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How to Hang an Antique Oil Lamp

Antique oil lamps date back to ancient times where they were used for lighting before the invention of candles. They are still used today in religious ceremonies or for decorative purposes. An antique oil lamp is a vessel molded from clay, bronze or brass. It contains a loop handle or an attached fixture to hang the lamp. You may want to place your lamp on a shelf or mount it against a wall. It isn't difficult to hang an antique oil lamp.

Things You'll Need

Modern hanging lamp support
Hook screws
Drill
Paraffin lamp oil
Stepladder

Instructions

- 1
  Clean your antique oil lamp before you hang it. Dip a soft cloth in a bowl of warm water, ring out the excess water from the cloth and pat the outside of the antique lamp gently to remove old residue. Rinse off the cloth and repeat until the lamp is no longer dirty. Clean any old oil residue off the part of the lamp that comes into contact with heat.
- 2
  Fill the lamp with modern lamp oil that is compatible for the antique types, such as paraffin lamp oil which is both smokeless and nontoxic. Find a location to hang the antique oil lamp. Look for an area that is away from fabrics, such as sofas, living room chairs and any type of draperies.
- 3
  Climb a small stepladder to look for a support stud in the ceiling, and locate the section to attach a hook. Take a small piece of blue masking tape, about 1/2 inch in size, and place it over the stud.
- 4
  Drill a small hole, smaller than the size of a support hook, in the center part of the masking tape where you will display the antique oil lamp on the lamp support.
- 5
  Follow directions on how to hang the apparatus to the hook. You may need to drill from one to three holes. Make sure any hooks are firmly in place and the apparatus is secure. Place the lamp in the middle of the support, and light the lamp.

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