Knock knock.
Who’s there?
Moose.
Moose who?
Moose lamp!
I know the photo looks a little photoshopped—let me explain.
It started at a moving sale in West Virginia, while we were there to help update Granny’s bathroom. I spotted a moose lamp and couldn’t leave it behind.
I bought him for ten dollars.
The lampshade was oddly sized and the paint was peeling in a few spots, but I saw potential.
With a little spray paint and a new shade, I figured I could transform him from rustic to refined. So I went for it — spray paint in hand. If you’ve been following my other projects, you know I have a habit of diving into these quirky, animal-themed DIYs. This one felt especially right: painting a moose seemed like a legitimate, if slightly absurd, creative move.
Choosing a color felt important. I considered bold options (blue moose? possibly), but settled on white. White gives the moose a ceramic look and creates a neutral base for a more adventurous lampshade. I already have a patterned fabric in mind for the shade, but it’s tied to a secret book project, so I can’t share that exact pattern until the book releases on the 6th. For now, I’m keeping the shade design under wraps. The plan is to pair that DIY fabric shade with Malcolm — yes, I named the moose — and place him in Clara’s soon-to-be big-girl room for a pop of color and playful charm.
Before painting him, I put the lamp on the table and showed Clara. I asked, “What’s that?” She answered, “I don’t know what it is.” I said, “It’s a lamp with a moose on it,” and she declared, “I want a moose with a moose on it!” Then, with perfect timing and delivery, she looked me dead in the eye and slowly repeated, “Moose… with… a… moose… on it.” It was hilarious and exactly the kind of kid logic that makes DIY projects even more fun.
After spraying Malcolm white with Rust-Oleum Universal (it has a built-in primer, which made the job easier), I paired him with the secret shade I’ve been saving in our cluttered playroom. It turns out the shade fits perfectly; it was actually the original shade from a set of glass-based lamps that a certain little one once broke during a painting incident — we replaced those shades with simpler versions and kept the old ones for future projects.
Clara loves Malcolm. She insists he move into her big-girl room and now says goodnight and good morning to him every day. Sometimes she even offers him snacks. The unexpected lesson? Introducing a fun, whimsical object like a moose lamp can spark imagination and encourage routines like saying goodnight.
I did do a little photoshopping to show how different shade patterns might look on Malcolm. I wanted to demonstrate how a white moose on a white table can feel a bit flat, but placed on a painted surface — say a soft celery green table or a rustic wood dresser — he can really pop. The photoshopped mock-up gave a clearer idea of possibilities while I wait to reveal the actual shade in the book.
Moose, there it is.
What projects have you been tackling lately? Anyone else giving animals a fresh coat of paint or taking an unconventional object and turning it into something charming?