How to Recover a Lamp Shade (for cheap!)

Learn how to recover a lamp shade you don’t like on a budget! It’s so easy and simple! No need to buy a new one.

I wanted to share this quick and easy update with you today. I have been wanting to do this for years. Literally. And I don’t know why it took me so long!

I registered for this purpley-gray lamp shade when we got married almost 5 years ago. And I never liked it. Ever. I don’t really have anything purple in my house and don’t love the color. But it sat in our living room for a couple of years before I banned it to a closet.

I kept thinking I could just cover it in a new fabric, but you know how those little projects just kind of pile up and sit? No, you don’t do that?? It’s just me? Hmm, I need to work on that. {As opposed to half doing projects and then going out and buying supplies to do more projects. Yeah, it’s a sickness.}

I had this lamp sitting on this long table under our gallery wall. LOVED the shade, but not with the lamp base. And it was really too large for the space, in my opinion.

So, when I ran across this pretty glass lamp base at Target the other day, I snatched it up for this table. I didn’t buy a lamp shade because I knew that I had one that was the perfect size at home, just waiting to be recovered!

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Supplies You Will Need to Recover a Lampshade

1. Old lamp shade
2. Piece of fabric that is larger than the lamp shade
3. Chalk
4. Fabric scissors
5. Hot glue sticks
6. Hot glue gun
7. Spray adhesive

How to Recover a Bell Shaped Lamp Shade

1. Choose the New Fabric of Your Choice

You’ll need to have a piece of fabric that is 3-5 inches wider than the height of your lamp shade. If you have a bell lampshade like mine, choose a fabric without a pattern. Otherwise it will be really hard to line it up! If you have a drum shade, it will be easier!

I was excited to finally have a reason to quickly do this project that had been on my list for years. I went through my fabric stash and decided that these two long strips of fabric would work. They were pieces I’d cut off the bottoms of my IKEA curtains in my bedroom. Turning trash into treasure? LOVE it!

2. Outline the Shade on the Fabric

Before you cut anything, outline the shade of the shade on the fabric with chalk, about 1 inch away from the shade. This will help you know you have enough fabric before you start.

Simply roll the shade along on the fabric and trace a line about an inch away from the bottom and top of the shade with chalk. Make sense?

3. Cut the fabric out

Use your fabric scissors to cut the shape you drew on the fabric and get ride of the excess fabric.

4. Glue (or Tape) the Fabric to the Shade

Starting in the middle of the fabric, start glueing the top and bottom of the fabric over the edge of the lamp shade. I used tape in my project, but I wanted it to be a temporary solution. But, if you know you want a more permanent solution, use hot glue or fabric glue.

It also would be helpful to spray the shade or fabric with spray adhesive before you start! This would keep the fabric in place while you glue down the edges.

Keep folding the edges of the fabric over the lamp shade and glue (or tape) as you go!

5. Finish the Back with Glue.

Hopefully your fabric will cover the whole shade, unlike mine. Finish the back side seam by folding over the raw edge and glueing the edge with hot glue. Feel free to glue a ribbon over it, if it looks messy.

Once everything was taped down, I was pleased to find that I only needed a small triangle on the back to completely cover the lamp shade. So, I just cut a piece, taped it down and done! I kept that side turned to the wall anyway, so it didn’t matter.

6. Embellish the Lamp Shade {optional}

Now, you can embellish it if you’d like! Use ribbon or other craft supplies to make it your own.

I found these two leather flowers in my crafts stash and pulled out some faux leaves to finish the look.

Guess what I used to stick them on to the shade? You guessed it … tape, again! LOVE that stuff.

If I ever get sick of the look, I can just take the fabric off and sell the shade. Or recover it with something else.

And I know you may not have your own leftover curtain fabric or leather flowers. But I bet you have something that you can use to pretty up your house.

I’d love to hear your best trash to treasure stories.

Or the most creative way to use leftover fabric? Do tell!!

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