Pleat, Glue, Repeat: Easy Lampshade Makeover
I have a sentimental Ralph Lauren lamp that’s been with my girls through college moves and memories. Now, its worn shade needed a refresh. Since finding a replacement proved tricky, I decided to DIY a pleated lampshade. It’s the perfect chance to breathe new life into this super cute piece.
Materials and Preparation
I gathered my supplies: lampshade, fabric, scissors, cutting mat, hot glue gun, iron, and ironing board. (I originally thought I would use Tacky Glue for this project, but decided against it and used my hot glue gun instead. That was definitely a good call!)
1. Measured fabric width, allowing 2 extra inches on each side
2. Cut and ironed fabric smooth
Pleating Process
1. Used ironing board to create and press equal-distance pleats
2.Arranged pleated fabric on the shade
3. Applied thin stream of hot glue along top edge of shade
4. Pressed fabric down, ensuring smooth and straight pleats
5. Repeated for bottom edge
6. For 4-sided shade, cut fabric at edges with just a little extra for overlap with the next side of pleats.
Attaching and Finishing
1. Glued pleated fabric to all four sides
2. Trimmed excess fabric from top and bottom
Created cording for edges:
1. Cut 2-inch wide fabric strip
2. Folded sides in to make ¾-inch wide strip
3. Iron flat
4. I finished off the the raw edges by folding the cording over just enough and hot glued the trim along top and bottom edges of shade. This completed the project with a finished look. (You could also purchase a ribbon or contrasting cording and do the same thing.)
5. Project complete!
There is something so satisfying about taking an outdated item like this old shade and giving it new life. This was an easy project but definitely took me longer than I anticipated but I will be making more of these as I love the end result! (One thing I know for sure, I will be replacing this cruddy ironing board cover after looking at all these images!!)
A few hot tips I learned along the way . . .
Use hot glue sparingly and at the very edge to avoid showing through thin fabrics.
The hot glue can get bulky, so apply carefully.
Take your time and press fabric firmly as you apply the glue to shade.
What do you think? Are you willing to try this diy? If you do, please share them with me!
