Fabric Lampshade - DIY

When I found this beautiful fabric, I knew that I wanted to make a lampshade.  My problem - I hadn't a clue how to begin!  So the shade and the fabric sat for weeks.  Finally I gave it a try...

Although some tutorials suggest rolling the shade over the fabric and cutting, I always need a pattern.

So I made a paper pattern by measuring the shade (several times!) and adding 1/4 inch to all sides.  I pinned the pattern to the fabric, took a deep breath, and cut... 

my paper pattern is up in the right hand corner!

I folded the extra 1/4 inch and pinned it down on my ironing board. I find that makes ironing it much easier.  I repeated this on all sides.

pinned to ironing board

1/4 inch pressed down on all sides.

I began to spray my fabric adhesive and slowly pressed the fabric down.  I kept my folds on the edges of the shade.  The adhesive didn't dry too quickly, so I had time to make adjustments.

When I got to the back, I realized that my pattern hadn't been perfect.  I had to trim some of the fabric to reduce the bulk.

The project really was a lot easier than I anticipated, and I love the finished product!

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