Fall’s colors often get pigeonholed into the “earthy, muted, beige, and bland” category.  But as I look around my hometown this Fall, I see vibrant colors that would rival anything Summer has to offer!

 

 

I just about drove off the road the other day because I was staring at this gorgeous tree.  I am a terrible road hazard when the leaves start to change.   I drove back later to snap this photo because I knew I wanted the graduated colors to be the inspiration for my Fall Colors IKEA lamp for SYTYC.

 

 

 

 

My new IKEA table lamp was a perfect canvas for the finished colors.  (Did I tell you I finally got to take my first trip to IKEA!?!  So much fun!)

 

 

I bought a pack of four small adhesive stencils on clearance at Hobby Lobby a while back, and the striped stencil fit perfectly on the side of the lamp.

 

 

I applied the paints that I had mixed with a bit of Martha Stewart glass etched medium, gradually moving from one color to the next. 

 

 

Before the paints completely dried, I carefully pulled up the stencil.  I repeated the same process, with different colors, on each of the lamp’s four sides.  When the lamp was painted, I sprayed a clear protective coat of sealant over the whole thing.

 

 

The gradual color change goes all around the lamp, mimicking the ombre of the fall leaves on the tree that almost caused me to crash my car.

 

Even though the inspiration for the colors came from autumn leaves, they are so lively and rich that I plan to use this lamp year-round as the nightlight in my daughter’s nursery.

 

 

When the lamp is turned off, the base becomes a modern vase to hold some of those gorgeous leaves.  I adore Fall!