By Danielle Peterson

When she saw a driftwood lamp on sale for more than $350 at a high fashion store, Terrie Bugay fell instantly in love. Instead of purchasing the expensive lamp, Terrie decided to make her own version—and for a fraction of the cost. “The lamp was done by collecting the driftwood that washed up routinely on our nearby beach,” Terrie says.

To construct the better-than-bought piece, start by creating a sturdy base with the large pieces of driftwood. Then place smaller, curvier pieces to give the lamp more personality. Once the driftwood is in the perfect pattern, use a strong liquid glue (Terrie used Gorilla Glue) to secure the pieces together.

After the glue has dried, drill a hole in the top of the largest piece of wood for the lamp hardware. You can pick up a lamp wiring kit at any hardware store or borrow pieces from an existing lamp. Finish off the project by adding a shade; Terrie found hers at Pottery Barn. Insert a light bulb and the lamp is complete!

Tip: Make sure to prop the wood up to preview the finished product—there’s no going back once you start gluing!

To see more photos of Terrie’s lamp, click here or here.

Watch our video for another creative lamp idea!

Take a look at our furniture gallery for more ways to spice up your furniture.