Unfortunately, when we have owned our table lamps for a number of years they can begin to look a little old and out dated. If you have completed a renovation or moved house, they may not match your new décor. Don’t throw out your old lamp shade – give it a makeover!
Antique Wire
If you have always wanted an antique-looking table lamp, you can easily make one yourself with some wire. Get some dowels to act as bending rods and shape some think-gauge wire into whatever style frame takes your fancy – birdcage and lantern shapes are very popular and highly attractive. But don’t be afraid to experiment with different shapes and angles. Use the thick wire to build the basic shape of your table lamp shade, then fill in the gaps with thinner wire for parallel lines and cross bars. This will create an interesting effect when the light is switched on.
Fabric
Simply by recovering your existing table lamp shade with some new fabric, you can achieve a whole different look that immediately fits in with your décor. The first way to do this is to choose some new fabric, cut it out so that it is slightly longer and slightly wider then what you will need, and glue it to your old lamp shade. Ensure that you only glue on the inside edges of the shade, as this will help to prevent bubbling and wrinkling. The second way that you can recover your table lamp is to cut off the existing fabric and preserve the wire frame it was attached to. Then, cut out some sturdy rice paper in the desired width you would like your lamp to be and glue it to the frame. Next, cut out some fabric that is slightly longer and slightly wider than what you will need, and glue it to the rice paper.
Paint
If you are making a new table lamp shade for a children’s room or you yourself are a bit arty, you can always paint the existing shade to give it a new breath of life. To begin with, you will need to mix any acrylic paints that you plan on using with a little water so that they aren’t as thick. Cover the entire lamp shade in a coating of white paint and allow it to dry completely. Then, stencil on a pattern that you are going to paint with a light pencil. An alternative to this is to use a sponge to dab on paint for a cloudy effect, or even to let drips run from the top of the shade to the bottom.
For whatever reason, you may find yourself at a loss of what to do with your old table lamp and looking for something new to replace it. You don’t have to throw out your old table lamps, however, when you can simply make them a new shade.
The Author:
This information is shared by Anne Mehla
Photo. Michael Schwarzenberger
Source: Ab