When people decorate their rooms, most of them do not give a second thought about lighting and lamp shades. But you will be amazed what kind of special illumination rustic lamp shades can provide.

1. Paint a plastic lamp shade

If you have a plastic lamp shade which is in good order – just the wrong color – you may be able to spray paint it. Choose a non-flammable paint in a shade to suit your room and follow directions on the packaging making sure your shade is clean before you begin.

It is best to use spray paint in an area where you can’t do too much damage – outside if possible on a calm day and remember to protect the surrounding areas from getting accidentally sprayed with paint.

2. Cover a plastic or fabric lamp shade with a different fabric

Select a piece of fabric to cover your lamp shade which is one inch longer than the shade and about 2 inches wider. Stick the fabric to the shade using spray adhesive. Trim the extra fabric in the width to make a neat edge (or fold the edges to the inside).

Fold the extra length over the top and bottom edges of the shade, trimming and folding the edges to neaten. Secure with glue (a hot glue gun is ideal for this job)

If you prefer not to stick the fabric and don’t want a smooth fabric look, you can simply take a piece of fabric one inch longer and wider than your lamp shade and join the edges together to make a tube. Then hem the top and bottom forming a casing which you thread elastic through. Slip your new cover over the lampshade and it will stay neatly in place.

3. Add trimming to a plain lamp shade

You can add trimming to a lamp shade so that it blends in with your new decor either instead of covering it or in addition to changing the fabric covering. Visit a store to look for ideas – a curtain shop is great for this as they often have all manner of braid, beading and fringing used to edge curtains and pelmets.

You could also theme your lamp shade or base with the addition of small objects such as sea shells or seeds which are reasonably easy to glue in place. Actually you are limited only by your imagination on this one. Just make sure any fabric or trimming stays well away from the bulb for safety reasons.

4. Add a stencil

Add a stencil pattern on different types of lamp shades to match the theme and color of your new room. Stencils are available in many different patterns and themes so you are bound to find one to suit and they are easily obtainable online.

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