and bring her back to life. Just call me Dr Frankenstein!
While I could have fixed her up and given her a brand new shade, I really didn’t have a need for a lamp like this. After a fair amount of brainstorming it dawned on me that she would fit right in with my closet and my accessories… and so began the process of transforming her into a jewelry display. As I mentioned, I had a desperate need to better organize my necklaces, and this Victorian lady was going to help me do just that.
Obviously, it is highly unlikely for you to find a lamp exactly like this one, especially in a thrift shop, but this tutorial will basically work for most lamp bases. Thrift shops and yard sales seem littered with lamps, so there is no shortage of supply… just find one that speaks to you! As you follow the steps, please note… these were the specific steps and tools I used to work with my lamp… Once you take yours apart, you’ll need to assess what specific tools are needed.
Here’s what I used and how I transformed my Lady:
- Lamp
- Wire Cutter
- Dremel 3000 with 84922 Grinding Bit
- Paper Clay
(as needed)
- Sculpting Tools
(as needed)
- Neutral Paint
- Black Paint
- Small Paint Brush
- Washer
- 1/8 in Brass Pipe Coupling
(the size you need will depend on your lamp)
- 1/8 in MIP x 2 in Brass Pipe Nipple
(the size you need will depend on your lamp)
- Wooden Spindle ( A Wooden Dowel will also work)
- Saw (as needed)
- Drill
- Apoxie Sculpt
- Knobs
- E6000
- Finial
- Rub n Buff – I used European Gold
and Patina
– Try the Sampler Set
for more color options!
(as needed)
(as needed)
(the size you need will depend on your lamp)
(the size you need will depend on your lamp)
and 
– Try the 
for more color options!
Disassembling the Lamp
This should go without saying… but the lamp MUST be UNplugged before beginning work on it.
It’s pretty easy to take apart a lamp…. Most lamps have a cord and electrical wire running up through a threaded rod that runs through the base of the lamp and into a socket. There is also a harp which connects to the shade. Both the socket and harp have various pieces. (If you google “parts of a lamp” a million diagrams will come up if you need one).
Start by unscrewing pieces until you can pull the socket up enough to get to the electrical wire. Clip the wire with your wire cutters (you’ll do this in 2 places) and pull the cord out from the base of the lamp.
Once the cord is removed, it becomes very easy to remove the socket and harp pieces. This is a picture of everything I removed from my lamp
I kept my threaded rod intact because I used it to attach my jewelry bar to.
Fixing up the girl
Because of my lady’s poor severed head, she was in need of some repair work. I’ll include my steps here, in case you have also happened upon a cracked or broken lamp that you can’t turn away from. If yours is in perfect condition, skip ahead.
I used my dremel to sand the excess glue and the cracked pieces that had been glued on incorrectly. I chose the dremel because of the small areas I was working with…. it allowed me to get into detailed spots.
I used paper clay and a sculpting tool to smooth out any gaps that were left behind after I sanded. I imagine you could use any clay you feel comfortable with… I just happened to have paper clay on hand.
Using a very fine brush, I painted her skin with a neutral sample of paint I had leftover from another project (I tend to just grab what I can find when I work on these projects… luckily I have a decent arsenal of craft supplies, and it’s always great when you can use something you already have!)
I painted her dress, the stand, and hair black. Obviously my girl had to have a black ball gown!
She was dressed and ready to go!
Assembling the jewelry stand
First determine how tall you want your stand. It may depend on how long your necklaces are, or perhaps you want a stand for bracelets instead of necklaces.
The rod that extended from my girl was a pretty good height, so I didn’t need much to extend it.
My plan was to drill a hole through a wooden bar of some sort, which would slide onto the lamp rod. I needed a stopping point for that bar, so I threaded a basic washer onto the lamp rod.
To add a bit of length to the rod, so I could have room for a finial, I screwed a brass coupling onto my rod, and then added a 2″ nipple pipe. The coupling simply acts as a way to connect two threaded rods. To ensure I got pieces that would fit exactly, I literally carried my lady into my hardware store’s plumbing department, and tried the pieces on her!
For my jewelry bar, I happened across a wooden spindle in an antique store and snatched it up. I am a sucker for salvaged parts! And I loved the added interest the shape provided. It just needed a bit of sanding and it was good to go. Before finding the spindle I was planning to use a 1″ dowel, so that would work too if you can’t find a spindle.
My spindle was the perfect length, but you may need to cut your dowel or spindle down to size. This will of course depend on the space you have to display this stand, as well as the proportions of your lamp base. My spindle was 18” long. To save a step, don’t forget that many home improvement stores will cut the dowel for you.
Drill a hole directly down the center of the bar, wide enough to just slide over the coupling but not the washer.
To add a finishing touch to the jewelry bar, I found some wooden drawer knobs. I found these in an antique store, and liked them because of their carved detail. I knew I’d be using a wax finish to highlight the final product, so the carved edges were a bonus. When choosing knobs, just be sure they work with the diameter of the bar you choose.
I used E6000 glue to attach the knobs to either end of the spindle. If your knobs have a threaded rod, you may be able to screw them into your bar ends.
Once the bar was ready, I slid it over the extended rod and onto the washer.
Because of the decorative nature of my spindle, it didn’t sit flush against the washer, which allowed for the bar to feel loose. When you’re planning to hang heavy jewelry onto a bar, the last thing you want is for it to be loose! To solve both the issue of the gap between the spindle and the washer, as well as the stability of the bar, I turned to my Apoxie Sculpt. This stuff works magic. Even if your rod fits perfectly flush, you may want to use some of this to ensure your bar is completely attached to the rod.
Follow the instructions for mixing the sculpt, and once it’s ready push it into any gaps and/or down into the hole of the bar. There is a fair amount of time to work with the sculpt before it hardens. It will cure completely within 24 hours.
To top off the display I choose a wooden finial, and drilled a hole up the center the size of the nipple. Because the nipple has a threaded end, you may be lucky enough to find a lamp finial that can simply screw right on. I added some E6000 inside of the finial and around the nipple to ensure a secure fit. Again – E6000 needs about 24 hours to completely set.
I painted the bar, knobs, and finial black to match my girl.
Lastly, I added an antique finish with some Rub n Buff Metallic Wax. I highlighted all of the raised areas as well as her stand with European Gold, and then added touches of Patina to give a more weathered feel. I use my finger to apply the wax, but a soft cloth works too. Just remember to apply lightly.. a little goes a long way.
Accessorize her with some jewels and not only do you have something functional, but also something beautiful for your dressing table!
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