How to Recover a Lampshade

After having a very difficult time finding a lampshade to match my living room I decided to recover an old lampshade with some leftover fabric. I absolutely loved the way it turned out. In fact, I loved it so much that I have since recovered two more lampshades and thought it would be a great tutorial to share.

Here is a step by step tutorial for how to recover a lampshade with fabric.

Here’s what you’ll need

• Fabric
• Lampshade
• Measuring Tape
• Scissors
• Painters Tape
• Glue Gun

Step 1: Measure and cut your fabric

• Measure the width and height of your lampshade adding 1 inch to the width and one inch to the height. My lampshade is 45″ around and 8 1/2 from top to bottom so I cut my fabric 46″ x 9.5″

Step 2: Create a clean seam on one end of the fabric

• Fold the end of the fabric over 1/4 inch; glue the fabric down to create a clean seam.

Step 3: Tape the unclean seam along the lampshades existing seam

• Using Painters tape, tape the unclean seam along the edge of the lampshades existing seam.

Step 4: Continue Taping the fabric around lampshade

• Continue wrapping the fabric around the lampshade, taping the fabric in place as you go.

Step 5: Glue the fabric along the existing lampshade seam

• Once you’ve taped the fabric in place glue the fabric along the existing lampshade seam.

Step 6: Glue the top and bottom seams in place

• Begin gluing the top of the fabric in place, removing the tape as you go. Once you’ve glued the top seam begin gluing the bottom seam in place.

Step 7: Glue the clean seam in place

• Once you’ve glued the top and bottom seams in place glue the clean seam in place