Tutorial: Recovering a Lamp Shade

This is one of those projects that is really useful to spruce up a space. I purchased a lamp I loved… only problem was the stark white shade. I wanted the shade to go next to our office furniture, which is an off-white color. After assembling the lamp I realized the shade is custom fit to the base, so no other shade could fit. I had planned on buying a new shade, but that option was out.

So I found a couple tutorials online, merged some ideas together, and altered some of their suggestions to finish this project.

We love our lamp.

Here’s how you do it: start with your shade, a fabric of choice—only about 1/2 yard depending on your shade size (I recommend a thicker décor fabric), fabric glue, fabric scissors, tape, and a pencil. Pretty simple so far, right?

Lay your fabric out with your shade. Place the shade in the middle, then roll it to the right to trace it’s angle to one side, then roll back to the middle, then roll to the left to trace its angle for the other side. Trace both the top and bottom of the shade as you roll it. This will ensure the fabric follows the shade curve.

Next, add two inches to each side that you traced, and cut two inches away from this line. You’ll need to leave extra room on either side to fold. Then iron, iron, iron your fabric. Make sure all seams are out.

Then, take the fabric end and match it up to your shade’s seam. Before you glue it, hold it in place to make sure it is aligned to cover the shade evenly as it rolls around. Then run your fabric glue along the seam and secure the fabric end. If you have a thick fabric, you won’t have to worry about the glue showing through; if you have a thinner fabric, smear the glue with a paintbrush.

All other tutorials I read said to pull the shade around and tape it back at the original seam. I tried this and realized the shade wasn’t pulled nearly tight enough this way. I wanted it really really tight. So I began pulling the fabric as tight as I could, then gluing about every 6 inches around.

By the time I’d glued it all the way around, it was tight and easy for me to cut and fold the ends in without disturbing the body of the shade.

After it’s all glued, cut around each side, leaving about 1/2 inch of fabric to glue under.

Then fold the seam under all the way around to make sure it looks even.

And glue.

When you get to your final edge, glue it under so it follows the shade’s seam nicely.

That’s it! Very easy. Place your shade on and admire it.

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Onesie/Burp Rag Gift Set

Using a plain onesie (I buy them a bit big, as the sizing is always too small, for Gerber anyway), measure and trace a shape or letter of your choice onto fabric. Cut it out and sew the edges back.

Center width-wise and place a bit high on the shirt (so if the babe is wearing pants it won’t be covered). Sew through the middle and double stich around the edges.

Pair with some matching burp rags for an easy but cute gift. For one friend I did this after the baby came so I could do an initial of her name on the onesie. Personalized baby stuff is the best!

We had a last minute shower last week so I didn’t have time to make a blanket, but this was pretty quick.

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Fabric Sale

Love getting home fabrics for $3/yard! More to come on my projects with these.

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Holiday Gifts

This year I made Mitch’s family’s amazing caramels for gifts. More to come soon on that recipe.

For my best friends I filled these mugs with the caramels:

And for our neighbors we bagged them up.

Happy, very very belated, holidays ;)

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Whip up Something New

My friend Elise recently set up a blog challenge called Whip up Something New for those of us who have lists, links, books, and stacks of recipes we want to try but haven’t had the time or energy to do so.

The challenge is to create a new recipe each month and blog about it. Mine for January was Ina Garten’s Coconut Cupcakes. I’d heard so many heavenly things about this recipe over the years I was almost scared to make it… for fear that I would eat all of them in one sitting. Luckily at showers I can bring them all (or most of them) to give away and just keep a couple for sampling.

And note that in the reviews some people omitted almond extract—I think that would be a mistake. It really makes the flavor rich. I actually added extra so it would taste like marzipan.

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More Baby Gifts

I’ve been sewing up a storm over the past couple months… many baby blankets, nursing covers, onesies, burp rags, etc. for friends and family having babies soon. I haven’t remembered to take pictures of them all, but here are some. These things have become my go-to gifts for showers.

Blanket for my friend having a baby girl.It’s hard to see in the above picture, but this is the backing I use for my baby blankets… it is the softest thing I’ve ever felt, yet it’s thin and smooth so it sews well. I’m contemplating making myself a blanket with this!

I am a huge fan of this binding—so silky.

Here’s the nursing cover I made to go with it.

And a set of matching burp rags.

I have a couple more I wish I had shots of, so I’m hoping I can document better moving forward.

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Kids Room Letters

Made these for my little nieces and nephews for the rooms in their new house. Love scrapbook paper in young/kiddish prints.

Buy wooden letters at a craft store. Buy appropriate paper and lots of mod podge. Trace letters, cut out, and epoxy.

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More Fabric Banners

After making a girlish banner last summer for a friend’s bridal shower, I’d been wanting to make a more masculine one for Emerson’s birthday party, and other events.

The last banner was made of scalloped half-circles, but this one I made out of triangles, cut with pinking shears.

Make sure you make a triangle pattern in the size you’d like before you start cutting and sewing.Cut out pieces. I used 3 fabrics.

Arrange your cutouts in the order you like before you start sewing. I like it to be a little asymmetrical, so I mixed the patterns up a bit.

Sew triangles together, sides lined up.

Sew triangles to bias tape.

And it’s done! One of the quickest sewing projects around.

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Brownies with Pumpkin Cream Cheese Frosting

A nice alternative in the fall to pumpkin cookies or bread. Here’s what I did: took my favorite brownie mix (see below).

Made brownies and added chocolate chips to the batter. Made a basic cream cheese frosting (1 pkg cream cheese, 1 stick butter, lots of powdered sugar) and then added pureed pumpkin.

Frosted away.

MMMM.

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