If you are not happy with the choice of ready made chandelier lamp shades available in your local lighting store and online, you might like to consider making your own. This is not as difficult as it sounds and if you like craft work you will have a great time designing and making your own shades. It is also an ideal solution if you like designer items in your home but you are unable to afford designer prices and of course, you will have something unique that cannot be found everywhere else.
1. Decide Your Base
Decide whether you will use and decorate existing shades or whether you will make new ones from scratch. If making new ones, work out what size of shade you need by measuring the existing shades or by experimenting with creating paper shades of various standard size shades to see which size would work well. Look for frames in the right size in your local craft shop or purchase online.
2. Design Your Cover
Decide what you will use to cover your lamp shades. This might be something simple like wallpaper or wrapping paper in an interesting design or a fabric you love. You may also decide to cover your shades in patterned or plain fabric. Remember that plain lamp shades cam always be embellished.
3. Cover Your Base
Cover your existing lamp shades or lamp shade frames with your chosen materials. Glue in place using a glue gun folding in the edges to neaten them. Fabric may need to be stiffened by using iron on backing. (Apply this after you cut the fabric otherwise you will have more difficulty cutting the shape. If necessary, paper can also be stiffened by gluing onto thin card. If covering a shade in fabric, in addition to applying glue, stitch the fabric in place with small stitches around the top and bottom of the frame to secure into place.
4. Add Decoration
If you have used a patterned fabric or paper you will probably not need much in the way of decoration although you might like to add a braid trim around the edges in a coordinating color. If you have made a plain shade however you can really go to town adding beads, sequins, fringing and the like. Your glue gun will come in handy once again for attaching anything you desire to your shade. Use your imagination and create something very special and unique but remember that you will have to replicate the process for each individual shade so make sure you don't run out of trimmings.
Jan contributes to website lampshadescentral.com where you'll find more detailed information about lamp shades, including more tips on choosing and using chandelier lamp shades and every other kind of lamp shade you can think of.
No comments:
Post a Comment