My $0.89 Lamp Shade Makeover!

I am so excited to share my latest home project today!  For a measly $0.89 (yes, 89 CENTS) I was able to make over the old, stained lamp in the living room.

Now I really wish my camera didn't exaggerate the yellow tones, but in real life this lamp gives of a soft, peachy-pink glow.  I first posted about this a couple weeks ago in a long list of projects to do for the new house.  I actually love this lamp, it's been around for longer than I can remember and the base is a simple classic design.  But the large shade is drab, has a big stain on it, and was in major need of a makeover.

Seriously, where did that stain come from??

So what did I spend 89 whole cents on?  A single roll of crepe paper streamers:

Yep, that's it!  I had the other materials (tape and scissors) on hand.  I was inspired by all the crepe paper fringe projects that have been posted lately over on Oh Happy Day!.  I've loved them all but never had any solid ideas about how I could apply the technique to my own projects.  But then it struck me - the lamp!  At first I had planned to cover the shade in fabric, but I thought this would be a little more unique.  Plus, the lamp is not in a high traffic area so I felt safe to use a more delicate material like paper instead of something more durable like fabric.  I chose a soft pink color which would be subtle, pretty, but not overtly girly.

See the full how-to after the jump.  And if you like this project, I'm always posting more fun ideas so please Like my Facebook page and follow this blog to stay in touch!


For the project you will need:

• One roll crepe paper streamers
• Double stick tape
• Scissors

First cut fringe into one side of the streamer.  I did this by folding long strips into layers and cutting through all the layers at once.  Cut only to about 1/2in from the other side so that the fringe stays together.

Starting at the seam of the shade (what would be the "back") apply a long piece of double stick tape from top to bottom and attach a strip of your cut fringe to the tape, clipping the fringe where it meets the bottom of the shade.  Then repeat by applying another strip of tape directly behind the fringe (the green stripe above shows the placement clearly) and attach another piece of fringe.  Work your way around the shade by repeating this process.

Once you get to the end, take care to place the final piece of fringe underneath the first one.  I did this by holding back sections of the fringe as shown above, and taping the last strip of fringe underneath a couple inches at a time.  This can be a little tricky, but since it's the "back" of the shade, it doesn't have to be perfect.  You just don't want any of the original shade underneath to show through.

Lastly we have to add the trim along the top and bottom of the shade to create a finished look.  Start by taking a strip of streamer that is a few inches longer than the circumference of the bottom of the shade.  Fold the streamer lengthwise in a tri-fold as shown above to create your trim.  The finished trim should be about 5/8in. wide.  The folded edges look more finished then if you were to just cut the streamer down to size.

Line the bottom of the shade with double stick tape, in the placement shown by the green stripe above.  Starting at the back seam (I turned the light on so it's easier to see in the photo) apply your folded trim, seam side down.  Continue all the way around the shade, making sure that the edge of the trim lines up neatly with the bottom edge of the lamp.

Once you reach the end, clip the trim down so that it overlaps itself by about an inch.  Fold the end under and using a small piece of double stick tape, tape the end down.  Repeat this process for the top of the lamp as well and voila!  You have a pretty new lamp that cost under a buck!

Again, doesn't actually glow bright yellow like that.  There are so many ways to personalize this!  You could create horizontal rows instead of vertical, use any color you like, use more than one color to create stripes or patterns, use various shades of the same color to create an dip-dyed effect, the list goes on.  If you create a project like this please share the results with me by emailing me at sytpaper {at} gmail {dot} com.  I always LOVE to see how others have interpreted a project for themselves.