Easy Peasy Lampshade Tutorial

July 13, 2009 by Kara | 1 Comment

Remember the awesome apothecary lamp I got at Real Deals last month?
I found something to fill it with. Some fake plums. I loved the color and I thought they were perfect for summer. You can see them at the end of this post. Be patient.

I wasn't really thrilled with the shape of the lampshade though. I thought it was a little too big and detracted from the cool apothecary base. Plus I don't like that it is just straight up and down. A little the boring side.I found this lampshade at my local thrift store for $1.50. I thought it was the perfect size, so I brought it home.

I had some canvas leftover from my trailer curtain project, and I thought it would make the perfect cover because it is a neutral color and it is very easy to work with. Plus, since I already had it lying around, it was FREE!.

I knew I had seen tutorials online, but gosh darn if I could find one when I needed it. So I just decided to try it myself. I took pictures along the way just in case I was successful. It was actually much easier than I thought it would be, so I am sharing my instructions with you. I didn't even burn myself with hot glue on this project, which is probably a record for me.

Step 1-Roll your lampshade onto a large piece of paper, tracing it as you roll.
Step 2-Cut out your pattern 1 1/2 to 2 inches outside of the lines that you traced. The extra fabric is what you will use to fold over the top and bottom of the lampshade. Don't worry if it isn't exact. Mine sure wasn't.Step 3-Lay your pattern on top of your fabric and cut it out. If you are working with a striped or patterned fabric, make sure the lines are straight.
Step 4-Fold over one of the straight edges of the fabric and glue it down. I ironed mine first to get a straighter edge, but you don't have to.
Step 5- Before gluing anything, wrap the fabric around the lampshade and arrange it so that it is straight. Make sure the folded edge is on top! You want about an inch of fabric at the top and the bottom of the shade.
Step 6-Apply a small dot of hot glue at the top and bottom of the raw, unfolded edge of the fabric. This will just hold the fabric in place as you are attaching it. (Sorry, forgot to take a photo.)

Step 7-Start applying hot glue just under the rim of the lampshade. (I started with the bottom of the lampshade first.) Fold the fabric under and hold it for a few seconds till it dries. Continue till you have gone all the way around. Step 8- Repeat the gluing process at the top of the lampshade. You will have extra fabric if the hole is smaller like mine is. To accommodate for this, you will need to snip the fabric as you are gluing it. This is what it will look like on the inside:Step 9-When you have the top and bottom folded under and secured with glue, you can glue down the folded seam.Step 10-Place your new lampshade onto your lamp.Step 11- Admire your work. Or if you are me, stand back and think, "Man that looks kinda boring. I need to add some trim, or a bow, or a monogram, or something. Guess I need to make another trip to the craft store. And while I'm out, I might as well stop by the thrift store. Yipee!"

Note: Step 11 is totally optional.