How To Make Light Shades
Instead of searching for the perfect light shades for your lamps, light shades can be easily made at home. With very few materials, you can design a shade that is a perfect match for the design and style of your home and once you learn the steps to making your own light shades you can always change them if your tastes change.
The first step in making your own light shade is to choose the perfect lamp. You can go into any home store and find dozens of lighting options but local lighting shops provide the most diversity. Home stores will have mostly contemporary and modern lamps while local lighting shops will have a more diverse collection and the option of choosing antique lamps. After you find the perfect lamp you will need to choose the right fabric. Fabric stores offer hundreds of fabrics, from cotton to silk to lace, and most fabrics are fairly inexpensive. Make sure that the fabric that you choose will fit in well with the décor of your home so your lamp does not seem out of sync with the rest of your home. After you choose your fabric you will need a few other materials.
You will need adhesive spray to fasten your fabric to your light shade and sturdy paper on which to glue it. You will also need scissors to cut your fabric and a soft tape measurer to measure out your fabric. You should begin by using any kind of paper, although butcher paper works best, to outline the lamp for you fabric. By placing the lamp on its side, you can wrap the paper around it, outline the shape, and use that as a guide to cut out your fabric. You should have an extra 1” at both the top and bottom of the outline and fabric to give yourself some room. With the lamp still on its side, coat the opposite side of the fabric with spray adhesive and begin applying the fabric at the top seam of the paper on the light shade. Working slowly, ensure that you apply the fabric smoothly so it won’t curl or have bubbles underneath it. You should have at least an extra 1” of fabric at the bottom of the shade so you can fold it underneath the shade. Allow the light shade to dry for at least an hour before you move it.
In addition to solid fabric, you can choose fabric with patterns to give your light shades more of a personality. Fabrics can also be dyed and painted to create a custom shade. A popular design for light shades is to actually write words on them — lines of poetry and song lyrics are popular word choices. You can use paint, markers, or even charcoal to transfer words onto a light shade. You can also put cut outs in your fabric or add decorative trim, such as fringes and beads. A quick visit to your local craft store will provide plenty of inspiration.
No related posts.
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.