Monday, January 4, 2010

Recover a Lamp Shade ~ DIY

Hey Guys!! Hope everyone is having a great Monday.  Two of my kiddos returned to school today so I finally had the time to start revamping again... woohoo!  I am planning to fix up a little table to go next to one of our chairs and decided I need a lamp for the top.  I recently received a pair of shades as a hand-me-down that I thought would be perfect.  I love the shape of them... They just needed a new fabric.  Here's the finished product...




Now here is how I did it...
I started with this lamphade.




I removed the trim on the inside of the lamp by pulling on it.  You would do the same if your trim was on the outside of your lamp.



Then I want to pull the outside fabric off the shade.  This one was easy to do but if it won't pull away you want to cut it really close to the metal without cutting your liner fabric.

I did the same thing on the opposite end and it looked like this.




Then, it will just pull of the lamp like a sleeve.




And you are left with just your liner fabric.




Every lamp is different but the idea is to remove your top fabric without hurting your lining.



Now you can use your top fabric as a pattern for your new fabric.  I found this great blue linen at Hobby Lobby that I love.




I just put the pattern on top of my linen and started cutting. I did add about 1/2" just to give me a bit mor fabric to pull on.




After you cut your fabric out you will need to attach the ends of your fabric together.  For those of you with a sewing machine this will require a simple straight stitch.  For those non-sewers... you can attach these ends by using a fabric glue like Liquid Stitch or Mighty Mendit.  I did sew mine, right sides together and it looked like this.




Now you should have a sleeve when you turn it right side out like this.




I then just pulled it over my shade like this.




For the next part I used clothespins and wooded sticks like tooth picks.




I also used E6000.  It's a great craft adhesive and you can find more info on it HERE.  I purchased mine at Michael's for around $4.




It squeezes very slowly out of the tubu so I just put a little bit on the end of a wood stick and then put it around the top of the shade.  I did about 4" at a time.







Then just fold your fabric over and secure it with a clothespin. Don't be stingy on your pins... I used LOTS.





A bigger section drying...




And the whole top drying...




When that was dry enough(about 20 minutes) I removed the pins and did the same thing on the other end.  The only difference is that you want to pull your fabric tightly as you secure it with the pins on the other end.  Once that was dry my shade looked like this...




I used my inside trim I pulled off to cover up my raw edge.  If your lamp didn't have any inside trim you can use a ribbon.  I used my hot glue gun for this part.




Much better...




My last step was to make my decorative trim for the outside.  I did this by cutting two long strips of fabric about 1.5" wide each.




You just fold it in thirds and iron.  Start with your first side...




Then, fold your other side on top of that and iron.




The top will look like this.




Now I used my hot glue gun again to attach the trim.  Just run a line of hot glue on the edge and attach the trim.




When you get back to where you started just fold your other end over and attach it with glue.




My finished shade...




And a few action shots...



















Hope you guys like it!

Now... We are only a couple of days away from I Made it Without My Hubby!

We want to see everything you gals have done without the help of your hubs.  No specifics... just any craft, project or revamp you have done with your own two hands.  You can grab a button below or on our side bar.  Thanks!!







Shanty 2 Chic


~Whitney

Updated~ We will be linking up here...










post signature

49 comments:

Charlene said...

Very cool! I'm going to have to try it on a horrid lampshade I've hated since we got the lamp!

Question, though. Why did you opt to use the e-6000 for the initial gluing of the lamp, instead of a hot glue gun? I'm just curious if a glue gun would work for that step.

Thanks for sharing!

Linda@Coastal Charm said...

What a beautiful clean look you have going on here...thanks sooooo much for sharing! Hope you have a great week!

Blessings,
Linda

Pine Tree Home said...

That is an amazing transformation. I am in love with the color. Thanks for the play by play directions.

Jeanette said...

What a great job! It looks incredible.

Sharlotte said...

Wow, you really did a great job. I love the new shade. As always, thanks for the tutorial!
Sharlotte

Unknown said...

Great job, you made it look so easy! Love the color of the shade against the color of the lamp. Thanks for sharing.
Sandy

rebecca @ older and wisor said...

Okay, the clothespin thing is brilliant! My attempt at a fabric covered shade looks....well, like Mrs. Roper in a house coat. Not like thats a bad thing (HA!) but not quite the look I was going for.

trish said...

I love the tailored look of your new shade! :o) Nicely done.
- Trish

Patti @ Pandoras Box said...

Excellent tutorial...the shade came out lovely...and I especially like the lamp base! thanks for sharing

Sissie's Shabby Cottage said...

Wow, what great instructions and demo on how to make such a lovely lampshade.
Great Job!

WhisperWood Cottage said...

You are my hero! Seriously gorgeous!! Thanks for the step-by-step! It gives me courage to actually attempt this at some point!

MrsOrtelle said...

Hey Girls!

I found a pretty fun little gadget recently that may have helped you on this project. It's a bias tape maker. It is used for sewing, so you never have to worry about your bias tape matching the fabric you're using, because with this little gem you can make your own! This could've helped you when making your "decorative trim." The come in a variety of sizes - I recently bought myself a couple from Joann's in 2 different sizes. Just FYI!

:)

Adventures in Dressmaking said...

That looks so great! I'm sure I could have faked something similar myself but it's great to have your awesome example.

Suzanne said...

Beautiful! Love the color of the new shade. The tutorial was awesome -- anyone could attempt this after reading your tutorial. Thanks so much for educating us!

Amy @ Design-Aholic said...

Looks Great! Love the color

Natalie@Endless Crafting said...

I just bought a lamp from my favorite store Home Goods for $15.00 thinking that I could redo the horrid lampshade. Thanks for this tutorial...I am off to redo my shade! :)

Stephanie Lynn @Under the Table and Dreaming said...

That is fabulous! I love the fabric with the black. Thanks for the tutorial - you make it look easy!

Paula@SweetPea said...

You make this project seem completely do-able. I love your fabric choice and how your lamp turned out. Good job!

Debbie said...

This is great because I just pulled a lamp down this weekend to recover, and I was thinking, "I need to check Shanty's blog to see if they've done this before!"

So, that said--PERFECT TIMING girl!

Love it! :)

Michelle said...

Great job...very elegant! Thanks so much for the tutorial...you gals always make everything look so easy! Hope you have a wonderful Tuesday :)

Jennibell said...

Love it!!! Great job. . .I wonder if I could do this. . .?????

Bette said...

That looks great! I just picked a lampshade with a similar shape to yours at Goodwill. I never thought to use the clothespins. That would make it so much easier.

Ruth said...

It looks great. I am on the look out for some new lamps. Time to go thrifting.

Ruth

Tiffany said...

Looks great! Love the blue linen! I have a couple shades that need recovered. Thanks for the tutorial. Hope I can successfully get it done...

Anonymous said...

Wow! Ya know, I REALLY don't think the lamps I need to recover have a liner. It looks like the same material through and through. Hmmm...

ch said...

Fantastic! It looks like a million bucks!

Mama Byrd said...

Soooo glad you posted this I was looking for something to do with mine.
Yours looks great.

Staci Danford said...

What great new this is.. I've made a couple of fabric lamp shade and just play the guessing/cutting game the entire time.. Loved the tips.. THANKS bunches !!
Staci

Kathy @ Creative Home Expressions said...

Love your redo and I love the fabric! It looks similar to my master bedroom wall color.

Arlene said...

I love the lamp redo. The color is beautiful. I tried to email you but it wouldn't deliver the message. I wanted to share the drop cloth tree skirt I made. thanks for the inspiration. Pictures are on my blog.
http://fortheloveofit2.blogspot.com/2010/01/last-christmas-project.html

TidyMom said...

BEAUTIFUL!
Thanks for this, I have a few shades I want to recover - now I can follow your instructions----I just need to get some clothes pins!!

~TidyMom

artisticblend said...

WOW! You did an awesome job! Thanks for the detail tutorial too. :)

Kolein said...

I love your lamp! Thank you for the step by step! Now, what do I do with a lining that is torn inside the cover??? Any ideas?

miss Yelpington said...

i love this blog, i like how you explain everything and show how easy it is thanks for all the great ideas xxx

Kim -today's creative blog said...

great tutorial......it looks amazing.

Michelle, All Home and Love said...

This looks great, thank you for the tutorial!
~Michelle

This Little Nest said...

I love the contrast of a more modern looking shade on a vintage style lamp...it helps to bring together an eclectic room! -Katie @ thislittlenestblog.blogspot.com

Paula Grace Designs said...

That is a really good job. You're brave! BTW ~ I love the fabric choice!
Paula Grace

Stella said...

And you make it looks so easy. Can't wait to give it a try. Thanks for sharing. Really like the color of the linen you chose for the shade.

Barb @ The Everyday Home said...

Great tutorial. I have recovered shades before and I know its time consuming. I loved the before, but I like the freshness of the after, too. Pretty lamp, too. Plz join me for Tabletop Tuesday at gritsglamour.blogspot.com

Thanks for sharing your project ~Barb

Anita@Theycallmejammi said...

Nice job...love the freshness of the new shade.

susan said...

Pure genius! Looks great and you gave very good instructions too!

Marty@A Stroll Thru Life said...

Great tutorial. I have always wanted to recover a lamp shade but had no idea how to do it. I just may give this a try. Hugs, Marty

rosecreekcottage-carol.blogspot.com said...

Just beautiful!!!

Unknown said...

Wow, u did a Perfect job. I was just thinking i wanted to make a lampshade, thank u for the great directions. mishelle

~Country Lady~ said...

Fresh new look and a great tutorial. I'm a follower now. Glad I happened by your blog. Thanks for the inspiration.

niartist said...

GREAT JOB! Looks fantastic! Thanks for inspiring and motivating. Artie @ Color Outside the Lines.

Kelly Lamb said...

Great tutorial! We had 5 kittens running around the house and they nearly ruined a pair of antique lamps. I will have to surprise My Guy with new shades next month! I will post a link to your tutorial when I do.

Cathy said...

Your shade is beautiful and you make it look so easy - I have covered over white and ivory shades using liquid fabric starch -
I wondered if you have ever used Fabric Tac adhesive on your lamp shades? It dries quick and clear.

 
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