My favorite alabaster lamp was accidentally broken... and I think I ended up liking the replacement even more.

When my son accidentally shattered the beautiful alabaster shade on one of my favorite lamps, I was heartbroken. I found a replacement, but instead of that soft, warm glow I loved, it was bright white, cold, and honestly... kind of boring.

Rather than settle, I decided to experiment with one of my favorite creative mediums—alcohol inks.

The result? A custom faux stained glass lamp that has all the warmth and character of the original, but with even more personality because I made it myself.

If you'd rather watch than read, you can see the full makeover here:

• 91% Isopropyl Alcohol
• Ranger Alcohol Inks (warm amber, orange, red, butterscotch and teak brown)
• Blending Solution
• Felt pads
• Rubber gloves
• Stamping pad (or felt applicator)
• Paper towels
• Kamar Varnish for sealing
• Grab my fave supplies here!

Since I was trying to recreate the warm glow of alabaster, I chose warm colors instead of bright jewel tones.

My favorite combination was:

• Butterscotch
• Orange
• Red
• Teak Brown

Adding just a little brown kept everything from becoming too orange and gave the lamp a rich amber glow.

After cleaning your piece with rubbing alcohol to get off any dust or debris start placing your inks on your stamping pad.

Instead of brushing the inks on, I placed small drops of alcohol ink onto a felt applicator and gently dabbed them onto the glass.

Don't worry if the pattern looks repetitive or blotchy at first.

One of the magical things about alcohol inks is that every new layer reactivates the previous one, creating beautiful organic patterns that look almost like stained glass.

One trick that made all the difference was taking the lamp home before I finished.

I wanted to see what it looked like with the light turned on.

That allowed me to decide whether I needed more warmth, more depth, or a little extra brown before calling it finished.

I highly recommend doing this before committing to your final layer.

Once I saw the glow, I realized I could go much darker than I originally thought.

The additional layers created incredible depth while still allowing the light to shine beautifully through the glass.

As I continued layering, I also used straight alcohol on the applicator to soften edges and blend colors together.

The more alcohol you use, the more the inks flow and create beautiful watercolor-like effects.

This was one of my favorite discoveries.

Because my lamp sits at the bottom of the stairs, I kept seeing the bright white interior every time I walked past it.

So I decided to color the inside of the glass as well.

That one little detail completely finished the project.

This is THE most important piece of information when using Inks for your any project or artwork. Regular sealants WILL SMEAR your artwork.

 Spay sealants will reactivate your inks and brushing on any kind of waterbased sealant will still smear your new art.

You must forst spray with Kamar Varnish which will set the ink and then you can use topcoat you desire.

Alcohol Inks require and impervious surface in order to glide and blend. You can apply to glass, metal, resin, mirrors, and YUPO paper is designed for use with ALcohol Inks.

BUDGET TIP: YUPO paper is pricy so try using the back of HP Photo paper from Costco. You can thank me later.

I love to change up my designs so if my piece is not in active use or being touched regularly, like my DIY faux stained glass lamp shade, I may choose NOT to seal it so I can apply rubbing alcohol to remove the ink and start over with new colors!

Higher concentrations evaporate more quickly and help the inks blend without becoming muddy. Lower purity Isopropyl can also have sediments that can affect blending.

You can also use the Ranger Blending solution but it is more costly. I save using this solution for when I am blending Ranger pearls and metallics which do not blend with Isopropyl. 

Absolutely.

One of the best things about alcohol inks is that every color combination creates a completely new and vibrant colors. Unlike paints the combining of ink colors does not become muddy. You can combine endless ink colors and delight in how many new colors you create!

Add a little straight alcohol or blending solution to your felt applicator.

It reactivates the inks and allows them to flow together naturally.

Definitely!

This same technique works beautifully on:

• Glass vases
• Candle holders
• Decorative jars
• Glass ornaments
• Tiles
• Picture frames

I used Alcohol inks on bathroom tiles during a remodel. My daughter and I created 50 different designs from the same colors, sealed with kamar varnish and then resin. They have held up nicely for nearly 8 years now.

✔ Test the lamp while it's turned on.

✔ Build lots of thin layers instead of one heavy coat.

✔ Brown is the secret to creating warm amber tones.

✔ Don't panic if it looks blotchy at first.

✔ Every layer makes the pattern more interesting.

✔ Have fun experimenting—there really aren't many mistakes with alcohol inks.

This project reminded me that sometimes the "replacement" turns out even better than the original.

Not only do I absolutely love the finished lamp, but every time I turn it on I'm reminded that creativity has a wonderful way of turning accidents into something even more beautiful.

And yes...

I think I can finally forgive my son for breaking the first one. ❤️

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Have a question that wasn't answered in the video? Leave it in the comments below! I'll continue updating this guide with the most common questions.