How to Customize a Lampshade Cover

Have you ever wished your lampshades were something other than that boring beige? Always wanted designer shades, but don't want to spend that kind of money. You can stop wishing and make them change overnight by following the instructions in this article.

Materials Needed - To Customize A Lampshade Cover

· Enough material to cover the shade from top to bottom (the best way to determine how much fabric is to measure the circumference of the widest part of your shade). Most shades take less than a yard of fabric.

· Fabric glue or glue gun and glue sticks.

· Trim for bottom and top (measure circumference of both to determine how much is needed). You can purchase special trims for this or you can use bias tape.

· Masking or painters tape.

Tips - To Customize A Lampshade Cover

· Use a fabric that has some translucency to it (you can see light through it).

· Place your shade on the lamp harp, on the lamp, while you work. This makes working with it easier, because the shade is completely free of restrictions.

· Work slowly and think through each step to ensure you don't make mistakes in pinning, cutting or gluing. Some mistakes are irreversible.

· If you are using bias tape for your trim, you should open the tape and overlap front to back along your edges to give a neat finish. This will require gluing both sides.

· Watch for glue drips. They are easier to remove when they are wet than when they dry.

Instructions - To Customize A Lampshade Cover

· Remove the old fabric from the shade by first removing the trim tape at the top and bottom. Do this slowly and gently so you do not damage the foundation material of the shade or bend the wire shapers at the top and bottom.

· Wrap the new fabric around the shade, good side to the inside (wrong side of fabric toward you).

· Pin the fabric together so that it fits close to the shade foundation. This should be a precise pinning, because this will be your seam line.

· Cut off any excess fabric at the top and bottom of the shade.

· Gently remove fabric and sew along seam (pin) line. This can be done by hand or machine.

· Trim off any excess fabric from the outside of the seam. Seam should be no more than ¼" wide.

· Press the seam open, so that it lays flat.

· Turn fabric right side out and place over shade foundation. (Be sure to place new seam over any existing seam in the shade foundation. This makes for a neater look.)

· Secure new fabric in place with a dab of fabric glue or hot glue. Unless the fabric droops or slides down from the top edge, there should be no need to glue it the entire edge.

· Measure and cut your trim by first placing the start edge at the top edge seam and taping it in place.

· Wrap the trim around the entire top edge, until you return to your starting point.

· Precisely cut the trim, leaving about ¼" of overlap.

· Repeat this trim measuring process for the bottom edge trim.

· Remove the tape and trim from the shade.

· Apply a dab of glue at the seam where you will begin the bottom trim and apply the trim.

· Apply glue and trim all the way around the shade. (If you measured properly, the trim will end where it began with a small overlap.

· Repeat this trim application process for the top trim.

Voila! Custom lampshade.