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Decoupage Lampshade with a Vintage Inspired Look

Let Hammer Like a Girl show you how to create a decoupage lampshade with your favorite vintage graphics and patterns. Love the results!

Skills Required: Beginner. You’ll be cutting pages and applying them to a lampshade with Mod Podge. There is a lot of room for error given that the pieces you are working with aren’t large.

Let Hammer Like a Girl show you how to create a decoupage lampshade with your favorite vintage graphics and patterns. Love the results!

A while back, we made a lamp from an old tripod. It needed an unusual lampshade so we made one from galvanized duct work. But time went by and it was time for a change – something lighter and brighter and funkier.

When I think funky, the first thing that comes to mind is 60’s fashion (doesn’t everyone?). I grabbed old paper magazines from that era and decided to create something more along the lines of farmhouse decor. With a wooden tripod lamp base, I’m really happy with the way this DIY project turned out!

Learn how to create a decoupage lampshade below.

Decoupage Lampshade

Gather These Supplies

  • Plain white drum lampshade
  • Paper ephemera (we used a 1960’s McCalls Pattern and Home Decorating Magazine)
  • Mod Podge Matte
  • Paintbrush
  • Paper cutter (scissors would also work)
  • Scissors
  • Tape measure
  • Large paper, for pattern
  • Pencil
  • X-Acto knife
  • Flexible tape measure
  • Cardstock, for pattern
  • Clamps & something to clamp the shade to (we used an old car jack) OR just use the lamp base if it’s a table lamp

We found our lampshade at a lighting outlet store for $5, which made us pretty happy.

White drum lampshade in a plastic wrapper

We gathered up our wacky old publications and pondered a theme for our decoupage lampshade. Farming? Literature? 60’s fashion won out, primarily due to those bows on the models’ heads.

Stack of vintage 60's magazines including Coronet, Harpers Magazine, McCall's Patterns

And the mother/daughter dress-alike duo (and the mother’s hair.)

Vintage 1960s clothing ad with a mother and daughter

And the stylish dresses . . .

Vintage ad from a 1960s magazine with two women wearing colorful dresses

and the most subtle advertising (in the whole wide world):

A vintage ad that says "the most unique fabric service in the whole wide world"

To start, measure the circumference and height of your lampshade.

Hand holding a measuring tape on a white drum lampshade

Mark the dimensions out on a large piece of paper. This helps you decide how many pieces you need, how you’ll organize them, and the pattern you want to make.

Of course you can freehand it and just simply Mod Podge directly to the lampshade.

Rectangle drawn out on a brown piece of paper with a tape measure

Select interesting pages/patterns, remove from magazine by slicing along binding with an X-Acto knife.

Kleencut scissor ad from a vintage magazine

With a paper cutter, cut crooked, irregular strips varying from 1/2″ to 1″ wide. A pair of scissors will work too, but you will need more patience if you go that route.

Using a paper cutter to cut vintage magazine pages

Place the strips onto the template and start laying out the design. We alternated three black & white text strips with one color strip so the design would have obvious stripes. We kept the color palette limited to reds, oranges, and greens so it wouldn’t get too busy.

Vintage magazine strips laid out on a paper template

Clamp the lampshade to something (we used an old car jack) or attach it to the lamp base, so it is suspended above the working surface and so the shade can be rotated easily as you work your way around.

White drum lampshade clamped to a car jack

Working with one strip at a time, apply decoupage to the shade and the back of the strip. Smooth down. Let the tops and bottoms of the strips hang free.

Adding Mod Podge and paper strips to a lampshade with a paintbrush

Gently press down the Mod Podged strip with the brush, holding it in place with the other hand. Work your way around the shade, slightly overlapping the strips.

Press down Mod Podged strips with a brush, holding in place with the other hand

When you have covered the entire shade, let it dry overnight. If you like the “I need a haircut” look, you are done now.

Decoupage lampshade with untrimmed paper pieces

If you don’t, it’s time to clean your decoupage lampshade; give it a trim and fold the edges to the inside of the shade. Start by folding one of the strips to the inside and marking where the paper needs to end.

Using a pencil to mark where the strips should end

Using that measurement, make a little cardstock template.

Cardstock template held up against the untrimmed paper

Mark the trim line all the way around the lampshade with a pencil. Repeat along the bottom edge.

Marking the trim line all the way around the lampshade with a pencil

Trim along the pencil marks with scissors. Repeat on bottom edge.

Trimming along the pencil lines with a pair of scissors

Working in sections of about 5″, apply Mod Podge to the area where the paper will fold over.

Applying Mod Podge to the edges of the trimmed paper with a brush

Fold the paper over with your fingers, pressing down as you go.

Folding the paper over the edge of the decoupage lampshade

Repeat, repeat, repeat, for the top and bottom edges. You may need to go back and press down certain areas. This part is a little tricky, but it will give you a nice clean edge. Apply Mod Podge to the turned over edge.

Applying Mod Podge to the top edge of the lampshade with a paintbrush

Wait for a couple hours, and then coat the entire shade with Mod Podge.

Applying Mod Podge to the outside of the decoupage lampshade with a paintbrush

That’s it! A decoupage lampshade is a pretty easy project with plenty of room for error. An added benefit: when the lamp is on, there’s interesting show-through from the inside.

Finished decoupage lampshade on a tall lamp stand

Good luck and let us know if you try this! To read about some of our other projects and exploits, visit HammerLikeAGirl.com.

Mod Podge lampshade with vintage magazine pages
Close up of a decoupage lamp shade
Yield: 1 lampshade

Decoupage Lampshade

Mod Podge lampshade with vintage magazine pages

Learn how to decoupage a lampshade with vintage themed magazine pages! This is such an easy project with a cool effect.

Prep Time 1 hour
Active Time 2 hours
Dry Time 12 hours
Total Time 15 hours
Difficulty Easy
Estimated Cost $10

Materials

  • Plain white drum lampshade
  • Paper ephemera
  • Mod Podge Matte
  • Large paper, for pattern
  • Cardstock, for pattern

Tools

  • Paintbrush
  • Paper cutter or scissors
  • Pencil
  • Craft knife
  • Flexible tape measure
  • Clamps

Instructions

  1. Measure the circumference and height of the lampshade using the tape measure. Mark out on a piece of paper.
  2. With a paper cutter, cut irregular strips varying from 1/2" to 1" wide.
  3. Place the strips onto the template and start laying out the design. We alternated black and white with color and kept the palette limited so it wouldn't get too busy.
  4. Once the pattern is laid out, clamp the lampshade to something to hold it while you're working.
  5. Working with one strip at a time, apply decoupage to the shade and the back of the strip. Smooth down. Let the tops and bottoms of the strips hang free.
  6. Work your way around the shade, slightly overlapping the strips. When you have finished, let dry overnight.
  7. Go around the top and bottom of the lampshade, marking (with a pencil) where the strips should end so you can fold them over.
  8. Trim along the pencil marks with scissors. Repeat on bottom edge.
  9. Working in sections of about 5", apply Mod Podge to the area where the paper will fold over.
  10. Fold the paper over with your fingers, pressing down as you go. Hold down if necessary, and apply more Mod Podge.
  11. Wait for a couple hours, and then coat the entire shade with Mod Podge.

Did You Make This Project?

Please leave a rating or share a photo on Pinterest!


For more vintage themed decoupage projects from Hammer Like a Girl, visit these posts:

Last Minute Lynn

Monday 31st of March 2014

I love your lampshade! The excellent instructions will be so helpful as I copycat your brilliant design!

Mary Beth @ Cupcakes and Crinoline

Sunday 30th of March 2014

I love this ~ such a great way to ad vintage fun to your decor!

Hammer Like a Girl

Monday 31st of March 2014

Thanks Mary Beth! We love vintage - especially when it's given a little modern twist.

Emily @ Two Purple Couches

Sunday 30th of March 2014

This is so cool! I love the alternating strips of color and text!

Hammer Like a Girl

Monday 31st of March 2014

Thank you Emily!

Beverly {Flamingo Toes}

Friday 28th of March 2014

Oh I love this! It looks like something you'd find at Anthro or West Elm. The retro prints are perfect.

Hammer Like a Girl

Monday 31st of March 2014

Thank you Beverly! I love Anthropology, although super expensive. This is a poor (wo)man's version of Anthropology!

Rosemary Palmer

Friday 28th of March 2014

Love it - I use a lot of old sheet music and maps for decoupage too, and think both of these would work too.

Hammer Like a Girl

Monday 31st of March 2014

Sheet music would be very cool, great idea. Maps would be great too - you could alternate water strips with land strips. In fact we have a bunch of topographic maps that we should try that with. Thanks for the idea, I think we'll steal it, if that's ok! :)

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