How to Paint Mini Lamp Shades
Electric candles are a safe alternative to real ones in a chandelier or decorative candelabra. They also come in more styles than the wax variety. Their lights can be different colors, and the bodies of the candles come in a variety of shapes and colors too. Many electric candle sets even come with shades. These range from delicate glass shades to miniature lampshades that come in as many styles as the larger variety.
You don't always get to choose the lampshades that come with your electric candles, or perhaps shades that you love are now dusty and faded. Don't worry, mini lampshades take paint very well. With some stencils or a steady hand and some pretty colors, old or ugly lampshades can be renewed.
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Things You'll Need
- Acrylic paint
- Paintbrushes
- Pencil
- Water
- Masking tape
- Newspaper
- Stencils (optional)
Instructions
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Choose several paint colors. Pick colors that match accent colors in your room so the shades match your décor. Don't choose more than three colors; too many colors on a tiny surface could make the shades look busy, or the colors may blend at a distance and look muddy. Use acrylic paint; it dries faster than oil and is water-soluble. It's also very hard to smear.
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Choose stencils or a freehand design. If you have drawing skill, pencil a design onto the lampshade that you can paint in later. If not, choose a stencil that you like and tape it to the lampshade. Keep your patterns simple and the details small. Too much detail and the shades will look busy and out of place.
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Spread newspaper out on your work surface and set your supplies in easy reach. Squirt puddles of paint right onto the newspaper. Use fine-tipped brushes to apply freehand designs onto the shade. Take your time; impatience could leave the design looking sloppy. Use a stiff, round brush for stencils, dabbing just a little paint over the shapes. Too much paint will make the stencil shapes goopy.
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Gently remove the stencils, if you used them, and set your lampshade out to dry. Let it dry for about two hours before setting it back on the candle. Acrylic paint dries very quickly.
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Tips & Warnings
For an eclectic look, paint each shade with its own pattern, using complementary colors and designs.
