Fabric Covered Lampshade Tutorial

There are some big changes beginning in my finished basement.  The closet is almost done.  We are in the process of pricing out an a/c unit for the room and once that is installed we will be making some other changes as well.  The a/c is holding us up right now, but not stopping me from going forward with some smaller projects for the room.

I love this aqua lamp I bought from Home Goods a few years ago. 

 The shade is plain white. I have been wanting to to do something with the shade for a while now.

I recently moved the lamp to this side of the room. The lamp and the fabric coordinate so well.  That's when it hit me that I could cover the lampshade in fabric and really take this lamp to another level.

I had a little of my favorite fabric left over - Aviary by Thomas Paul.
Luckily, it only takes a little fabric to completely transform a lampshade.

I started by using fabric glue and ran a thin line of glue along the seam of the shade. I use Fabric-Tac glue.  I think it's the best fabric glue out there - it bonds instantly and dries clear.  I adhered the fabric to the seam and then cut the fabric on the top and bottom of the lamp shade leaving about an inch on each side.  I cut the fabric as I rolled the shade to end up with a curved piece of fabric.

Then I folded the fabric under and again used fabric glue to adhere the fabric and end up with a clean edge.  You don't want too much fabric to fold under or else when the lamp is on you will see a big seam.  You don't want too little fabric either or it is hard to glue.  It's sort of the Goldilocks and the Three Bears of projects.

I alternated from top to bottom until I made it all around the shade.

Once all the way around I cut the remaining fabric leaving approximately an inch.  I folded it under and used my fabric glue to make a perfect seam.

Using fabric glue again, I adhered matching ribbon to the bottom...

 and then the top.

I love my new lampshade and it was so easy.
Now I can't wait to finish up the basement so that I can put it back in place.
Hope you will try covering a lampshade.
Let me know what you think.

Don't forget to stop back tonight for my Fall into Fall party.

The link opens at 8pm EST.  

Hope to see you then.

-Judy

Sharing with Savvy Southern Style

It's all in the lampshade

It's amazing the difference the right lampshade can make.  I stopped by Home Goods on Sunday (there's a shocker, right?).  When I walked in I saw that the line to check out went all the way to the back of the store.  I said to myself, I hope I don't find anything.  Isn't it Murphy's Law that I would.
Do you remember this lamp?

This lamp started out looking like this:

Now, the truth is that this lamp has been in my family for a very long time.  I remember it when I was a kid.  We used to call it the yellow lamp (I wish I had a picture of it but I don't).  The base was painted yellow and it had a narrow, tall lamp shade (it was the 1970's after all - very Brady Bunch-like). When I painted it white for my son's nursery years ago, I tried to find a long and narrow lamp shade similar to the orginal.  I couldn't find any that worked at the time (or at least none that were reasonably priced).

Here is the bell shaped lamp shade

When I moved the lamp to the basement hangout area and painted it bronze,  I found a bell lampshade from Target for the lamp.  I never felt like it really did anything for the lamp and have been looking ever since for the perfect lamp shade.  Specifically I was looking for one in the original shape and size that was once on the "yellow" lamp.  While walking through the very crowded Home Goods I found the PERFECT lamp shade.  It was in a brown silk finished both on the outside and inside.  Perfect price as well $29.99.

The proportions are so much better.  I think the original shade from 1970 was a little narrower than this one, but this is pretty darn close.  Since I can't find a picture, I am totally going off of my recollection.

Regardless, it is much more appropriate for the lamp.  Look at the soft glow it gives off.

It's so nice to have the lamp finished off as it was originally intended.

It's amazing the difference the right lamp shade can make.  Proportion can make or break the look of the lamp.
I picked up a few other things while I was there...at least that way it was worth the wait on that long line.  I'll share the rest later this week.  Let me know what you think of the new lampshade.  As always, I love and appreciate your visits and comments.

-Judy