Learn how to revamp an old lampshade. You can have heaps of fun with this exciting project, and as always, you can let your imagination take you as far as it can
What you will need
1. Light shade
2. Sheets of fine, handmade craft paper. (We also used some florist tissue paper wrap)
3. Sheets of slightly heavier handmade paper in bright colors. (All these we bought for a small amount at local craft store.)
4. Glue suitable for this type of project. (We used a common, all-purpose glue for paper and wood etc. You will need a good size bottle of this.)
5. Spray can of gold web paint from a local paint shop. (If you can't get this, you could create a similar look using a small can of gold paint and just lightly sponging it on.)
6. Strings of beads. (We used the beads from an old room divider.)
7. Hot glue gun for gluing on the beads
8. Knitting needles and a ball of a silky fluffy yarn to match your colors
9. Matt finish varnish for protection. (We used an art matt spray.)
Step 1. Prepare your lampshade by making sure it is clean.
Step 2. When you have decided on your colors, tear bits of your paper into randomly sized pieces and start gluing them on the lampshade. We used light but bright tones of green as the main colors and every now and then, placed some small pieces of what we called the jewel colors, e.g. red, orange and emerald, onto the shade. Keep building on the main colors until you are happy with the coverage.
The main paper is very delicate so you will notice glue coming through but don't be concerned, as it will dry clear.
The jewel colors will look good as little bits of accent color during the day and when you first use your shade, the jewel colors will really spring to life!
Step 3. When everything has dried, it is time to spray with the gold web paint.
Follow manufacturer's instructions and we suggest you experiment a little with the paint, first. Don't be too worried as to be honest, you really can't make a mistake with this product. We decided on quite a strong coverage for the look we wanted but that is a personal decision.
Step 4. Next, we cut lengths of beads from our room divider and hot-glued them down the sides of the shade. We wanted to cover the original contour of the shade but could no longer see the seams as they were now covered. Try this trick: pop your lampshade on the lamp and turn on the light so you can see the shape of the original frame underneath. You can now easily glue the beads in the right place.
After hot gluing on the bead strings, we recommend you give the whole project a cover of a matt finish varnish for protection.
We used an art matt spray.
Step 5. To make the trim for the top and bottom, we bought a ball of an exciting, shiny, soft fluffy multi-colored yarn; a bit like a silky fringing.
Measure around the top and bottom of your shade. Using large sized knitting needles, cast on 5 stitches, making sure you leave a little length of yarn hanging from the first stitch. Knit enough length to go around the top of the shade. Do not knit anymore than you need, so keep exactly to (or a little less than) your measurement.
When you have reached the correct length, cast off and leave a long piece of yarn. Tie the two ends of yarn together: you then have a circle to put around the top of your shade. We also hot-glued this into place.
For the bottom of the shade, we only cast on three stitches as we wanted to balance it out.
You could get the same look by crocheting or even finger-knitting. Although it looks expensive, it is a very cheap way of making a trim.
Below are photographs of other lampshades we revamped using the same method.