What You'll Need
- Your chosen fabric - we covered a 12inch coolie shade with half a metre of fabric
- An old plain lampshade
- A piece of string
- A pencil
- Old newspaper or scrap paper big enough for a template
- Spray Adhesive
- Masking Tape
- Pins (Optional)
- Fire retardant fabric spray (Optional)
Make a Marker
- To ensure the fabric fits the shape of the shade, you will need to begin by drawing a template around the shade and cutting this out. Always use the newspaper or other scrap paper for this, in case you make a mistake and need to re-do it, before you cut out the fabric.
- Using the piece of string, tie a marker around the shade from top to bottom and then draw around it starting from the string along until you reach it again.
Template
- Mark the edges so you have a shape – either a curved shape if using a coolie shade like we have or a rectangle if using a drum shade.
- Cut out this shape, adding 1cm to each side for the edges.
Position into Place
- With your chosen fabric face up, place the template on top and position into place, bearing in mind which part of the fabric you want to show, for example if you have a pattern, which section do you want on the shade.
- When you are happy with the position, cut out the shape. We found it easier to pin the paper template into place first so it didn’t move when we began cutting it out.
- Next, wrap the fabric around the shade to check that it fits, making sure there is enough to overlap the edges.
Secure the Fabric
- When you are happy that the fabric will fit and is in the right position, lightly masking tape it into place in a few areas, paying particular attention to the seam, which should be folded over to make a neat join.
- Peel back a section of the fabric and lightly spray the shade with the spray adhesive, making sure you follow the manufacturer’s instructions and always in a well ventilated area.
- Press down firmly into position.
- Repeat these steps until the fabric is secure.
- Next you need to lightly spray the edges and curl the 1cm edge over the top and bottom of the frame for a neat finish.
Fire Retardancy
- If the shade needs to adhere to fire safety regulations, then it is simple to make this shade fire retardant – using a scrap of the leftover fabric, spray lightly with the fire retardant fabric spray and leave to dry. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions and only spray in a well ventilated area. If you are happy with how it looks, then spray the new shade, using newspaper or scrap paper to cover any other surfaces, and leave to dry.
Admire Your Work
Now, sit back and admire your newly refreshed shade!
For our lampshade we used a clearance remnant but any of our fabrics would be fab for this easy technique.
