Add A Pop Of Color With This Easy Painted Lampshade DIY

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I recently have found myself really drawn to British interior designs. Designs that are filled not only with color and pattern but which also juxtapose antiques and art with modern pieces and functionality. One common element of British designs, and a greatly rising design trend in general, has been the integration of fun, patterned lampshades. Whether pleated with fabric, patterned with wallpaper or hand painted with floral or geometric forms, integrating unique lampshades in a space can be a great way of adding a touch of personality while generally keeping update costs low. After finding a simple neutral lamp while at a flea market, I figured this would be a great opportunity to add a bit of interest and pop of color to our nursery with this easy painted lampshade DIY project. So, if you have a lampshade or space you are looking to add a little pizazz to, this is the perfect afternoon project to add to your list!

Lampshade Inspiration 

When thinking of integrating patterned lampshades, there are a plethora of options to consider! Do you want to wrap it in a pretty fabric or wallpaper or would you prefer a hand painted vibe? Is your lampshade pleated or scalloped or textured in some way or do you have a fairly clean base to use as a starting point? 

While I love the look of each design whether fabric covered, wallpaper involved, painted, pleated, scalloped etc. I was starting with a fairly simple base and already had some paint samples on hand I wanted to repurpose so I opted for a hand painted design. Most hand painted designs tend to feature variations of: 

Knowing both my painting abilities (which are limited) and my previous design choices (already integrating a gingham pattern on the nursery crib skirt and that a floral pattern might be a bit too feminine should our gender surprise baby be a boy), I narrowed down my options to either the angular forms or scallop details. 

Ultimately, I felt the angular forms became a little too “circus-y” in comparison with some of our other selections and instead opted for a simple scallop border along the top and bottom of the lampshade to mimic the other arced forms of the crib mobile and mirror within the space. 

Painted Lampshade DIY: Materials 

• Fabric lampshade – Mine was thrifted, but these are similar: option 1 | option 2 | option 3
• Paint – I used THIS paint sample, color Green Smoke from Farrow & Ball
• Circular object 
• Pencil 
• Paper
• Tape 
• Scissors
• Paintbrush 

Painted Lampshade DIY: Steps

1 – First begin by cleaning up your lamp and lampshade, particularly if using a second hand or flea market find. Wipe down any dust and remove any stains as much as possible if present. While my lampshade did not have any stains, it was quite dusty and dirty, which I found was best removed with a lint roller and damp paper towel. 

2 – Once your base is clean, collect a few round objects (roll of tape, jar lids, coasters, coins etc.) to trace to create circle templates. Cut out each circle and then cut each in half to create semi circles. These will become templates to test for your scallop details. 

3 – After your circles are cut, hold them up to your lampshade to see which circle size gives you the scallop design you desire. I opted for a medium scallop size, which I created by using a roll of tape as the circle template. When your scallop size is decided, repeat step 2 again once or twice to create 4 to 6 scallop semi circle pieces. 

4 – Next, arrange your scallop semi circle templates around the base of your lamp so that the scallops point upward. Tape these templates to your lampshade to lightly hold them in place. 

5 – Using a pencil, gently trace around each template to create a scallop detail. Move your 4 to 6 template pieces around the lampshade as needed to create a fully scalloped border. 

6 – Once your bottom border is finished, move the scallop templates to the top of your lampshade, with the flat top still pointing up, leading the scallop to point down. Using a straight edge, try to align the center drop of your first scallop with the upward point of a scallop on your bottom border. This will allow your border then to be just offset from one another. Tape down the templates and trace lightly with a pencil as in set 5. 

7 – When both borders are completely traced, use a small paintbrush and your paint of choice to fill in the scalloped border details. 

8 – Let your lampshade fully dry before standing back to admire your work! 

Final Thoughts

I have been SO pleased with how this painted lampshade DIY turned out! The scallop feels perfectly sweet for our gender surprise nursery, while the deep Green Smoke Farrow and Ball color adds a rich pop of color to the nursery scheme. While certainly not as elaborate as many of the British designs that began as inspiration, this painted lampshade DIY was an awesome afternoon project that was simple yet so impactful for our space. But I would love to know, have you ever tried a painted lampshade? Would you add this to your DIY bucket list? If so, be sure to like, save and share this post for later! 

Happy painting!

Chloe

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