Add a Wooden Plug and Pipe

If you have extra space to fill, like we do in our smokestack, make a wooden plug to sit inside the hole so it holds up the threaded pipe. Measure the diameter of the hole, then cut the wooden plug to size. Drill a hole in the center to hold the threaded pipe. Place the wooden plug with threaded pipe down over the wire and into the toy. Tap it into place.

Cover the Threaded Pipe and Add a Harp

Cover the threaded pipe with a copper pipe as a sleeve. Leave 1/2 inch on top to accommodate the connector and harp (Image 1). Place harp onto the pipe (Image 2).

Add the Socket

Wire the socket according to lamp kit package. Add an energy efficient low-wattage bulb and a lampshade.

Joanne Palmisano is the author of Salvage Secrets (W.W. Norton, September 2011). Visit her blog, also called Salvage Secrets.