Fix or Customize Paper Lamp Shade:

These paper lamp shades are not very durable and tend to rip quite easily  and they all have the same boring ivory paper, but with a little effort you can fix and or customize any paper lamp shade.

I purchased this Sore paper lamp shade from Ikea AS IS department for less than $3.00.  After leaving it in the box at the business not sure how to customize it, the next time I went to pick it up I noticed some roaches had left their droppings on it.  When I went to clean it, it began to rip.  I had to find a quick solution.  I decided to use some mod podge and paper napkins to fix it.  I searched for some paper napkins but I did not find any I liked.  Then the thought came “why not use some paper patterns?”

Bright idea!  I had some old Simplicity  paper patterns for a skirt in the attic and I went and got it.  The steps are as follows;

Items needed are mod podge (matte finish), water, brush, paper patterns or front layer of paper napkins.

Put the metal frame into the shade so that it is stretched open.

Rip some of the patterns or napkins into smaller pieces.

Pour some of the mod podge into a disposable cup and add 2 table spoonfulls of water per 1/2 cup of mod podge.

Starting from the top, apply mod podge with the brush to a small section of the shade.

Place a piece of the pattern or napkin on the glue and apply more mod podge on the piece and surrounding areas.

Place another piece slightly overlapping part of the previous.

Apply more mod podge and repeat the process, covering the lamp shade with the pattern or napkin.

When you are about two thirds done, stop and allow it to dry completely.

When dry, turn the shade over and continue the process from the bottom to where you left off slightly overlapping as you go.

Allow to dry completely and you have a new lamp shade in your choice of color and design.

Enjoy.