How to Make a Lamp Shade From Scratch

You can make your own lamp shade from scratch.

No special material or fabric is needed to make your own lamp shade from scratch. Instead, use any kind of slightly stiff paper as material to make a shade. Though the paper is not transparent, the light from the lamp will still shine from under the shade, softening the glow of the lamp and adding a nice lighting effect to the room. Poking holes in the paper will allow additional light to shine through.

Things You'll Need

• Slightly stiff paper such as cardstock or linen paper
• Scissors
• Pin
• Fabric tape

Instructions

1. Cut the slightly stiff paper such as light card stock or a fabric-based paper into a rectangle. The height of the rectangle will be the height of the shade, while the length will create the shade's circumference.

2. Create geometric designs, clusters or starbursts of holes in the paper using a pin or scatter the holes throughout the paper.

3. Roll the paper into a cylinder, slightly overlapping one shorter side onto another and taping along the top edge with fabric tape on the outside of the lamp to avoid overheating the tape.

References

• Paper Lamp Shade How-to