Drill a 1/2-inch hole in the bottom of a standard metal coffee can (3 lb. size). Place the ceramic lamp base inside the coffee can, centered on the hole, and mark on the coffee can where the two mounting screw holes are. Remove the base and use the 1/4-inch drill bit to drill two holes for the mounting hardware. Place the lamp base back inside the coffee can and string its wires through the 1/2-inch hole.
Carefully strip the outer insulation off a piece of 12/3 SO wire, with your wire strippers or a knife, about 1 1/2 inches from the end. The 12/3 refers to the wire's thickness (12 gauge) and the number of wires (3), and it is the size with the necessary safety rating for theatrical applications. The wires inside will likely be covered with black, white and green insulation, although the green may be replaced with bare copper in some cases. Strip 1/2 inch of insulation off the end of each of these wires.
Repeat the stripping process with the opposite end of the S/O cable.
Twist the white-insulated wire from one end of the cable with the white wire from your lamp socket (if both socket wires are the same color, then it is not polarized and color does not matter). Twist a wire nut onto the twisted wires as if twisting on a bottle cap until it can't go any farther. Hold the wire nut and tug on each wire separately; if they come out, your wire nut isn't tight enough and you should try a smaller size.
Repeat this process with the cable's black wire and the other wire from the lamp socket. If the lamp socket has a green or bare wire, attach that to the cable wire too. If not, look for a green, brass or copper screw on the lamp base. Loosen this screw and wrap your cable's green or bare wire clockwise around the screw and tighten. Wrap your wire connections with electrical tape to keep them from coming loose.
Bolt your lamp base to the bottom of the coffee can with 1 1/4-inch bolts and tighten the nuts with pliers.
Loosen the screws on your male plug and pull it apart. Thread the cable through the bottom part of the plug if it has a removable cover, then twist the green or bare wire around the green or copper screw (the one that aligns with the bottom prong of the plug). Tighten the screw, then do the same with the other wires on the other screws. If the plug has different colored screws, match the white wire with the silver screw and the black wire with the brass screw. Close the plug and replace its screws.
Determine what you want to be the top of your coffee can, then drill 1/8-inch holes (or larger if your machine screws are larger) at 90, 180, and 270 degrees from the top, following clockwise around the can's mouth, about 1/2 inch below its lip. Use 1/2-inch machine screws (tiny bolts with screw heads) and nuts to bolt a piece of one-hole pipe strap to each of these holes with the rounded ends facing out. These are your "gel clips," intended to hold theatrical gels, which are pieces of colored acetate or similar material used to change the light's color. You can slide the color in from the open top so it rests inside the curve of the pipe straps.
Stuff newspaper inside the coffee can to protect it and spray the outside with black spray paint designed for metal. Remove the newspaper and screw a flood lamp into the base after the paint dries.