Ribbon Lampshades (Because Lighting Should Never Be Dull!)
by
Anita K
4 Materials
I just love back-to-school season - all those bargains for my home! I purchased this lamp at Target for my little studio/reading room. I saw similar ones at Christmas Tree Shops & That! as well. Boring little lamp - needs some interest. I gathered ribbon in colors that coordinate with my color scheme in the room (orange and green), and my Elmer's hot glue gun, and set to work!
Apply a tiny bit of hot glue as close as possible to the rim of the lampshade and glue the ribbon ends to it. Consider that once the finished product is revealed, you do not want the glue to be seen when the lamp is on!
Holding the ribbon with one hand, spool the rolls of ribbon in a diagonal pattern and evenly spaced, through the lampshade. I chose to have my lamp on as I did this - for illustrative purposes. I also left the shade on the lamp, to keep the shade steady as I worked. You may prefer lights-off and to remove your shade to work.
When you reach the spot where you started, cut the ribbon ends neatly with a sharp pair of scissors, and use the tiniest dab of hot glue to the rim of the shade - press the ribbon ends to the hot glue with the tip of your scissors, to avoid burning your fingers.
I chose to add another ribbon to add more color to my little lamp....here is the finished product. With the lamp "on", the zig-zag pattern is illuminated.
When unlit, the lamp has the diagonal pattern. Much more interesting than the plain lampshade and super-cheap! If you ever want to change the ribbons to match another color scheme, they can be gently pulled off and new colored ribbons can be added.
Comments
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3 of 10 comments
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How fun would this be to create a lamp for a nursery using pastel colors. Such a creative idea using ribbon.
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I wanted to update my beige outdoor lamp to match my colorful cushions. Wasn't able to add fabric because it would probably mold unless it was outdoor fabric. This is so much better! Thank you!
Frequently asked questions
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Beautiful- one question, if you tried this with wired ribbon, do the wires(especially on the inside) heat up? What is the wattage of the bulb inside the lamp?