Linen Wrapped Lampshade with Matching Trim

When we registered for our wedding, we tried to be careful to register for items that weren't too trendy, so we could hang onto them for a long time.  The two matching lamps in our family room were such items, and I still love them!  However, because of the dog and our children, one of the lampshades was broken.  We used it broken for several months, but it was really starting to bother me.  Crooked lampshades are eye sores.  So, I looked at Goodwill every chance I got, but never found anything I liked.  Plus, having two lamps,  I needed matching shades to complete the look I was going for.

I finally decided to purchase plain white shades from Target because they were the style and size I wanted.  I knew they wouldn't stay that way, but it's taken me awhile to get around to sprucing them up.  Yesterday I finally tackled one of them and I love how it turned out!

Months ago I came across a tutorial for a lamp on Stephanie Lynn's blog, Under the Table and Dreaming.  I love the lamp she made and what caught my eye was the method for making trim for the lamp.  So, following her tutorial for the shade, here's how to do it.

Cut the fabric to size of the shade, with a little extra for mistakes. (I didn't realize that these were tapered drum shades until I got to this part.  It would have been much easier if they weren't tapered.  Oh well!).

{sorry no picture here, but I think you get the point}

Attach the fabric with adhesive spray, smoothing out the fabric as you go.

Use hot glue to create the seam of the fabric, folding the fabric over to give it a crisp look.

Here's where the genius part (in my opinion) comes in.  Use 5/8-inch stitch witchery to make the trim!  If you've never worked with this before it is wonderful and easy to use.  It fuses fabric together and is great for hems and other projects that you may not want to sew.  In fact, I used it for my linen drapes.

So, wrap the stitch witchery around the top and bottom of the shades to measure for length.  Then, cut a strip of fabric this long, and about 1 1/4 inches wide.  Place the stitch witchery in the center of the fabric strip, and then follow the manufacturer's directions to fuse.

Repeat this for both trims and then attach with hot glue around the edges of the shade.

Now, you have matching trim that for your lampshade that gives it a finished tailored look.

The fabric I used was a 1 3/4-yard linen remnant that I picked up for $1.75.

Don't forget to use always look for remnant fabrics when you're fabric shopping!  You never know what you might find!

$6 Knock off Pottery Barn Chandelier

Shopping at thrift stores is becoming a habit of mine, and I'm finding that in order to find something I can use, I need to do it on a regular basis.  During my last shopping trip to Goodwill, I found six small lamp shades, perfect for my dining room light fixture!  I mentioned in a previous post, which you can find here, that I was looking at several different options to change these shades up to fit the room.  The burlap shades won, so here is my new knock-off chandelier:

And, the inspiration:

source

Here's how I did it:

Supplies:
burlap
adhesive spray
burlap trim
hot glue gun and glue sticks
scissors

First, I cut the burlap in a curved shape, following the shape of the shade.  Because of the slant of the shade, this made the application much easier than simply cutting in a straight line.

Then, starting at the original seam, I sprayed a bit of adhesive spray and then placed the burlap on top, smoothing out the fabric.

I continued spraying, placing and smoothing, until I reached the starting point.

I then cut the excess fabric off right at the top and bottom edges of the shade, so that my trim would lie exactly on the edges. 

Next, I folded over the burlap (to hide the cut edge) and using my hot glue gun, placed a thin line of hot glue to hold the end in place.

Using the hot glue gun again, I attached the burlap trim around the top and bottom edges, pressing down after each application so that the trim would be straight.

I allowed it to dry for a few hours before attaching the shades to the bulbs.

The look is perfect for what I wanted and I'm thrilled that I now have a 'new' chandelier for only $6!

I'll be linking this up to these parties this week:

Between Naps on the Porch
Southern Hospitality
Home Stories A to Z

The burlap, trim, glue, and adhesive spray I already had on hand, so my only cost at this time was $6 for the shades.