If you have, or have found a lamp with a gorgeous base, but a rotting or just plain bad-taste shade, you can re-cover the shade quite easily. We know that those of you reading this blog are antique nuts  (it takes one to know one!), and if, like us, you are a perfectionist when it comes to your antiques and furniture, this easy technique should come in handy! You can also match or coordinate your lamp shade with your other upholstery – curtains, tablecloths, cushions, etc with this guide.

You’ll need a fabric pencil, paper backed fusible webbing (iron-on backing) and fabric, all available from material or craft shops. You’ll need an iron (if you do ironing as frequently as me, you may need to buy one!), as well as scissors or a utility knife, and the lamp shade.

To start with, check out your lamp shade to find the easiest way to remove the old fabric without damaging the wire or bending anything. Carefully cut the old fabric off – if you’re lucky enough to remove it intact in one piece, you’ll be able to use it as a template to cut out your new fabric. Cut off all the leftover scraps of fabric for a professional look, and use a bit of turpentine on a cotton ball to remove any lumps of glue.

Put your fabric on the floor or a large table print side down. If you can easily take the shade off the lamp, do it – otherwise this can be a two-person job. You need to pop the lampshade on its side on top of the material and roll it along, tracing its edges with the fabric pencil as you go. (You can see, if the base is still attached, you’ll need an arm or hand for the fabric pencil, an arm for the shade and an arm for the base…). Add an inch (2.5 centimetres) to your outline, that you can fold around the shade and stick the iron-on backing to. Also, if you have a square lamp shade, add some small extra v’s of fabric at the corners so that the wire doesn’t stress the material at that point.

Then use the iron-on backing to stick the fabric inside the shade to the outside. The easiest way to do this is to fasten the sides or edges first, then do the top and bottom of the shade. Again, ten times easier if you have managed to remove the base from the shade! Trim away any excess (hopefully you have some – better safe than sorry!), plug her in and away you go.

Photo credits: Lamp Shades by Jane Schott

          

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