How To Make A Shabby Chic Lampshade and Distressed Lamp Base

by Claire - Heart Handmadeuk

9 Materials

Medium

Have you been wanting to upcycle an old lampshade and put it off for so long that you’re actually ashamed?! I am

how to make a shabby chic lampshade and distressed lamp base, how to, lighting, shabby chic

First I looked at my supplies....

**Paint on the dark wax (I used decoart wax, it’s more like a cream)

**Then paint a few layers of white

I sanded once the white was dry as I find it’s easier to achieve the distressed look, as it gets through the layers of paint and not the bottom coat of cream wax. (Personal opinion)

**Time for another coat of brown wax! For the top layer of brown wax, I used **Annie Sloan soft wax. The drying time for this wax is 24 hours.

Then it’s time for clear wax. You can see in the image that it removes some of the brown wax. Another 24 hour wait.

The clear wax creates a really nice effect after you have rubbed some of the darkest parts of the wax off and let it settle in the nooks and crannies of the base.

**This template is essential! To make my template I took a piece of regular ruled paper and wrapped it around the shape formed that is formed by one of the sections of the lampshade. Press down/wrap the paper around the shape (to create creases in the paper).

**You can then just mark out the shape with a pen. I added a cm on out the outside and cut loosely around the template on paper.

I then added another cm around the template I had cut, when cutting the fabric.

**Use sewing pins to attach the template to the fabric.

**I had to cut 8 sections for my particular lampshade.

**Get your piece of fabric and ensure that it lines up with the lamp base wires.

**Use your super tacky glue and be very generous on the wire pieces of the lampshade frame.

**Wrap your fabric around the wire, over the top and underneath. (You will find that some of your fabric needs trimmed, which is fine. Just trim it at the top.).

Go all the way around until you’ve completed your shade! You can trim around the fabric shapes if you need to, it might help lining up items that have already been glued. I chose the tulle fabric because it is more forgiving with the tacky glue. Lining up fabric patterns would be a nightmare. I don’t have time for that. Well, I do but I’m impatient. After all the drying time with the base! Are you kidding me?!

This process took a little while as I allowed the glue to dry naturally. I could have used a hair dryer or heat gun to speed things up.

TA DAAAAAAAAAAH! It’s finished. It was a moderate DIY project. A lot of steps and drying time. Of course, you can just make the lampshade on it’s own.

Enjoyed the project?

You can do it! Saved to your projects

Lamp Shade (Parents House)
Lamp Base (NeedCraft.co.uk)
Dark Cream Wax (AmericanCrafts)
Dark wax (Annie Sloan)
Cream Wax (Annie Sloan)
Blue Rose Tulle Fabric (Ebay)
Super Tacky Fabric Glue
Chalk Paint (Annie Sloan)
Paint Brush

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1 question

Diana on May 14, 2018

How did you attach sides of the fabric when the wire is already wrapped by the previous section of fabric?
Diana

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2 of 13 comments

Jackie Fleming on Apr 22, 2016
anything you want i just love looking at all these great tips and putting them in pinterest

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Dee Mathena on Jun 09, 2017

Positively beautiful.

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