Tips on how to Make a Pleated Lamp Shade

There’s no scarcity of lamp shades on the thrift retailer and so they’re often tremendous inexpensive, which makes them the proper DIY venture! I’ve been swooning over a pleated lamp shade for some time however they’ll value fairly a bit! I’m going to indicate you the way to make your individual 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 cause after I purchased it, it was solely $25 and now it’s doubled in worth…suspicious! However you might have a look at thrift shops for a less expensive one.

SUPPLIES FOR A PLEATED LAMP SHADE

There are just a few alternative ways you can also 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 methodology works nice. However if in case you have a extra tapered shade like I do, then you definately’ll need to observe my methodology.

STEPS TO MAKE A PLEATED LAMP SHADE

STEP 1

Minimize your cloth 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 huge however you possibly can regulate this relying on how huge you need your pleats to be. Consider you’ll be folding the strips in half, in order that would be the dimension of your pleats.

STEP 2

Glue your first pleat down onto the lamp shade. I began on the again seam. You’ll need to begin with a line of glue vertically down the shade and place the best aspect of your strip on the glue. You’ll then fold your strip in half and glue that down as properly. You may also then glue beneath the pleat in order that it stays flat towards the shade.

You might positively fold your pleats in half and press them first earlier than glueing when 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, it’s essential to angle your strips barely. So with every pleat, you want 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 beneath photograph for reference!

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

STEP 4

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

STEP 5

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

At this level you now have two decisions. 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 need to clear up the highest inside edge although since you possibly can see it from above while you have a look at the lamp.

STEP 6

Utilizing your bias tape, minimize a bit of your cloth at a forty five diploma angle on the bias. This enables it to stretch extra because you’ll be putting it on a spherical, tapered object.

STEP 7

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

STEP 8

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

You might additionally do the underside edge however I opted to not because it’s not seen. Look how cute it appears to be like!! 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 to be like from above – good and clear!

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

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

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

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