Creative Ways to Decorate Paper Lampshades for the Bedroom

Lampshades are made of various materials for practical as well as decorative purposes. Those that do not allow light to penetrate are solely directional. The shades allow illumination according to the direction of the shade. Paper shades are usually somewhat translucent, and they allow light to filter into the room rather than just above or below. Others are more decorative than useful, and the illumination is centered around the shade. Shades can be practical as well as stylish, especially paper varieties.

I had paper lampshades on jar lamps in my bedroom, and they were far too plain. They allowed light to filter through, but they did nothing to enhance the style of the bedroom. I enjoy decorating and crafting, and I knew that I could find new ways to decorate my ordinary paper lampshades. I thought of a few creative and easy ways to decorate my bedroom lampshades, and I decorated a pair for my daughter as well.

Decorate Paper Shades with Sturdy Punches

Decorative punches are good for more than just creating greeting cards and confetti. Sharp sturdy punches can be used to decorate paper lampshades. The resulting look is similar to punched metal tins and candleholders. The light shines through the holes and beautifully illuminates the designs.

I chose to decorate my pair of paper shades using heart shaped punches. I purchased punches of two different sizes. Before attempting to punch the designs, I measured and marked the top and bottom of the shades with a pencil. I carefully centered each dot before punching out the designs, and I alternated large and small hearts until going all of the way around the lampshades.

My bedroom lampshades turned out better than I expected, and they coordinated beautifully with the heart shaped pillows on my bed. The punched designs shone brilliantly when the lights were off, and I was very happy with the results. I have never found punched heart lampshades in stores, and I loved my unique bedroom decor. My next project was my daughter's bedroom shades.

Thread Punched Paper Lampshades with Ribbon

My daughter wanted something different for her bedroom. She loves pink and purple, and she wanted to decorate her paper lampshades with girly girl style. I used a sturdy circular punch to create perfect holes around the top and bottom rims of her paper lampshades. I threaded pink and purple satin ribbon in and out to create crisscross designs. She loved her new lampshades, and they coordinated beautifully with her pink and purple bedroom.

Decorate your bedroom lampshades made of paper using my ideas, or come up with some of your own. Wallpaper cutouts, glow in the dark stickers, flat buttons and even flat glass marbles can be used to decorate paper shades to create something eye catching and truly unique. Practice on heavy scrap material before attempting to decorate your paper lampshades in creative new ways.

Source: Personal and Professional Home Decorating, Design and Crafting Experience