i am a dork in that i forgot to take a before picture of my thrift store lamp.
but i wasn’t planning on a tutorial.
this was a shiny brass lamp from the thrift store.
i spray painted it pink.
when you spray paint things primer is always good but i don’t ALWAYS use it.
or you can buy spray paint now with primer IN it.
genius invention….if you have the option you should use it.
i have never used this kind of lampshade to recover.
USUALLY i use one that is just wire covered in some thin fabric that i ripped off.
this one is covered in a plastic-y hard paper.
i figured it would work…i will try it.
if not…it was $5 so it’s no big deal if i fail.
first i lay out the fabric and see how much i will need.
i wrap it all the way around to make sure i have enough fabric going the correct way of the fabric’s pattern.
sometimes if the shade is really big you have to go the wrong direction of the fabric pattern.
this lampshade was just the right size.
then i use my cutting mat and rotary cutter for a super straight cut.
you can also just use scissors.
i line it up straight on my mat and line up my ruler at the top and the bottom.
then i use my gypsy gripper on my ruler to push down and hold my ruler tight.
i LOVE this thing.
it makes cutting so easy.
i warm up my high temp glue gun.
and i iron my fabric.
then i start on the white selvage end of my fabric and i just start hot gluing the edge with about an inch onto the inside of the lampshade.
and you just keep gluing and pulling it flat and gluing again.
then you turn it over and start on the bottom end.
i start in the same place….the white selvage side on my fabric
(that is the place with the words printed on the edge of almost all fabric)
then when i am finished gluing, i snip off all the extra fabric from the glued edges.
i clean it up as best i can.
for the end when it’s wrapped all the way around i fold the fabric over and glue it down from top to bottom.
and that’s it.
it’s not perfect….but it’s cute and customized to the exact look i want!
the lamp was $5 and the fabric is $10 a yard…and i used a half yard.
so for $10 each….i have two kind of matching lamps.
i made the other one a few months ago.
and now i have a set….not exactly the same but close.
🙂
yay for thrifting!!
visit this link - Can’t imagine how ten bucks create this awesome decoration.
Michelle - Meg, you have such an eye for this stuff! LOVE the fabric and that pink, what color spray paint did you use?
christine ishmael - Love the end result…who cares if they match…LOVE that fabric!
Cindy - WOW WOW WOW!!!
Lindi - Lamp and shade look fabulous!
Stephanie O. - You turned it into such a sweet lamp…Thanks for sharing…
Melanie - Gorgeous!!! Love that fabric.
Ashlyn@Pinecone - Love the fabric soooo much. I heart all crafts involving glue guns – taking out that sewing machine is just too much work ; )
I need some cheap lamps to redo for our bedroom – you may have motivated me!
Jodi - Absolutely fantastic!! I love everything! I am so excited about a Craft weekend!
rachel - love love! i have a lamp waiting for a make-over. 🙂
Valerie @ Chateau a La Mode - Yay for your blog and super cute ideas!
Martha - I love it! I see brass lamps at thrift stores all the time. You make it seem pretty easy to transform those old ugly things into something amazing!
stephany - I absolutely LOVE the lamps!!
I might have to give this a try for our bedroom.
Penny - Ha! I do the same thing. I know I will end with something great! 🙂
Jessica - What do you with the cut edge of the fabric once you work all the way around? How do you give it nice seam?
lindsey - Wow! Love it! I just bought a lamp shade a garage sale to do the same thing. I was so inspired by the others that you have in the craft house! I can’t wait to get it done!
Lindsey@ Piecefully Home - so pretty! I’ve made over several goodwill lamps, it’s hard for me now to actually purchase a new lamp! those older lamps have such a pretty shape they just need a little “lipstick” to make them fresh again.
great job!
Terrie G - so cute..I need a gypsy gripper!
Toni :O) - Totally COOL!!! You rock cause it’s hard to find an awesome and colorful lamp of exactly what you want for $10! Go YOU!
karen gerstenberger - THANK YOU for this! I have a lamp with an old shade, and bought the fabric to change it, but could not decide what to do with it. You just showed me! Meg, thank you.
Barbara - Just so darling what a great color you have such a great eye for it.
TamiV - ADORABLE!!!
Kati - Love it! It is super cute!
Michele - Love! And I NEED those curtains- with the pink dots. Where did you get them or the fabric?
Shelly Reil - Very cute! I customize my own lampshades as well. But I basically sew a tube and hem the top and bottom. Then I can slip it on and off when I want to change it out, because I am constantly changing things up, that’s how I roll. And if I rip the seams out carefully, I can reuse the fabric on something else… Love being thrifty and reusing what I have!
April R - yay indeed 🙂
Jocelyn Pascall - I LOVE it! Looks so beautiful. And yes, YAY for thrifting – always fun!
Angela Atkins - They look awesome. You are a way better spray painter than I am. I had been thinking about emailing you about how you recovered lampshades–I noticed some at the Craft House. Thanks for the tutorial!
Carly Winborne - Adorable…love the pink! I just did the exact same project with a tacky lamp that came with my marriage 9 years ago. It’s turquoise with yellow and a white chevron fabric-covered shade. And now I love it in my sewing room/school room. So glad to see a “real crafter” do this project!!!
kerry - oh man these look amazing! and i love the thriftiness!!!!!!!!
Do you hot glue over the shade, or just the edges? does it not crease?
awesome.amazing.awesome.
kerry xx
Sarah{Handbags*N*Pigtails} - I’ve done this too. Its amazing what spray paint can do to some yucky old brass. Fun project!
Alisha - You just inspired me to go do the same thing!!! What a great way to spruce up a room that needs some HAPPY added to it!
Mary - ADORABLE lamps!
love em!
xo
Trudy - I love the colors and fabric you chose. It’s like you’re a color genius.
happygirl - You know how to do the shabby chic thing so well. Thanks for the lesson. 🙂
Miranda - You made me run to the thrift store and hardware store in town and pick up 2 ugly brass lamps for $2 each and spray paint and now they are waiting for the 2nd coat. Ahhhh love them!
jen - love! even i can do this & i am craft challenged!
Susannah - That’s such a great idea! I’ve been looking for new lamps for my husband and my nightstands but now I think I’m going to make them. 🙂
deirdre - Ten bucks and a steady hand! Looks great!
If you’d like, please join us for Photo Friday Blog Link-Up tomorrow. Simply add a favorite photo from your blog (it’s okay if it is part of a post) and share the linky-love.
Cheers!
Jaimie - Adorable!! Thanks for the inspiration, as always!!
Lauren - Oh my, I love this sooooo much! It’s perfect!
Katy Apicello - Can you make a video of how to use the gypsy gripper? I don’t get it. :X
janet C - I have one of these lamps too, waiting for a makeover. It was my grandma’s and no one wanted it.
THANK YOU for posting the name of the Gypsy Gripper. I’ve seen it in your pictures and wondered what it was called.
Kristin S - Darling. About 8 years ago a friend snagged a given-to-me brass lamp in my home and spray painted it black. People always comment on it in my home. How much more fun would pink be!??!?!
I love your shade too.
Meg, this is so random but…. I realized today that I always wait to read your posts until the end. When your posts pop up in my reader, I save them. I save my favorite food till the end too. I always want to finish “blog reading time” with one of your colorful (literally) posts. Thank you for being you!
CAn’t wait to fam see paint fight pics.
emily hope - love it! makes me want to go hit up all the local thrift stores today, even though I have a million other things to do 😉
Tiffany - Beautiful…love the colors!
Lisa M. - Yourlamp turned out beautiful! I have to admit, I am not much of crafter. At all. I NEVER would have thought you could spray paint shiny brass lamps!! I probably have two stuffed up in my attic somewhere! I have two rocking chairs I bought at Cracker Barrel years ago that are peeling and two shelves from Pottery Barn that just aren’t the right shade of wood anymore and I was going to re-paint/re-stain both as projects this summer. Never did it. And admittedly, it’s too intimidating for me. I keep wanting to take them to the local paint store and ask for some advice (i.e. stain them, paint them, what kind/type of paint). UGH! Very overwhelming to me. I guess I just need to take the plunge and do it. I’m sure I can fix anything that goes wrong…maybe? Anyhow, thanks for the inspiration!
Kerry Wiebe - Hot glue gun sewing my favorite kind of sewing!!! Love it! You always do an awesome job! I miss seeing you!
Lennie Jackson - Love it! I have one at home that will getting a makeover this weekend!!!
sara @ it's good to be queen - could not love this more. LOVE that fabric…love the pink. love the cheap. looks so great in that room!
Beth - LOVE this Joel Dewberry fabric! I used this same fabric as inspiration to paint a flower on the front of a dresser that will be used as a changing table in baby’s nursery! Mama’s using this same fabric for the crib bedding (only with the sky blue background instead of the yellow).
Here’s the link if you wanna check it out!
http://www.sawdustandembryos.com/2012/03/tutorial-painting-furniture-using.html
~Beth @ Sawdust and Embryos
Jen Brandt - Very cute!
Kate - Super cute!
Kimberly - Yay indeed! Turned out beautiful!
northern cottage - gorgeous – thanks for sharing the covering tip…I have several shades similar to this one waiting in the wings & I admit I was a bit intimidated….now thanks to you I might just get my behind in gear to get them covered! thank you!
Amber Filkins - .L.O.V.E. this! ♥
Krista - BEEEEYOOOUUUTIFUL! I love it!
Lanny Lou - love the lamp miss megan … I love redoing lamp, it brightens up my day (hee hee)