Lampshade to Match Curtains

I want to share a great idea and one-day project I completed for my kitchen recently. I had just painted my kitchen walls a neutral gray and kept my cabinets white. The pop of color I added came in the black and white fabric I used to make the cafe curtains for the windows. I absolutely love this fabric. I needed to update the pendant light hanging over my sink. It was a basic white drum shade from IKEA that I hung with a light kit. The material on the shade was starting to fall apart so I decided to create my own shade with fabric to match the curtains.

Once I removed the old material I was left with just the wire frame. It was easier to work with when I put the frame over an old wine bottle to allow easy access to all sides of the frame. I measured the height I wanted my new shade to be and measured the circumference of the shade. I added 1/2 inch on top and bottom and to total length. I used fabric glue along the top edge of the fabric and folded it over the top of the frame carefully going around the entire circumference. I also folded over the vertical edge of the length of fabric and glued it to make a nice seam. Once I glued and attached the bottom edge of fabric to the frame, I used some clothes pins to hold it in place and allow it to dry overnight. The next day, I reattached my light kit and hung my new matching lamp over my sink.

So easy and inexpensive to make a cohesive kitchen. Thanks for reading.

less than 1 yard of fabric

drum lampshade

hanging light kit

fabric glue

I had this fantastic fabric and made cafe curtains for my kitchen windows. But the light hanging over the sink was old and starting to come apart. (It was an IKEA drum shade and light kit I hung years ago.) I removed the material and was left with the shade frame. I balanced the frame over a wine bottle so I could easily work with the frame and rotate it as needed.

I measured the circumference of the circular drum shade frame and added 1 inch to allow a fold-over seam. I also measured what height I wanted to make my new shade and decided on 8 inches. I cut a piece of fabric 9 inches high and by length + 1 inch. The extra inch allowed 1/2 inch fold over on top and bottom of wire frame and to allow a nice seam to cover the entire circumference.

I applied fabric glue to the top 1/2 inch of fabric the entire length and then carefully folded 1/2 inch over the top of the frame, pressing the fabric together to allow the glue to adhere. I did the full length of the top frame making sure to stop within 2 inches of the end of the length so I could fold over and glue a seam along the end of the fabric and then fold the final part including the new glued seam along the top. I used clothes pins to hold in place. I repeated this same step along the bottom of the shade frame making sure I carefully glued and folded a seam up over the wire frame. I clothes-pinned this seam too allowing the newly glued fabric to dry overnight.

The next day, I removed the clothes pins and checked to make sure all seams were secure. I reattached the light fixture and hung my new matching lamp.