How to Paint a Fabric Lamp Shade

Painted designs on fabric

Painting your own lampshade adds a personal touch to your home that you couldn't find in a home decor store. Painting a fabric lamp shade is similar to painting on a T-shirt or any other fabric, except clothing has to be washed and shrunk beforehand to avoid warping of the design from shrinkage. A lampshade can be painted and displayed with little to no prep or aftercare. Have fun, get creative, and enjoy having a one-of-a-kind, personalized piece to display in your home!

Things You'll Need

• Fabric lamp shade
• Acrylic or fabric-specific paint
• Paintbrushes

Instructions

1. 

   Choose a pale, smooth fabric lampshade for best results when painting.

   Wipe the surface of your lampshade with a damp cloth to remove all dirt or dust. Also clean your paintbrushes with mild soap and water.

2. Sketch your design on the lampshade lightly with a pencil, if desired.

3. 

   Paint can be used straight from the bottle or applied with a brush.

   Begin painting your lampshade. If you're using paint in bottles with built-in squeeze applicator tips, practice on a paper towel to get adjusted to the amount of force required to keep a steady flow. If you're using brushes, dampen them to encourage smoother paint flow, and thin paint with water to make painting details easier.

4. 

   Standard artist-quality acrylic paint dries faster than fabric paint.

   Allow paint to dry completely. For most fabric paint, allow 24 hours. Dry time depends on how thick you apply the paint.

5. 

   Simplicity can be elegant.

   Display your new hand-painted lampshade. Depending on the type and brand of paint used, avoid direct sunlight if possible to prevent fading.

Tips & Warnings

• Avoid agitation of recently painted areas so as not to smear or lift the paint off the fabric. Once you paint an area in acrylic, don't overwork it. After it dries, you can paint over it if you don't like it.

• Store paint bottles upside-down or tap bottles against a table or other hard surface to discourage air bubbles from disrupting the flow of paint.

• Heat setting is not necessary for either fabric paint or acrylic paint, and no varnish or fixative is required.

• For a rainy-day activity that doesn't require talent at any age, cover a lampshade with hand prints of your family members.

• Read safety warnings on the paint you use. Don't allow children to use paint without a "non-toxic" label without supervision.

• Don't allow paint to dry on your brushes. Acrylic paint is water-based but dries to a permanent, nonporous plastic that is difficult to remove and often ruins brushes if not cleaned properly.

References

• Michaels: FAQs about Fabric Painting