Some lamps will have one-piece frames and some will have a set of two rings: a washer top and a bottom wire ring, generally. If you’re unhappy with what you have at your disposal, new lampshade wire rings are available at some craft supply stores. This project will be constructing a drum shade–the fancy name for a circular shade. These are generally made up of two separate rings.
Fabric Styrene Wire rings Bulldog clips Fabric glue Bias tape Scissors Paintbrushes
Your fabric needs to be at the very least one inch (2. 5 cm) wider and longer than the width and circumference of your lampshade. You can either measure the circumference with a measuring tape or use the ‘ol handy 3. 14 x diameter trick. For example, if the diameter of your lampshade is 14 inches, 3. 14 x 14 = 43. 96, the circumference of your lampshade. So, you should be working with material that’s at least 45 inches long. You can choose how far apart you want your rings to be to determine the width . A little more than a foot (31 cm) is standard.
The styrene should be 1 inch (2. 5 cm) narrower and 1/2 inch (1. 25 cm) shorter than your fabric. Styrene doesn’t stick well to synthetic fibers – use linen, cotton or silk for your fabric.
Bias tape comes in different colors and patterns; you can even make your own. Use quick-drying fabric glue and apply to the rings, not the tape. When you come to the end, just cut it off and adhere.
Leave 1/2 inch (1. 25 cm) of extra material on 3 sides–both long sides and one short side. Make sure the 4th side is flush to the styrene.
Put weights in the center on the inside and let dry for 10 minutes. After the 10 minutes are up, roll it along your table to see that it stays in a tube-like shape.
Use 4 or 5 clips on each side. Rest the weight of the lamp shade on the rings clipped on the bottom.
Repeat these two steps for both ends. Take 15 minutes between the top and bottom to allow for drying.
Wire frame Fabric Scissors Needle and thread Seam tape Glue Muslin Lining (optional) Trim (optional)
All paneled shades use frames, not rings. A paneled shade can be triangular, rectangular, square, hexagonal, or bell shaped. This tutorial can be used for any of these shapes.
Use a hot glue gun and place a drop of glue at the beginning of your tape and one at the end to attach. Repeat this process for each spoke.
Use chalk or a marking pen to trace the spokes that form the panel shape onto the muslin. [4] X Research source Take pins to the frame to keep it tight.
If you are also using a lining, cut that out, too, to the same shape and size. If your fabric is heavy enough, you may forgo the lining altogether. [4] X Research source
Do this for the lining, too, if you’re using one.
If you’re not so sure whether you want to fuss with a lining or not, hold your material up to the light. If the right amount of light already passes through it, don’t worry about it.
This can be done with a bit of hot glue in a matter of minutes, so why not?
This is necessary to find out how long and wide your strips of fabric need to be and the amount that will cover your entire shade.
Add one extra inch for the seam allowance. This is needed to wrap around the wire frame. [6] X Research source If your lamp is 20" (51 cm) around, make sure you have fabric that, in total, amounts to at least 22" (56 cm) wide. You need adequate overlap to keep the wire frame from showing. Of course, greater overlap than that is always safe, too. If each strip of fabric is 2" (5 cm) across, have at least 11 strips of fabric ready.
The edges will only be seen from the inside of your lamp. If you’re pressed for time or simply can’t be bothered, a simple trim is fine.
If you use a hot glue gun and glue the material to the wire, you will not be able to gather the fabric when it’s finished. If you use a staple gun, it’s a good idea to add decorative trim around the top and bottom to obscure those tiny metallic lines from view.
Beads, tassles, or extra ribbon can be added onto the top and bottom of your shade to hide any less-than-perfect areas or simply to add more flair.
