Not a sewer but love fabric? Refresh an old lamp with this beautiful Japanese block-printed fabric. Everything you need is in the one kit, including the easy-to-follow instructions, so you can’t go wrong.
Gather your supplies
Kit contents include:
- Tenugui fabric (choice of three designs)
- Pair of lampshade rings (choice of 20cm- or 25cm-dia.)
- Adhesive styrene sheet
- Palette knife
- Roll of double-sided tape
- Pegs
You’ll also need
Ruler; pencil; scissors
Here’s how
STEP 1 Roll out the adhesive styrene. Lay it flat on the wrong side of the fabric. Flatten it out with your hands but don’t roll it in reverse, as it can bend and create permanent fold marks that can show through the cotton fabric. Place it on the fabric and, trimming fabric if necessary, allow for a fabric ‘hem’ allowance of about 1.5-2cm on each of the long sides, with an overhang of up to 20cm on 1 short side (the width). At the other short end, the styrene should be flush with the fabric edge. Look at the direction of the fabric pattern and determine which is the bottom and the top of your lampshade. If you have a feature pattern with a distinct motif or scene, make sure the fabric is the right way up, when placing the lampshade rings.
STEP 2 Peel away a short section only of the paper backing from the sticky styrene at one of the short ends. Turn it over ready to place it on the reverse side of the fabric.
STEP 3 Centring it between the long sides of the fabric, place then press the styrene’s short end flush with a short edge of the fabric. You will have an even fabric ‘hem’ on both long sides. The exposed section of styrene will adhere to the fabric. Continue with rest of styrene. Peeling back a section of about 20cm as you go, continue to press the styrene in place across the fabric. If you have a friend working with you, get them to pull the fabric taut (but not so tight it stretches the fabric design) while it sits flat. You can then press the styrene down. If the styrene is not running parallel to fabric edge, peel it off and reposition.
STEP 4 Using scissors, trim the excess fabric at the other short end, leaving a ‘hem’ of about 1cm.
STEP 5 Using the double-sided tape, place a strip down the short side edge of the styrene.
STEP 6 Peel away the tape’s backing, press and stick the 1cm fabric ‘hem’ onto the styrene. This ‘hemmed’ short side will be the outer layer at the back of the shade, where the two short sides overlap.
STEP 7 Run double-sided tape along the same edge, on top of the ‘hem’. Keep it close to the edge. Leave the paper backing in place.
STEP 8 Using 1 of the lampshade rings, run double-sided tape around the outer surface of the ring until the ends meet. Ensure the wire ring is completely covered. Leave the paper backing in place.
STEP 9 Repeat Step 8 with the remaining lampshade ring.
STEP 10 Peel away tape’s paper backing, from 1 ring. Working from the untaped short end, position this ring at an edge of the styrene. Peg to hold in place. Position the spoked ring on the opposite side, ensuring the funnel shape of this ring points inward. Peg to hold. This will be the bottom end of the shade if decorating a lamp base.
STEP 11 With a hand on each ring, start to roll the rings like wheels. As you roll, the styrene will stick and begin to form a drum shape. Roll slowly so the rings stay in place, right on the edge of the styrene. The styrene must stay taut with no gaps between ring and styrene.
STEP 12 With the drum shade rolled, peel away the tape’s paper backing from the ‘hemmed’ short side. Overlapping the short ends, press ‘hemmed’ end on top of the raw edge, concealing it and to secure the shade’s back ‘seam’ or join. Run your finger up and down the seam.
STEP 13 Turn the drum right side up. If necessary, trim fabric overhang at top and bottom so it measures between 1-1.5cm. Around bottom ring, make a snip into the fabric at each spoke.
STEP 14 Working along the ring end, use your finger to push a section of the loose fabric over the ring and hold it in place. With palette knife in your other hand, use the head of the blade to push fabric into the gap between metal ring and styrene. Work your way around the ring, tucking in the fabric securely. With a bit of practise, this technique becomes much faster. If necessary, trim the loose fabric a little more if it’s too bulky to tuck in.
STEP 15 Repeat Step 14 for the other end of the drum shade. When you reach each of the wire spokes, neatly tuck in the snipped fabric on either side of each spoke
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