How to Repair a Venetian Lamp Shade

Decorative, fabric lamp shades come in an array of varieties and shapes.

Venetian lamp shades vary in shape and style. One traditional Venetian lamp shade has an unusual shield-like design. The shade is typically covered in decorative paper or fabric. It is lined with a neutral fabric liner and the edges of the shade are detailed with elegant trims. Because of the variety of shade styles that can be considered Venetian in origin, general lamp-shade repairs work on most.

Things You'll Need

• Small brush
• Vacuum cleaner with brush attachment
• Needle and thread
• Fabric adhesive
• Onion skin paper
• White glue
• Small artist brush
• Hot glue gun
• Bull clip clamp

Instructions

How to Repair a Torn Shade

1. Remove the lamp shade and clean it. Use a small brush or vacuum with a soft brush attachment to remove dust and debris.

2. Examine the tear. If the lamp shade is lined and is in good shape, and if you want to keep the current shade material, then you need to repair the tear. Place your hands on either side of the tear and see if you can bring the edges of the fabric or tape together. If you can then you can try to mend the shade with fabric glue.

3. Sew a small overcast stitch every 1/2-inch along the tear so that the fabrics just start to overlap. This will hold the fabric in position for the glue. Apply a bead of fabric glue along the torn edge. Use the side of tweezers to press the glue into the fabrics and the fabrics into each other.

Repair a Torn Paper Shade

1. Cut a piece of onion-skin paper that is as close to the color of your paper shade as possible. Your onion-skin patch should be the same shape as the tear and from 1/8 to 1/4-inch wide.

2. Place the shade face side down so that the torn paper is flat and the edges of the tear are together.

3. Paint a line of white glue along both sides of the tear on the inside of your lamp shade. Place the onion- skin paper into the wet glue and paint a second coat over the onion skin. Keep the lamp shade in the same position until the glue dries. The glue will become transparent as it dries.

How to Repair an Open Seam

1. Remove the lamp shade and clean it with a soft brush.

2. Locate the open seam. Often a broken seam is caused by deterioration due to heat and age. If the fabric is still in good shape you can repair the seam.

3. Sew the seam together using an overcast stitch across the seam. Keep your stitches small and even and the thread color should blend into the fabric.

Attaching Loose Trims

1. Remove and clean the shade with a soft brush. Find the loose trim. Often if one section is loose, other sections will be coming loose as well. Tug on the trim to see how secure it is all the way around the lamp shade.

2. Remove any trim that will come off in your hands. Clean up the trim if you wish to reuse it and make sure you have enough length to cover the entire shade.

3. Apply a bead of hot glue around the top of the frame or to the back of the trim. Work a few inches at a time. Start your trim at a seam and hold the trim to the frame using a bull clip.

Tips & Warnings

• Most lamp shades that are fabric or paper will deteriorate and need to be replaced over time. Select a similar fabric and trims and simply recover your existing frames if they are unusual. Take photographs of your original shades before you take them apart and use these photos as reference for replacing trims.

References

• Pastecraft: The Simple Art of Decorating Surfaces and Objects: Mary Lou Cook: 2001: Page 45