How to Make a Pleated Lamp Shade

There’s no scarcity of lamp shades on the thrift retailer and so they’re normally tremendous inexpensive, which makes them the proper DIY mission! I’ve been swooning over a pleated lamp shade for some time however they will price fairly a bit! I’m going to indicate you the right way to make your personal for a fraction of the worth.

I discovered this little lamp base on the thrift retailer for $10 and couldn’t cross it up. It didn’t include a shade so I bought this tapered lamp shade on-line. For some purpose once I purchased it, it was solely $25 and now it’s doubled in worth…suspicious! However you might take a look at thrift shops for a less expensive one.

SUPPLIES FOR A PLEATED LAMP SHADE

There are a couple of other ways you may make a pleated lamp shade and I adopted another tutorials first, utilizing the material in a single piece and folding as you go. In case your lamp shade is a drum form then this technique works nice. However when you have a extra tapered shade like I do, you then’ll wish to observe my technique.

STEPS TO MAKE A PLEATED LAMP SHADE

STEP 1

Minimize your material into strips. You’ll need your strips to be about 2 inches longer than the shade on each ends. I made my strips about 2.5 inches broad however you possibly can alter this relying on how broad you need your pleats to be. Take into accout you’ll be folding the strips in half, in order that would be the measurement of your pleats.

STEP 2

Glue your first pleat down onto the lamp shade. I began on the again seam. You’ll wish to begin with a line of glue vertically down the shade and place the appropriate facet of your strip on the glue. You’ll then fold your strip in half and glue that down as nicely. You may as well then glue beneath the pleat in order that it stays flat in opposition to the shade.

You can undoubtedly fold your pleats in half and press them first earlier than glueing in case you needed them to put faltter in your shade.

STEP 3

Repeat this course of by glueing all of your strips down and partially overlapping them. I discovered that with a tapered shade, you have to angle your strips barely. So with every pleat, you will have the highest to overlap the earlier pleat greater than the underside.

That will help you do that, apply your glue at an angle on the earlier pleat. See under picture for reference!

When you get again to the place you began, you will have to regulate the dimensions of your pleats/spacing to suit all of them in.

STEP 4

Trim the surplus material off your pleats on the highest and backside however hold about an inch.

STEP 5

Fold your pleats below the shade and glue them down on the within.

At this level you now have two selections. You possibly can both depart it like this and clear up the within edges, or you possibly can add an out of doors seam together with your bias tape. I didn’t love the best way my seam turned out on my first try of this shade, so I made a decision to go away it as is.

I did wish to clear up the highest inside edge although since you possibly can see it from above while you take a look at the lamp.

STEP 6

Utilizing your bias tape, lower a chunk of your material at a forty five diploma angle on the bias. This permits it to stretch extra because you’ll be inserting it on a spherical, tapered object.

STEP 7

Utilizing an iron, press the material right down to mimic the form of the tape.

STEP 8

Utilizing your sizzling glue gun, glue down the bias tape across the inside edge of material to cowl up the frayed edges.

You can additionally do the underside edge however I opted to not because it’s not seen. Look how cute it appears!! I really like that the pleats aren’t totally glued down and it offers the shade some extra dimension.

I gave my base a fast paint replace utilizing an array of paint samples I had and mixing in some baking soda for some added texture.

That is how the highest seam appears from above – good and clear!

And viola! I’m obsessive about this cute little lamp with a pleated shade! Isn’t it cute?

I received some questions asking if the warmth from the sunshine bulb is secure with the material on the shade. My bulb is fairly low wattage and doesn’t appear to get too sizzling however you might additionally use an LED bulb which might be very secure!

From the beginning, I knew precisely the place I needed to place this little lamp. It appears so good in our new kitchen and in case you don’t have a lamp in your kitchen, I extremely suggest it. I hope you’re impressed to make your personal pleated lamp shade!

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