In an extract from her book A Handmade Cottage, thrifty Brit decorator Jodie May Seymour shares a crafty DIY project
Rather than buying brand new ready-made lampshades, it can be cheaper to make your own using a DIY lampshade kit, which also means you can choose your own fabric and make something bespoke. All the lampshades here are made using a basic kit, which contains everything you need except the fabric.
The companies that make these kits usually sell the individual components separately too, so you can upcycle old lampshades if you wish. This is especially handy when you have a particular size of lampshade that suits an existing lampstand, for example. You’ll find a huge array of lampshade kits in various shapes and sizes, which can be adapted for lamps or ceiling lights.
My instructions should work with most lampshade kits, but do check to make sure they are compatible with your kit. Once you have tried your hand at making one, I guarantee you will be hooked. You’ll be making lampshades for every room in the house in no time.
When it comes to choosing fabric for lampshades, try not to opt for anything too thick as it will be hard to work with. Also bear in mind what it will look like with light shining through because if it is too thick, light will not penetrate well.
Try holding your fabric up to a light when choosing to see if you like the ‘glow’. A plain solid colour or a repeating pattern is probably easier to use as it doesn’t matter where you lay your panel. My fabric features a woodland scene so I had to centre the pattern, but if your fabric doesn’t require this you can hop to step 2.
How to create your DIY lampshade
You will need
- Lampshade kit (this should include a drum lampshade frame, self-adhesive shade panel, double-sided tape and a pokey tool)
- Fabric
- Iron
- Pins or invisible fabric pen
- Scissors
Step 1
Cut your fabric to the size specified in the kit instructions. Iron your fabric and lay it out pattern-side up. Without peeling the backing from the self-adhesive panel, lay it on top, covering the area you want to use (weigh down at each end to keep it in place). When you are happy with your placement, put some pins around the panel 2.5cm from the edge to use as markers, or use an invisible fabric pen.
Steps 2 & 3
Turn the fabric over so it’s right side down (and with the top edge furthest from you). Start by unpeeling approximately 12.5cm from the adhesive panel and, working from one end of the fabric, carefully stick it down on the fabric. Press down firmly with your fist.
Step 4
Slowly remove more of the backing little by little with one hand, while smoothing it down with the other.
Steps 5 & 6
Now cut out the panel, keeping as close to each edge as possible. However, to avoid a frayed edge leave an extra 5mm at one end and 3mm at each side, which will be folded over at a later stage (this is to get a more professional finish).
Step 7
To remove the scored bendy edges of the self-adhesive panel, bend them back until you hear them crack, then peel them away. When done, snip off any frays.
Step 8
Lay a strip of double-sided sticky tape across the plastic end where you left the extra bit of fabric. Peel off.
Step 9
Fold the fabric back over the tape and stick down firmly.
Steps 10 & 11
Lay another strip of tape over the top, but don’t peel this off yet as we first need to make the lampshade rings sticky. Take one ring at a time, and apply a strip of double-sided sticky tape around each ring, wrapping it around the edge as you go. Leave a tiny gap between strips to allow you to peel off the backing.
Step 12
Peel the tape backing from each ring. Starting at the opposite end from the end with the line of tape, stand the rings onto the edge of the plastic (make sure it’s on the plastic, not on the fabric). Get one in place first, then the other, then slowly start rolling them forward. Keep an eye on the edges as you go to make sure everything is straight. When making a ceiling shade, make sure the ring with the light fitting is at the top.
Step 13
When you get to the end, peel off the sticky tape and press down firmly to seal the two ends of the fabric shade together.
Step 14
If your lampshade has the cross bars on one of the rings as mine does, make a little snip above each one.
Steps 15 & 16
Using your hand, fold over the fabric on each edge, then use the pokey tool to push the fabric under the edge of the ring and tuck in any frayed edges. You will need to push quite hard until you hear a click. If the pokey tool bends, simply cut to give a sharper edge.
Edited extract from A Handmade Cottage by Jodie May Seymour, available at Paper Plus
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