Monday, July 25, 2011

DIY Lampshade Makeover

**I would like to note that I won't be very active this week because I will be busy at work and then doing whatever I can for my sister and her wedding that is THIS Saturday! SO I have some projects to share -- be ready for a week of crafts and 'how-to' posts. **

I worked my butt off trying to get this project together.  I first got the idea from here. I LOVED it. She did a beautiful job painting a stencil and making it look amazing. I didn't trust the way it would look on my lampshade and I can be heavy handed when it comes to painting PLUS I am impatient lol. SO I decided to paint a stencil onto some fabric and recovering the lampshade. It looked OK...
but it was kind of treacherous. ......

I hate to even share this with you because it is pretty bad BUT I think it is important to share the mis-haps in projects along with all the success.
So here we go...

This is what I started with:
 
This is the painted Fabric...
 
And how it would look with the light on...ICK!
Yeah -- so it is pretty bad and like I said, I hate to share it. BUT bad projects happen to good people haha!

Back to the drawing board I went....

I had another brilliant idea. I would cut out some fabric with my cricut and then re-cover the shade using the silhouette as the design.
Then I would use the cut-outs for the OTHER lamp shade and decorate a second lamp.
 

WELL the problem I ran into with the first design idea from round two was that the shade is tapered and NOT perfectly round.

Apparently with this silly project, third time was a charm for me. I went with the latter of the two ideas from the second round.
I cut out a bunch of the damask prints. Then, using the spray adhesive from this project in October, I sprayed the back of the cut outs and adhered them to the shade.
 

I am really happy with the outcome, even though it was not the look I was hoping to get. J really loves the way they look and I think it gives it a nice touch versus the lame boring lamp shade haha. Now to finish the other. =)

Have you ever had a brilliant idea that did NOT look like you envisioned??

15 comments:

  1. The third time is always the charm! It looks great! I love it!

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  2. i love the final outcome;
    i think you chose the best one!
    i love it

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  3. I think you are being too hard on yourself...it looks great! :)

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  4. So glad the fail was turned into a win! I like how you posted your fail....I never do that and maybe I should!

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  5. I love the finished product! Sometimes it takes a couple tries to be satisfied with a DIY project :)

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  6. I love love love the finished project!! So cute!!

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  7. the finished product turned out great!! you have more patience than me :)

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  8. how cool! i'm in the process of doing a lamp too!

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  9. Fantastic finished product Ashley!

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  10. Very cute! Do you have to have a special blade to cut fabric on the cricut? I didn't know this was an option. Love the shade!

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  11. Ooh, I love this idea! I'm actually searching for a lamp and I can't find one I like! Now I think might just buy a plain one and design my own!

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  12. I love the final result!! Way to persevere to the end!

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  13. Adorable! Looks like a new lamp (:

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  14. you are awesome! it came out fabulous! talk about perseverance! i would have given up by my second try, haha, but they do say, third times the charm.

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