With just a bit of wallpaper, you can upgrade a lampshade and personalise it to your space
The lower half of the wall is painted in Resene SpaceCote Flat in Resene Swamp and the upper half is painted in Resene SpaceCote Flat in Resene Alabaster.
Sometimes, a perfectly functional solid-coloured lampshade can look a bit underwhelming in a room. The solution? Cover it with some patterned wallpaper, which is what I did using a roll of large floral Resene wallpaper. Because one roll of wallpaper contains a lot, I used it to line some drawers and also created artwork by cutting out enough to fit into a frame. I still have a little left over, which I’ll use to wrap some presents.
What you will need to update your lampshade
• 1 roll of Resene wallpaper. I used Resene Wallpaper Collection 38821-1
• Old lampshade frame (try a secondhand store)
• Measuring tape and ruler
• Knife or scissors
• Double-sided tape
• Glue
• Frame (for artwork)
Step-by-step guide on how to update your lampshade
1 Measure the length and width of the wallpaper you need by running a soft tape around the drum shade. Add 2cm to fold over at the end, adding about 3cm to the width to allow you to fold the edges onto the inside of the shade.
2 Cut the length and width of the wallpaper using a large ruler and a knife or scissors.
3 Lay the piece of Resene wallpaper on a flat surface. Begin to glue (or tape with double-sided tape as an alternative) the inside edge of the lampshade 10cm at a time. The hot glue will dry fast, so do it in small sections.
4 Fold the Resene wallpaper around the bottom edge and onto the glue on the inside edge of the shade, pressing down to ensure it has adhered well.
5 Repeat this process around the shade. Leave the last 10cm free to allow for a fold once the other side is finished.
6 Flip the shade over and repeat the process. You may have to make a small cut for the wires that hold the shade together on this edge.
7 Now that both sides are glued, go to the cut end on the face of the lampshade and fold it in to give it a nice tidy edge, then glue.
8 Go back inside the shade and glue down the two 10cm edge pieces you left free. Hang up the lampshade.
TIP
If you can’t find a wallpaper to suit, use Resene Anaglypta wallpaper and paint over it in your favourite Resene colour.
Easy framed picture
1 Buy a frame that suits the size of the print on your Resene wallpaper. This print is quite large, so I chose a poster frame.
More Resene wallpapers to try: Resene 1838 V & A Decorative Papers Wallpaper Collection 2311-168-04, Resene Asperia Wallpaper Collection – A55802, Resene Curiosity Wallpaper Collection 538236
Project by: Nikki Kettle. Photography by: Anna Briggs
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