Lamp Shades

Cheap Lamp Shades

If you see cheap lamp shades for sale, chances are that those lamp shades are perfectly practical but not very pretty. The most beautiful beaded lamp shades and those made from wonderful fabrics such as silk and pure linen are generally not the lowest price lampshades you can find. The cheap shades are probably in quite plain colors and shapes but in many ways that doesn’t matter if that is what your lamp base needs. If you have a very beautiful table lamp sometimes the best way to set that off is with a very simple square or drum lamp shade in cream or white. That way the base gets all the attention it deserves.

Very simple plain lamp shades are most in keeping with contemporary interiors however. In a traditional environment, it is better if your lamp shade has a touch of elegance and, in that case, fabrics and decoration matter.

If you need a fancier lamp shade but you have a limited budget then you have a few options.

Discount Lamp Shades

One way is to look for discount lamp shades which were quite expensive at full price but which have been reduced. You will find these in designer outlet centers and in the lighting department of department stores at sale times as well as in exclusive specialized lighting stores.

Self Adhesive Lampshade (CLICK IMAGE FOR DETAILS)

Self Adhesive Lampshade
(CLICK IMAGE FOR DETAILS)

Decorate a Plain Lamp Shade

Another way is to buy a cheap lamp shade in a plain color and fabric and give it the designer touch by decorating it. You probably can’t imagine how many trimmings there are which would work to give your lampshade a unique design, but there are endless variations. You can get some great ideas by looking in the haberdashery department of a big store where they sell trimmings by the meter or yard. You will find all kinds of edgings which you can attach to your plain shade with a glue gun. There are things like fringing made with beads which are fantastic as they catch the light and many different embroidered braids as well as feather edgings for an exotic look.

Cover Your Lamp Shade

Yet another option is to cover your lampshade with exotic paper. You will find some beautiful hand made papers in craft shops. You can do this most easily with a drum lamp shade or a conical one with straight sides. Other shapes are a bit trickier to deal with. Roll you lamp shade over the paper and mark the edges to form a template, then cut out leaving a small margin for overlap. Wrap the paper around the lamp so it is a smooth fit and then use a good glue on the overlap to keep the cover in place. You make can make this even easier if you use a self adhesive lamp shade as then all you have to do is cut out fabric or paper following the included pattern and then apply it to the lampshade.