How to Paint a Lamp Base to Look Like Stone

ByJane & Sonja

Check out this simple DIY technique and transform your old, ugly lamp by painting the lamp base and making it look like a stone base.

If you’re looking for lamp painting ideas, check out this technique on how to make a lamp base look like stone. Give your old, ugly lamp a new and custom look.

Painted metal to look like stone.

There is nothing like the changing weather to get me motivated to paint everything in sight.  And this lamp base was no exception. 

I had saved it from the garage sale we had months ago but knew it would need a makeover if it was to stay in my house.  I did not like that faux gold at all!  Today I’m going to show you how to paint a lamp base to look like stone.

Faux gold lamp base.
Before

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Materials Used to Paint a Lamp Base:​

How To Paint a Lamp Base:

I started off by painting the lamp base with two coats of Decoart Americana Chalky Type Paint in Everlasting, which is white.  This was to serve as my base color.

Painting the lamp with chalky finish paint.

Then I mixed in a little bit of acrylic black into the white paint to get this grey you see below. I randomly brushed it on here and there.

You can see that a bit of the white had dripped and dried on the bottom.  That was not a problem.  Since I was trying to imitate stone it did not have to be perfect, like in this lamp project I did a while back.

Painting layers of grey to the lamp post.

Next, I then created a separate lighter shade of grey by adding more white to the mixture and went over the lamp with this color. I also had a black metallic color that I threw into the mix.  

Of course it is much easier if you just buy the colors but I am on a quest to use up my paints so I like to mix them myself.

Close up of painted layers of light grey.

I continued on painting all around the lamp base with these three colors trying to create depth to the look.  You can’t really go wrong with this.  There are no hard and fast rules.

Dry brushing the lamp base.

​Towards the end, I used the dry brush technique. This basically means you put very little paint on the brush and before adding it to the lamp you dab off some of the paint on a paper towel or palette so as to just have a tiny bit of paint that goes onto your object.

Close up process of painting the lamp base.

It was a very sloppy process – intentionally to look like stone. I didn’t even have to seal it in since the top layers were all acrylic craft paint.

Close up of lamp base painted like stone.

​I took it inside my girls’ room to photograph it because the lighting is better in there, but quickly realized they better not see it otherwise they’ll want to keep it.

Finished painted lamp sitting on a white table and beside a white chair.

 Now you tell me, doesn’t that look like stone?

Painted metal to look like stone,

 It’s been moved to the living room where it fits in perfectly along with the freshly painted walls.

Painted lamp base on wood table with framed pictures of leaves.

 One last look at the lamp base before I painted so we can appreciate the difference.

Faux gold lamp base.

I don’t think it can get any easier than this, and let’s be honest this is so much more interesting and fun than the gold it started out with. You can check out my framed leaves here. 

Painted lamp base on wood table with framed pictures of leaves.

This was such an easy project it only took half an hour. I hope you’ve enjoyed my tutorial on how to paint a metal lamp base to look like stone. Now I have a brand-new lamp. It may be faux stone but at least it looks better than that awful cheap gold from before.

Want additional lamp painting ideas?

Check out these two options from Sustain my Craft Habit:

  • White Lamp with Burlap Shade
  • Gold Nautical Lamp

Which do you prefer, the gold or the new stone look?

Picture
Painted metal lamp base to look like stone with "Painting a lamp base to look like stone" overlay.

More Paint Ideas:  

Two painted metal frames
Painted Frames
Two repainted lamps besides books, a framed picture and reading glasses.
Painted Lamps

Hello, we're Jane & Sonja, sisters, moms and lifelong crafters.

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29 Comments

    1. It was super easy and you can custom mix any paint at all to get the look you want. I love this new version!

  2. Love, love, love how the lamp turned out! So clean and crisp looking to me. Girl, I will spray paint somebody if they stand still. LOL!
    Hugs and blessings, Cindy

    1. I always have bad luck with spray paint, I get so many drips I must be doing something wrong. I love all of your stuff and you do such a great job!!

    1. I am a strong believer in if you don’t like something just paint it! That faux gold was not for me.

    1. My little shadow is always near when I am working Marie, and more likely than not he has a bit of paint on him too!

  6. Oh, Mary, this is just perfect! Random, no rules…I love to paint that way and your process did produce a very stone-like look…so much better that before. I have a similar lamp I sprayed with some textured spray paint, but I may just have to sand it down and give it another go like this. I love it!

  8. Great diy, Mary! It DOES look like stone/cement! LOVE it! And the tutorial is super, too! (Love Americana Everlasting… I did my whole dresser in it… and there liquid wax is amazing, too!)

  9. Awesome! Great painting techniques. I love giving older things new life with a current look. I used bronze paint on all of our old brass fixtures and ceiling fans last year, saved a ton of money and they look great. Great post!
    Lori Jo – 50 With Flair
    http://www.50withflair.com

  11. Don’t you love paint?. If I don’t like it I paint first then decide to keep it. Paint is a miracle worker.
    Super project
    Enjoy your week
    Cindy

  12. Of course I prefer the stone look! I’m not a fun of metallic colors except of a tiny splash of copper here ant there. The stone effect is so interesting and full of character.

  14. I actually used this technique to make an outdoor waterfall which was made of resin look like stone. I did spray acrylic over it when I was done. That paint job held up for several years. Then we moved, and I left it in the old garden, so I don’t know if it continued to hold up or not. People always thought it was stone!

  16. Love how your lamp turned out, Mary! It does look like stone and the drips and thick paint in areas make it look better and much more realistic. Happily pinning and sharing. <3
    Happy fall,
    Barb 🙂

  18. Mary, I can’t believe how much better that lamp looks. I will need to keep this method in mind! I also love your framed leaves, what a great idea. Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

  21. I love the stone look, you actually gave me an idea to do the same with some gold candle holders! Thank you for these great step-by-step instructions :).

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