About

Cost
$ $ $ $ $
Difficulty
• • • • •
Time
1h00

DIY Lamp Shade
Today I want to share a tutorial to turn a plain drum shade into a statement piece for less than $10. I made my own drum shade pendant for less than $75, but I wanted to dress it up a bit. I originally planned to stencil a design on the shade, but the fabric on the shade has a lot of texture and I was nervous about getting a crisp design with a stencil. I brainstormed a fabulous alternative to create a modern design with appliquéd fabric. I love, love, love the way this turned out. The pattern and color are so crisp.

Posted by Jackie H. Published See Jackie H.'s 5 projects »
PrintEmbed
  • Step 1

    Measure your shade height and circumference. If the shade has a binding at the top and bottom, measure the height from the inside edge of the bottom binding to the inside edge of the top binding.

  • Step 2

    Using the measurements from Step 1, cut out a rectangle piece of fusible web.

  • How to make a lamp / lampshade. Quatrefoil Drum Shade Pendant Light - Step 3
    Step 3

    Create your design. Geometric designs work great for this project. I decided on a quatrefoil design, which I designed to fit evenly within the size of my rectangle.

  • How to make a lamp / lampshade. Quatrefoil Drum Shade Pendant Light - Step 4
    Step 4

    Trace your design onto the paper side of the fusible web. Tip: For a complicated design, shade in the areas to be cut away.

  • Step 5

    Iron the fusible web onto the wrong side of your fabric.

  • Step 6

    Trim fabric to same size as fusible web rectangle.

  • How to make a lamp / lampshade. Quatrefoil Drum Shade Pendant Light - Step 7
    Step 7

    Cut out your design to remove all the shaded areas. I also split my design into three sections to make it more manageable.

  • How to make a lamp / lampshade. Quatrefoil Drum Shade Pendant Light - Step 8
    Step 8

    “Dry fit” your design by lining up each section around the drum shade with the fusible web side against the shade. Use clips or clothespins to hold the fabric in place.

  • How to make a lamp / lampshade. Quatrefoil Drum Shade Pendant Light - Step 9
    Step 9

    Starting with one section, peel the paper backing off the fusible webbing and repin the fabric to the shade. Line the fabric up very carefully.

  • How to make a lamp / lampshade. Quatrefoil Drum Shade Pendant Light - Step 10
    Step 10

    Use the mini craft iron on medium heat to fuse the fabric design to the lamp shade. Use light pressure and keep the iron moving to avoid denting or warping the lamp shade.

  • How to make a lamp / lampshade. Quatrefoil Drum Shade Pendant Light - Step 11
    Step 11

    The finished lampshade is beautiful! You would never know it didn’t come this way. The thin cotton fabric fused so smoothly, it looks like part of the fabric on the shade.

  • How to make a lamp / lampshade. Quatrefoil Drum Shade Pendant Light - Step 12
    Step 12

    This lampshade is right at home in our breakfast nook where we eat all of our meals. The green coordinates with the bits of green in the chair back covers. I love the boldness of the light now!

Made this project? Share your version »

Comments

More Projects