1.20.2012

Another Upcycled Lampshade


I’ve been dreaming about lampshades lately.  I have a stack of thrift shop shades sitting in my craft room just waiting to be upcycled to a new life.  This one is made from the hem of a thrift shop sundress.  The moment I spotted it, with the cute embroidered hem, I knew it would have to take on a new life as a lampshade.  I was so excited to get started that I forgot to take a picture of the dress.  Oops! 

• First I stripped off the fabric on the old shade.  The lining on this one was in good condition, so I left it intact. 
• I cut the hem of the dress to fit the bottom of the flared shade, then stitched it into a tube.
• Next I stretched some elastic across the top edge and stitched it on.  You could also use a gathering stitch to do this part.
• I glued the top edge to the top of the frame of the shade.
• I was going to sew the ribbon trim on to the very top but decided to place it a little below the top for a cute look and it also gave it a little more stability.

I love my new upcycled lampshade!