A while back, I saw this cute lampshade on Pinterest. I thought, that looks easy enough for an amateur crafter such as myself, so I gave it a try!! And I loved the finished product, so I decided to make yet another! So here it is!!
Consider it helpful or annoying, but I've included nearly step by step photos for this craft. You can thank me later ;).
And please excuse the iPhone quality photos.
Materials:
plain lampshade (I got mine for $8 at Home Depot)
lamp base (again, Home Depot saved the day with a $10 base)
3/4-1 yd burlap (depending on the size of the lamp shade)
hot glue gun
Start by covering the lampshade with burlap. I pinned mine in place using bobby pins so that it wouldn't be tugging the entire time. Also, since the burlap isn't completely solid, some of the hot glue comes through. Apply the hot glue to the inside of the lampshade, then lay the burlap on top. In order to push the burlap completely against the shade and create a secure bond, I used an old bobby pin to push along the line of hot glue to save my finger from the heat. Unless you got a perfectly cylindrical lampshade (most are slightly angled), the burlap won't lay straight across the shade. No worry though, it will be covered up anyways!!
Next, cut your burlap! I cut mine to be a generous 1 1/2 times the height of my shade and about 2 1/2 inches wide. Depending on how deep you want the ruffles to stand from the lampshade, you can adjust the width from 2-3''.
Now a trick when you're cutting your strips:
Watch the fabric specialist at the craft store you go to as he/she cuts the burlap. There's a easy way to cut a straight line! If you cut the "thread" of the line you want to follow...
....then pull that thread out from each side of the cut...
...you have a nice straight line to guide you!! I promise you, this helps a ton. Burlap tends to unthread and unravel very easily and this prevents lots of little pieces from sticking out on the finished product! I didn't try this on my first lampshade, and after finishing my second I could really tell a difference!!
After you cut your strips (I cut about 25, then started gluing because I'm impatient and wanted to see some sort of progress), fold a strip in half, hot dog style. Start the wave shape of the ruffle by creating a curve in the burlap. Line the crease with hot glue and stick it to the shade!! Hold in place for about 15-30 seconds. If you start to let go and notice it moves considerably, the glue hasn't dried yet and you need to hold it a bit longer.
Continue gluing until the whole strip is attached to the shade. I found that 4 inch segments fit easily in my hand and I could easily adjust the ruffle pattern before the glue began to set.
Repeat these steps of creating a curve and gluing until the shade is covered!! I tried mixing up my ruffle pattern every 5 strips or so, just to create a little texture to the ruffle.
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