On The Tenth Day of Christmas

LAMP SHADE

Supply List

Lamp Shade (1.00)
Paints, Mists, Papers, Fabrics, etc.
Adhesives (appropriate for the mediums you are working with)
Needle and thread*
Decoupage*
Hair Dryer *

(not necessary for all methods of decoration...just the method I've outline here!)

Lamp shades are another fun way to use your creativity and a dollar to create the perfect gift for a loved one or friend. And best of all you can use virtually any medium to decorate them with (paint, paper, fabric, etc)...so use what you have! To find Lamp Shades at Rock bottom prices check your dollar stores, clearance sections at your Walmart or Target (where I found mine for $1.00), outlet stores that sell home decor such as Ross or Tuesday Morning, or even try online at ebay or overstock.com. Once you've found your shade, deciding on a basic color scheme and design would be beneficial so that you may work in layers. Now you're ready to start getting CRAFTY! Begin by choosing a method to cover your lamp. You could cover it with fabric, paint it, use paper piecing, leave it unfinished, or I chose to mist mine with a fabric mist (a lot like spray ink, but not water-soluble). These inks do have to be heat set, so I used my hair dryer (at a safe distance) to do so. Next I used a piece of bubble wrap and brushed it with white gesso and stamped it onto the surface of my shade. You want to make sure each layer dries completely before moving onto the next. So once dry I added my silk greenery using a needle and thread to tack it to the lamp shade in a location that I knew would be overlapped by my paper heart. The heart was a digital element that I printed out, trimmed and coated the back with a fast drying fabric adhesive. If you want you could place a thin layer of decoupage over the paper element to seal the edges, however I chose not to because I like the dimension created by the lifted edges. Then using a stencil, a stipple brush and some custom colored acrylic paint I added a little word art to my shade.

The layered collage look that I created on my lamp shade is just one of many ways that you could decorate your lamp shade...if this method suits you---well then you already to begin--if not, then I urge to experiment and find the right method for you and the person you are gifting! And if you'd like to learn more about layering and collage then you would LOVE Dina Wakely's Art Journaling classes available at Get It Scrapped. I love Dina's fun style and eye catching techniques, but the thing I love most about her classes is that she shares her process with you and essentially gives you the tools to develop your own style! Leave a comment in today's thread to be entered to win $30.00 towards any class at Get It Scrapped, including Dina's!