How to Apply Fabric to the Ribs of a Lamp Shade
Redecorating a lampshade with new fabric often hits a snag when the decorator comes to the lampshade ribs. You can cover over the ribs with fabric, but you will lose the tailored effect of fabric-covered ribs. Some people use gimp braid glued over the ribs, which is wonderful, but you lose the ability to cover the ribs with the same fabric as the shade. To apply fabric to the ribs you must carefully remove the ribs from the shade, recover, and then adhere them to the lampshade fabric.
Things You'll Need
- Lampshade
- Seam ripper
- Hair dryer or iron
- Metal dinner knife
- Scissors
- Fabric
- Glue gun and glue sticks
Instructions
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1
Separate the ribs from the lampshade one at a time. The ribs may be sewn onto the shade fabric. Use the seam ripper to gently "pop" the stitches sewn beneath the rib, working from the bottom of the shade to the top, one stitch at a time until they come free from the shade. Proceed to Step 4. If the ribs are glued, proceed to Step 2.
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2
Heat the ribs of the lampshade by holding a hair dryer on medium to high heat, or an iron on low to medium heat over the front of the rib and behind the rib. This will help loosen the adhesive.
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3
Use the metal dinner knife to slide between the rib and the lampshade fabric, lifting the rib from the old glue. Pull the rib a little at a time from the shade fabric.
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4
Measure the width and the length of a rib. Measure and cut your fabric so that the fabric is 1-inch longer on each end and 1-inch wider on each side.
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5
Place the fabric rectangle, right side of the fabric touching the tabletop, so that you are looking at the wrong side of the fabric. Place the rib onto the fabric. The fabric covering the rib will fold to the back on the left side, will fold to the back on the right side (Step 6), and the fabric edge on the top and bottom will fold down/up onto the back of the rib (Step 7) so that the rib is entirely encased in the rectangle of fabric. All sides/top/bottom will be glued onto the back of the rib. The rib will then be glued to the lampshade fabric (Step 8).
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6
Use the glue gun to squirt a line of glue along the center of the rib and fold the right edge of the fabric onto the glue. Use the glue gun to squirt a line of glue over the top of the newly folded fabric on top of the rib, and fold the left edge of the fabric on top of the glue. Smooth fabric flat with your hand by pressing firmly against the fabric-covered rib on top of the table.
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7
Fold the top of the fabric over the top of the rib and glue it to the back of the rib. Fold the bottom of the fabric over the back bottom of the rib and glue to the back of the rib.
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8
Use the glue gun to squirt a line of glue along the back of the fabric-covered rib and adhere the rib into position on the lampshade fabric.
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Tips & Warnings
If you are discarding the shade fabric and don't care about damaging it, you can cut the rib from the lampshade fabric, trimming the fabric neatly. You can also cover the ribs by gluing with gimp braid, tucking a 1-inch piece above and below the rib under the lampshade and gluing into place. This gives a two-tone appearance to the lampshade. Gimp braid comes in many colors and is available at your craft or fabric shop.
Use caution when operating glue guns as burns may result.
