How To Upcycle a Lampshade | Easy & No Sew

If you’re looking to upgrade a lampshade of yours, you don’t have to go out and buy a new one. You have the skills to redo the one you already have! Check out this easy no sew way to do that!

Our bedroom has been one of the last rooms in our little home that I have put my attention to. When guests come over, they don’t see it and I really don’t care how it looks… so I thought. I eventually got to a point where I needed it to feel homey like the rest of our house. So, I added some things here and there. I really did not like the lamp we had on our bedside table. So, I wanted to change it.

However, my husband and I like to save money in as many areas as we can. So, I didn’t want to just buy a new one. I knew I had supplies at home that I could use to revamp the already existing lamp shade. Since I had the supplies, I felt like I couldn’t justify buying a brand new one. Plus, I love a good DIY!

Why Do This Project ?

There are some reasons I knew I wanted to share this project with you and why I think you should try it if you ever want to redo your lampshade. Here are a few…

It’s no sew – not everyone has mastered the skill of sewing and not everyone has the supplies for it. This project uses hot glue and hot glue only. That is something that is easy to use and most people have at home.
It’s easy – This project is nothing too complicated. Trust me, if it was I wouldn’t be doing it. It’s a project that is simple and doesn’t require a crazy skillset.
It’s cheap – I didn’t spend any money to do this. I simply used what I already had at home, and I know you can do the same. More on that later.

Supplies Needed to Upcycle a Lampshade

Fabric – now, the fabric you use is totally up to you. The other day at the thrift store I had bought some cheap pillowcases for our bedding. They ended up being too big for our pillows so I saved them and ended up using them for the lampshade.

Hot Glue – this project is a no sew one. To keep it no sew we’re using hot glue. It is easy to work with and does the job well!

Fabric Scissors – depending on your fabric, you may be able to get away with using regular scissors if you don’t have fabric scissors.

Measuring tape – a measuring tape will help you get accurate measurements to ensure your lampshade comes out looking concise.

How To Make An Old Lampshade Look New Again Step-by-step

To start, if your lampshade has two layers, you are going to want to remove the first layer of the fabric but keep the lines that show the shape like in the photo above. Keeping the lines will ensure that you have a border to hot glue your new fabric too.

Now, take some time to prep your fabric. Cut it to open it up the whole way as well as iron it. That way you don’t have wrinkles in your shade, and it comes out looking clean.

This step is when a tape measure comes in very handy. You can also trace your lampshade if you would rather. I ended up doing both. So, measure and cut out the shape of your lampshade so that there is slightly more fabric on each side. Having a little more fabric than needed will help with the next step. This step doesn’t have to have the most perfect cutting. We will fix any jagged lines in the following step.

Once you have the shape of your lampshade cut out, it is time to make sure we have no fraying sides. So, run a thin line of hot glue a little way into your sides and fold in the sides like the picture above. Again, this will help with fraying pieces and make your cuts appear cleaner.

For this next step, you are going to take your finished lampshade side and glue it onto the shade. Be sure to follow the natural shape of the lamp. Remember, a little glue goes a long way!

Repeat all of the previous steps for the rest of the sides on your lampshade. The picture above is what mine looked like once all my sides were glued on. Don’t worry, we will fix the gapping between the sides!

For step 7, you are going to cut as many strips needs to close the gaps between the sides. I needed four strips. For this step, a solid color would be great. However, I didn’t have a solid-colored fabric, so I just kept using the same fabric I used to cover the shade. I like to use the things I already have! Once all of the strips are cut, run a thin like of hot glue down the middle of each strip and fold the sides into the middle.

Glue those strips on each side that the gap needs closed in. The above photo is what mine looks like when it is all done!

Now enjoy your upcycled lamp that you created all by yourself! I ended up painting the base of mine as well, so it matched the shade a little better. I love how it turned out! What do you think?

If you tried this post out for yourself, the ladies here at Brick House On Green would love to know how it turned out! Leave a comment below to tell us all about it!