How to Make a Lampshade Slipcover

Cover a lampshades to easily change their color.

Change the look of any room in your house with lampshade slipcovers. Make lampshade slipcovers to cover a damaged shade or to create seasonal ambiance. Use upholstery fabric that matches your decor, or create a lampshade slipcover with a contrasting color or print. Add a subtle and custom look to your decorating scheme with lampshade slipcovers.

Things You'll Need

• Newspaper
• Pencil
• Ruler
• Scissors
• Fabric
• Pins
• 1/2-inch fusible tape
• Iron

Instructions

1. Lay your lampshade on a piece of newspaper. Depending upon the size of the lampshade, you may have to tape two newspapers together.

2. Trace the outline of the top and bottom edges of the lampshade. Roll and trace the lampshade until you have traced the circumference of the shade.

3. Add a 1/2-inch seam to the top, bottom and side edges of the lampshade pattern.

4. Cut out your lampshade slipcover pattern. Place it on top of the lampshade and check the fit. Make sure you can overlap the side edges.

5. Place the lampshade pattern on your fabric. Pin the pattern into place. Consider the layout of the pattern on printed fabric. You may choose to center large flowers or other designs within your shade.

6. Cut out the lampshade slipcover. Remove the pins and pattern.

7. Iron fusible tape to the wrong side of the top and bottom of your lampshade slipcover.

8. Fold the top and bottom fabric edges over, wrong sides together. The fusible tape should be in-between the wrong sides of the fabric. The fabric should be folded over 1/2 inch. Iron the fusible tape hem to your slipcover.

9. Iron fusible tape to the wrong side of one end of your lampshade slipcover. Place the fused end on top of the other end of the slipcover. You are fusing together the two ends of the cover.

10. Iron the two sides together.

11. Place your lampshade slipcover over your existing lampshade. Check for fit. The slipcover should fit snugly over the existing shade.

Tips & Warnings

• Add trim for extra detail or to cover any flaws and the edges of the fabric at the top and bottom of the shade.