Decorating lampshades can be a lot of fun as well as a great way to recycle an old lamp into something stylish. You can be as simple or as elaborate as you like when decorating lampshades. Shells, beads, fringe, braid, ribbon, rhinestones and tassels are just some of the things you could use for borders on the tops and/or bottoms of lampshades. Fabric paint and/or fabric can also be used to transform the shade itself. With just a little time, some inexpensive materials and a lot of imagination you can have fun decorating lampshades to suit any room.
Elegant lampshades can be made with a remnant of luxurious material, some beaded fringe and/or rhinestones. Use good quality fabric glue to attach the cloth to the shade. You can use velvet or satin or just about anything as long as you apply the glue carefully so it doesn't show under the fabric. An easy way to make a glamorous shade is to glue a piece of a feather boa as a trim on the bottom part of the lampshade.
For children's rooms, you can paint simple, whimsical designs onto the shade using fabric paint. These could be butterflies, cars or animals depending on the theme of the child's room. When decorating lampshades for children's rooms, you could hot glue novelty erasers onto the bottom or top of the shade for a border. Again, these could be any fun shapes to go with the theme such as a baseball eraser border for a sports-themed child's bedroom.
A beach-themed lampshade may work well for a cottage. You can make a seashell border and maybe stencil on a design such as a starfish or boat. Try decorating lampshades that are similar but in different colors and motifs to coordinate with each room in the cottage.
Simple, traditional shades can be made by gluing solid colored fabric onto the shade and adding a border of braid or ribbon. You can add more interest to this look by adding double rows of trim. Try one row in a different width than the other.