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Personalizing your Lampshade using Trims, Fringe and Other Embellishments

I like to add a little personality to my home decor. Since I started out selling lamps, they are usually the first thing I dress up when I need to add a personal touch to a room. Often you can find a good quality lampshade at a garage or estate sale along with an assortment of fringe and trim. I like to use my coupons at craft stores to buy nice chainette and beaded trim. I have also bought plain lampshades and various trim on closeout. This is a set of instructions describing how to embellish your own shades.

Materials Needed

1. A Lampshade (New or Gently Used)
2. Tacky Glue or a White Glue
3. Scissors (for cutting trim and cleaning up edges)
4. Various trim (Chainette, Gimp, Beaded Trim, Lace, etc.)
5. Bullnose clips or clothespins (if you are using a standard white glue)

I'm using a store bought shade for this set of instructions, but you can use any lampshade that is in good shape. I like to use tacky glue because it holds onto my trims without the use of bullnose clips. If you would like to use regular white glue, you will need bullnose clips or clothespins to hold your trim in place.

I've decided to use a fringe with some trim on top. I lay out the chainette and trim on the table before I begin to make sure I like the blend of colors and textures.

I love the feather trim, but this time around I've decided to use the beaded trim with the large frosted circular beads and the black daisy trim. I start by putting a bead of glue around the bottom ring of the lampshade.

With the tacky glue, I can just place the trim around the edge and adjust it. The glue holds the trim in place. When I'm gluing the trim, I always use a piece larger than the area I'm covering and trim the excess. At this point I should point out that chainette comes with the bottom edge loosely sewn together. Do not pull off the bottom thread until you are finished trimming the lamp and the glue has dried. Once the trim is wrapped around the lamp, you can adjust it so that it is even all the way around.

I'm adding two more layers of trim, a beaded trim and the outside daisy trim. I add them both in the same way I added the chainette. I put a bead of glue around the base of the shade and I add the trim.

When I'm done with the bottom, I remove the bottom thread from the chainette and free the fringe. I add the black daisy trim to the top of the lampshade. In the picture above, I'm showing how someone would use the bullnose clips to hold the trim in place while the glue dried.

Because I'm not entirely happy with the way it looks, I decide to add a center to the daisies. This will bring more color and texture to the top of the shade. I happen to have some miniature brads in 4 different colors. I select 3 of the colors.

Using a wire cutter for jewelry making, I cut the tabs off the back of the brads and push them into the back of the head of the brad. I use a rhinestone/jewel glue to glue the brads into the center of the lampshade.

After I glue on the brads, I set the lampshade on top of a cone (a bottle works fine as well) and let my glue dry.

Alternative Embellishments

It's your lamp, feel free to experiment with many kinds of embellishments. You can use buttons, old lace, ribbons, appliqué, beads, game pieces, or silk flowers. The jewel/rhinestone glue works well for the small heavy embellishments. Fabric glue works well for ribbons and silk flowers.

You can use new or gently used shades. Embellishment can even cover up slight imperfections in a used shade.