How to Make a Sweet Ruffled Lampshade

Use a fabric to match the room.

Some ruffled material turns an ordinary, plain lampshade into a sweet, charming addition to a feminine room. Perfect for a little girl's room, a master bedroom or a soft living room, the ruffled lampshade requires little knowledge of sewing techniques. The material you use will define the lampshade. Use a lightweight fabric, such as organza, for an ultra-feminine touch. Using a more stable fabric, such as linen, will give you a whimsical look that would be perfect for a modern or traditional home. The only sewing required is the ability to sew a base stitch in the middle of a strip of fabric.

Things You'll Need

• 1/2 yard fabric
• Ruler
• Scissors
• Needle and thread or sewing machine
• Barrel lampshade
• Hot glue gun

Instructions

1. Measure 3 inches from one side of the fabric along the weft edge. Make a small cut 1/2-inch long and rip the fabric to the other side. If the fabric doesn't pull into an easy, straight strip, you made the cut on the bias edge.

2. Continue to cut and rip up all of the fabric into strips.

3. Use a needle and thread or sewing machine to sew a base stitch in the middle of each strip, leaving a long piece of thread at the end. Pull the long thread to ruffle the material up. Leave the edges raw.

4. Glue the ruffled strips of fabric onto the lampshade, starting at the bottom. Use a hot glue gun to place a 3-inch-long strip of glue directly above the bottom of the lampshade. Immediately press the material onto the glue and hold for three seconds.

5. Continue to glue strips of fabric onto the lampshade, working your way up to the top of the lampshade in rows. Leave 1/4 inch between each row of fabric.

Tips & Warnings

• Sew a zigzag stitch along the edge of each piece of fabric for a more refined look.

• Overlapping the fabric so only the bottom ruffle of the fabric strip shows will create a denser ruffled lampshade.

• Use a wooden craft stick when working with a thin fabric, such as organza, to avoid getting your fingers burned.

References

• Sew Dang Cute: Jamboree Guest Post: Ruffled Lamp by Amanda of Every Creative Endeaver
• Shanty to Chic: Ruffled Lampshade