How to Make a Gingham Lampshade Cover

Dress up an old lampshade with a gingham cover.

Gingham features checkerboard patterns in every color from bright red to yellow to pastel blues and greens. It's soft, breathable and durable, making it perfect for lampshade material. Light filters softly through the checkered fabric, adding a cozy glow to your traditional, rustic or country décor. Both newcomers and shade-making experts can create gingham drum shades with just a few supplies and skills.

Things You'll Need

• Wire drum lampshade frame
• Flexible measuring tape
• Styrene film
• Double-sided fabric tape

Instructions

1. Measure the circumference and height of your wire shade frame. Add about 2 inches to both measurements.

2. Cut a piece of gingham the same size of your final measurements. For instance, a frame measuring 20 inches around and 14 inches high requires a piece of gingham 24 inches long and 18 inches wide.

3. Spread the gingham out on a flat, clean surface with the right side up. Unroll about 4 inches of styrene film and press the edge of the film to your fabric about 1 inch from the nearest short end. Styrene coats the inside of your shade and prevents scorching.

4. Unroll and smooth the styrene to the wrong side of the gingham, stopping about 1 inch before the other short end. You may need a friend to hold the gingham in place as you unroll. Gingham is thin and folds in on itself easily. Smooth the gingham before pressing the styrene down.

5. Press a piece of double-stick fabric tape to one short end of your gingham, placing it right along the edge of the styrene. Fold the raw edge of that end over and press it into the tape. This creates a smooth edge for your lampshade seam.

6. Press more fabric tape along both long sides of the gingham, right next to the styrene. Wrap the fabric around the shade frame. Fold the raw edges of the fabric down over the top and bottom wires in the frame, pressing the edges into the double-stick tape on the inside of the shade. Add a last piece of tape to the seam to secure the shade in place.

Tips & Warnings

• Add a gingham shade to a white lamp or a lamp that matches the checker color in the gingham. This gives the lamp a modern touch and keeps it from looking tacky or dated.

References

• The Lampshade Lady Blog: Instructions for Making Funky Drum Shades
• Threadbanger: DIY Pendant Lampshades
• Channel 4: How to Make a Lampshade

Resources

• Read this Article in UK English