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.
oh wait....
there it is in the bottom left corner...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!!
