How to Make a Beaded Lamp and Wallpaper Shade

I was going to post the finishing touch on the creative wall  I have been working on in my studioffice, but the paint was not dry so I decided to post a project from my book, Instant Decorating instead.   The photo below shows a few decorating ideas for a little boy’s room. The lamp was made with all different color wood beads and wallpaper, but you could change the look entirely by the choice of beads and wallpaper pattern you choose.

Since I did this project a long time ago, I don’t have a before photo of the lamp.  It was a plain round blue ceramic base.  This room was my friend, Pam’s son’s bedroom.  ( Hi Pam – flashback time! )  I posted about the cardboard valances in the post – How to Make a Recycled Cardboard Window Valance. I will share how I made the Dalmatian blinds in a future post.

 

The lamp came to life again with the help of colorful beads and a cover made with wallpaper that simply fits over the existing lamp shade.

Trendy Modern Version:

For a grown-up style lamp use crystal beads for the base and your favorite wallpaper pattern for the shade.  Instant chic!

How to Make A Beaded Lamp Base

supplies needed:

• Lamp
• Wood beads- enough to cover base
• String
• Hot glue gun and glue sticks

1.  Remove shade from lamp and set aside. Knot one end of a piece of string long enough to go around the lamp base – plus 6 inches.

2. String beads until you have enough to go around the base once.

3. Place a line of hot glue along bottom edge of base. Tie strand of beads onto base and press into glue.

4.  Trim excess string, making sure no string shows. Repeat process, omitting glue until you reach the top of the lamp base.   Secure last row of beads with hot glue.  The hot glue is applied only on the top and bottom strands so beads don’t slip off.

 

How to Make the Wallpaper Lamp Shade

supplies needed:

• Lampshade
• Wallpaper border or wallpaper cut to height of shade
• Ruler
• Pencil
• Paper clip
• Paper hole punch
• 1/4-inch ribbon – circumference of top of shade plus 15 inches
• White glue

1. To determine amount of wallpaper needed, measure bottom circumference of shade and multiply it by 2 for length; height of shade is height of paper needed.

2. Lay wallpaper printed side down.  Using a ruler, measure 1/2-inch or pleat size you desire. Make a small mark with pencil.  Continue marking at 1/2-inch intervals across top and bottom on entire length of wallpaper.

3.  Lay ruler vertically to line up and connect the first two marks. Open a paper clip and use the point end to gently score the wallpaper by running it lightly against the ruler. (Practice this on an extra piece of wallpaper. You do not want to go through the paper.)  Continue to connect all pencil marks and score lines.

4.  Turn wallpaper over and pleat as you would a fan.

5.  Pinch sides of one pleat together, then using a paper punch, punch a hole about 1/4-inch below top edge. Repeat for each pleat.

6. Thread ribbon through holes and tie over existing shade. Make a bow or knot and trim excess.  Arrange pleats evenly around shade. Glue edges together in back with white glue.  If pleats do not lay flat, you may have too many, remove a few at a time and make sure each pleat has a crisp fold, or when pleats are arranged over existing shade, put a dot of hot glue under every few pleats to hold in place.