Despite their small size, lampshades have the power to command everyone’s attention to it. They filter the lamp’s light, so they are automatically one of the most critical spots in any room.
As such, it’s imperative to ensure they are stunning to look at.
But that does not have to be an expensive task – you can do it yourself by following these 20 helpful tutorials.
1. Design an Elegant Light Fixture with Geometric Shape
The industrial look is in, and so is the symmetrical aesthetic of specific geometric shapes. Merge both of these trends together, and you get the perfect design for a modern-looking, minimalistic lampshade.
Cocktail straws, crafting wire, and miscellaneous essentials are all you need to make this beautiful design come to life.
2. Use Paper to Create this Origami Lampshade
Paper folding is more than just a skill – it’s a form of art. A manifestation of creativity.
Put those artistic abilities to the test by creating an eye-catching and original lampshade with a marbled light card.
Despite the simplicity and affordability of this project, the resulting product will be nothing short of elegant and, most of all, unique.
3. A Beautiful Lampshade with Just Hair Dye
Okay, let’s be honest – who hasn’t, at least, considered dyeing their hair a bright, eye-catching color? If you happen to have leftover hair dye from those days, why not repurpose it to make a beautiful lampshade within minutes?
Much like your hair, this technique will turn an average white lampshade into a fun, colorful ombré design, so make sure to check it out.
4. Make your own Shabby Chic Lampshade
Shabby chic mixes the best of femininity, vintage decoration, and modern style. The result is nothing short of classy and eye-catching, so it’s not a surprise that it makes a perfect style for lampshades.
This rosette lampshade is nothing short of simple. Use gauze fabric to make delicate flower-like patterns, and make sure to follow the instructions of the tutorial for a perfect result.
5. Create a Faux Embroidery Lampshade without Effort
Let’s not kid ourselves, embroidery is hard. Despite the beautiful results, some people just can’t get it to work, and that’s fine.
Why? Because we have a solution, at least for lampshades.
Follow this creative tutorial step by step, and the final result will be an elegant and incredibly simple faux embroidery lampshade, with zero embroidery involved!
6. Use Paper and Wax to make a Fish Scale Pendant Lampshade
More than resembling fish scales, this gorgeous lampshade seems to encompass a mermaid-like type of ethereal beauty – and it all costs under $20!
With the help of 110# paper, Rit Dye, and paraffin wax, you can turn a regular round lampshade into a magical souvenir from the ocean itself.
7. Create Gorgeous Wine Glass Candle Lampshades
Some of the best ideas are the ones that allow creativity to roam free – they give you the basics, and you can customize the final product to your heart’s content.
This tutorial is one of such. All you need is to purchase vellum sheets, print the free lampshade pattern they provide, and your basic wine glass lampshade is done. The rest of the decoration? All up to you.
8. Make an Elegant, Anthropologie-Inspired Lampshade
Sometimes we fall in love with expensive brand decorations that are a little bit outside our budget. However, this shouldn’t be discouraging – we can always design similar items and exercise our crafty talents.
Inspired by Anthropologie, this tutorial teaches us how to make an upscale, elegant lampshade within our budget. Take a look!
9. Go Whimsical with this Bubbly Lampshade Tutorial
Turning a regular IKEA lampshade into a fun, adorable chandelier seems like a leap, but it’s not as complicated as it might seem.
All you require is sisal rope, acrylic balls, gold leaf, and grey paint. Within minutes you will have a magical lampshade that looks straight out of a magazine.
10. Classics Never Die with this Doily Lampshade Tutorial
If you happen to have some old doilies, lace scraps or tablecloths, this is your lucky day! Don’t store them away and, instead, repurpose them into a delicate-looking lampshade.
A balloon and lots of wallpaper glue will be your allies and all you need to come up with an original, one-of-a-kind decoration for your home.
11. Use Leftover Jute to Make a Wrapped Lampshade
Jute is not the most delicate-looking of materials, so you will be surprised to see how fashionable a lampshade can look when wrapped with it!
Simple and fast, you don’t need any outstanding skills or expensive materials – wrap a cheap lampshade with any jute you may have around, and be amazed at the rustic-chic result!
12. Create Simple and Gorgeous Marbled Paper Lampshades
Wrapping a birthday present is easy, but not easier than this fast and effective tutorial!
Your average lampshade can turn into a one-of-a-kind masterpiece, fit for every occasion, with the simple help of your favorite wrapping paper. Marbled paper is our favorite, but don’t let us dictate your style – anything you like is good to go!
13. Enjoy Beautiful Memories with these Photo Lampshades
While lampshades are an excellent opportunity to showcase your decoration skills, they are also a unique chance to display photos of what you love the most.
Follow the steps of this tutorial to make your favorite memories glow in front of your lamp – print them on vellum and enjoy how they make the room light up.
14. Repurpose Old Umbrellas into Lampshades with no Effort
Alright, you got us – this is not exactly a tutorial, but it’s an idea that is so fantastically unique that we just can’t ignore it.
Forget about any superstition you may believe, umbrellas make beautiful lampshades, and they add a touch of whimsical creativity that is hard to imitate. White umbrellas, in particular, look beautiful under the right lighting.
15. Make Your Lampshade Look Like a Gorgeous Bouquet
Regardless of personal style or decoration, flowers remain a perennial decoration item that can match anything. This tutorial takes advantage of that everlasting beauty and designs a lampshade that resembles a bouquet.
A fair warning – make sure to use silk flowers, as they provide the best effect!
16. Create a Stunning Lampshade Sphere out of Paper Crafts
Who didn’t play with a paper fortune teller during childhood? It’s one of those quintessential crafts that every child knew by heart.
But did you ever consider using them to make a lampshade? No? Worry not, this tutorial did it for you, and the results are lovely! Put together, they create an elaborate, sophisticated-looking sphere that will catch all stares.
17. Use Rope to Make this Eye-catching Lampshade
What do a cylinder vase, colorful paint, some rope, a balloon, and painter’s tape have in common? Nothing at all, except that they are the material needed to make an eye-catching lampshade from scratch!
The tutorial features a step-by-step guide on how to make this lampshade, but still allows plenty of room for your creativity and artistic impulses. Give it a go!
18. Make an Industrial-Style Lampshade with Concrete
The industrial look is in, and so is everything concrete. The rustic, unpolished look it gives is a long-time favorite and makes it ideal for lampshades.
Use two plastic bottles as molds, organize them according to the instructions, and let the concrete do the rest—you’ll be amazed at the results!
19. Use Metallic Painting to Unleash Your Creativity
It’s true – some of the tutorials in this article are a tad bit complicated for newcomers to DIY crafts.
For those of you that crave the simple things in life, this tutorial is what you need. A cheap, white lampshade can transform into a geometrical masterpiece with some painter’s tape and metallic paint spray. Give it a go!
20. Repurpose an Old Sweater into an Eye-Catching Lampshade
All of us have an old sweater we no longer use. Instead of throwing it away, give it a second life as a lampshade.
Don’t be intimidated – it’s far easier than it seems, does not have any additional cost, and it’s done in less than 20 minutes.
