Just Slip on a New Lamp Shade! {Tutorial}

I have had a bare naked lamp base sitting in my garage getting dusty for AGES.  I don't know why I never threw it away.  I have wanted to recover it, but all of the tutorials on how to recover a lamp shade required big scary clamps and waiting over night, and I am just not that fussy with certain projects.

I am glad I held onto it when I got bright idea a few days ago!

One evening I was getting ready to go on a date with my husband... and I slipped on a skirt.

While slipping on the skirt I envisioned "slipping" a new lampshade onto my bare naked lamp base!

It was almost exciting enough to cancel my date with Mr. Pepper and get to work!  But we still went out, and I had an amazing Mexican meal that night.  What is funny is I didn't even wear the skirt.

BRILLIANT!  I mean truly, could I have thought of anything more smart?

What you will need:

Bare Naked Lamp Shade

Hot glue gun/glue sticks

Sewing machine

Cute fabric

Step 1: Make sure your lamp shade base it naked.

Remove all fabric, ribbon, lining etc.

Step 2: Make a pattern! 

My lamp shade was separated with small metal sticks into 6 equal parts which made it easier.  If you have a single circular lamp shade it may be a bit more tricky.  I simply measured a piece of paper against the shade, and cut the paper to shape until I was satisfied.  I kept my pattern 1/4 inch wider than my measured section on the sides, and 2 inches extra on the top and bottom.

Step 3: Cut out one piece of fabric.

Cut one piece to fit your pattern and measure it against your lamp.

If it seems to work, cut out your remaining pieces.  Because my fabric was a print, I tried to make sure that the top and bottom of my fabric pieces began at roughly the same section of the printed fabric.

Step 4: Sew your pieces together!

This will make your lamp shade that you will slide on soon!

 

Step 5: Slide your lamp shade onto your lamp base!  

This is your chance to measure to make sure it can be pulled tight and smooth.

Mine was a little loose, so I sewed another 1/8 inch on each seam to tighten it up a bit.

The extra length on your shade will be helpful here.

Step 6: Clean it up.

Cut off all hanging threads, and even up your top and bottom. 

Step 7: Glue it!

Start with the top.  I glued mine at each metal intersection first.

After I glued each intersection, I then glued the middle and smoothed it out.

My shade has crossbars where the shade attached to the actual lamp.

I slit the fabric just enough to glue it down smoothly over those bars. (below)

 

Step 8: Repeat on the bottom

After gluing the top, flip your shade upside down and trim up the bottom.

Now glue the bottom!

 

 

Step 9: Light it up!

Bare Naked No More!

Overall this project was so easy!  It makes me happy to see my shade all dressed up. 

And since I change my mind often with decor options, I know I can do it again in the future!

Cheers,