HERE’S A SUPER FUN STEP-BY-STEP TUTORIAL ON HOW TO MAKE GOREGEOUS CUSTOM PLEATED LAMPSHADES – THE BEST PART – NO SEWING REQUIRED | YOUTUBE VIDEO COMING THIS WEEKEND
Hi, #sifamily, and so happy you’re here because today I’m sharing how to update your decor on a dime with a DIY custom pleated lampshade! I’ve been keeping my eyes peeled for new bedroom lamps. I found a pair of gold swinging arm lamps with these plain shades for $12! I’m not ready to install them quite yet (I really want to paint my back wall first) but in the meantime, I went ahead and fancied up these lampshades. You can find amazing second-hand shades for only a few dollars. These went from looking very generic to elegant Wait until you see them now!
In today’s post, I’m also sharing –
- Where to find super cheap lampshades
- How to pick the right material
- A 5-cent clamp to glue your fabric perfectly
- And more!
*As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. There are affiliate links in this post to other companies/products I use and love as well. You will never be charged extra when you purchase through these affiliate links. If you purchase from my links – A BIG thank you for supporting me and the #siblog! To see my full disclaimer, click here.
Here are the two lampshades I started with. Nothing fancy. Pretty plain.
THIS POST IS SPONSORED/CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS TO PRODUCTS I USE. YOU CAN SEE MY FULL DISCLOSURE HERE.
YOUTUBE TUTORIAL
I’ll have the full step-by-step YouTube video tutorial published for you this weekend. Our #siyoutubefamily is already a community of 58.8K, so don’t forget to subscribe if you haven’t done so already. You’re the BEST, and I appreciate your support! 🙂
SUPPLIES
Thrift Lamp Shades + Lamps – SALVAGED
Fabric — SALVAGED
Ruler/Straight Edge
Sharpie
Scissors (for cutting material)
Iron (for pressing fabric)
Hot Glue Gun
Binder Clips
WHY DIY YOUR OWN LAMPSHADE?
I was looking for a pleated lampshade on Amazon and Wayfair and found some gorgeous shades but they were costly.- I couldn’t believe the prices!
There are a TON of shades at local thrift stores, and so long as you like the shape, the design can easily be changed with supplies you probably already have at home. (see supply list above) This is a great way to save money and create something custom for your home. All you need is a piece of fabric you love and some hot glue.
The best part – NO sewing required, and this project takes around 30 minutes from start to finish!
PICKING AND CUTTING FABRIC STRIPS
For DIY pleated fabric lampshades, a light or midweight material is the easiest to work with. Nothing super heavy like a thick corduroy or heavy embroidered velvet because that may be hard to iron flat and keep a neat appearance on the shade after gluing. A light or midweight fabric is super easy to work with, so this is the best choice.
I like finding fabric remnants from thrift stores. Often, I can find meters of beautiful quality fabric selling for a few dollars. I bring them home. Wash them up. And they are good as buying off the bolt at a fabric store! For these custom lampshades, I used a fabric I already had on hand – this classic black and gold paisley.
Here’s how I cut the fabric to size:
- Use a straight edge and a Sharpie to mark out 3-inch strips of fabric
- Cut along your Sharpie line
- Cut strips the length of your lampshade and add 2 inches so you have extra fabric to glue
- Fold the fabric over approximately a third of the way and press with an iron
The beauty of this DIY is that it’s VERY forgiving and doesn’t have to be perfect. I just eyeballed my fabric length, and each strip ended up being ‘approximately’ the same size.
HOT GLUEING THE FABRIC ONTO THE SHADE
Gluing the strips on couldn’t be easier. I added a blob of hot glue to the top and bottom of the fabric strip.
Then I wrapped it around the top edge of the lampshade and secured it with a binder clip. Pulled the fabric taut towards the bottom lip and glued the bottom to the underside. I added the binder clips to hold it in place while it dried, and I glued up my next strip. If you have all your fabric cut to size and ironed, this step goes quickly. And I hope you give the binder clip a try. For a few cents, it stopped my fingers from getting hot glue on them and also sped up this project considerably!
I kept working my way around the shade until I only had a small gap of the original lampshade left. Then it was time to finish it off…
FINISHING TOUCHES
For the very last pleat on the shade, I folded BOTH sides over and ironed them flat. This way, when you attach your last pleat, you have two finished-looking sides.
And for the very last detail, I cleaned up all the excess fabric on the inside of the shade.
I’m perfectly okay with a raw edge on the inside but you can always create a band of ribbon or fabric to glue along the interior as well.
STEP-BY-STEP DIY NO SEW PLEATED LAMPSHADE
- Use a straight edge and a Sharpie to mark out 3-inch strips of fabric
- Cut along your Sharpie line
- Cut strips the length of your lampshade and add 2 inches so you have extra fabric to glue
- Fold the fabric over approximately a third of the way and press with an iron
- Add hot glue to the top and bottom of the fabric strip – glue the top and clip with a binder clip
- Pull the fabric to the bottom – glue to the underside and clip with a binder clip
- Work around the entire shade until you have room for one more piece
- This last piece of fabric will have an ironed edge on both sides – glue down
- Cut off all the excess fabric on the inside of the lampshade
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THE BIG REVEAL…
Here’s the finished look! What do you think!?
Here’s a close-up of this classic paisley along with the DIY pleats.
Light on! This is going to give a beautiful glow at night. And do you recognize this table? It’s the old trashed table that I made over with gel stain. I still have it in my hallway, and I’m still loving it!
I had a couple come to my home to buy a piece of my furniture, and she looked at this table in my hallway and proceeded to tell her husband the entire backstory on the table makeover… the dollar store fix and everything!
I was super flattered she was a long-time follower of the #siblog! You can see the full before and after of this trashbound table here.
I also tried the pair of lampshades in my bedroom with my existing lamps. Super cute. It adds pattern and texture, which I love. And when I paint the brick darker (which I’m planning to do soon!) I think they will look great. Especially if I fix up swinging arm lamps and attach them above the nightstands.
For now, I think the shade is a tad too small for these lamps, and I like this fabric better with the brass. Where do you prefer them?
And just for fun, I prompted AI to generate a styling of these lampshades in a darker room setting. Here’s what it generated below.
There’s something funky going on with the brick wall on the right, and it has duplicated the tray. And I wonder if it pulls imaging from Salvaged Inspirations because that’s almost the EXACT headboard I painted in French Linen! What are your thoughts on this room’s vibe?
THANKS FOR STOPPING BY!
Thank you so much for spending time with me today! I hope this no-sew DIY lampshade makeover inspires you to give it a try! I’d love to hear what you think of the DIY lampshade makeover. And if you have a question or want to say hello, I’d love to hear from you in the comments below — you always brighten my day!
Happy painting, sweet friends! 💙
Denise x
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