DIY Lampshade

I'm a DIY girl, if you didn't know.  So, when I couldn't find a lampshade for my desk to suit my classroom décor and style, I decided to buy some fabric and do a little DIY.  Here is the final product, then you can read on if you're interested in how this project was completed.

This summer my number one goal school-wise was to finally get my desk area organized.  I have a large teacher desk, but still it seems like there's always stuff piled everywhere.  I purchased an inexpensive Closet Maid shelf to aid in giving me some vertical storage. 

Then, I purchased an inexpensive lamp from Target with a plain white shade to cover and personalize.

 

These are some of the basic tools you might use... measuring tape, cutting mat, hard-edged ruler (for straight cuts), and a rotary fabric cutter.  Scissors do the job nicely, too.  ;)

The first step is to measure around the shade.  I purposely chose a shade that was shaped like a cylinder and not a cone.  That way I could cut a simple rectangular piece of fabric and it's much easier.  You'll need to measure the height as well.  I added about an inch or so to those measurements to overlap around the shade and to overlap along the top/bottom edges.  I just mark the measurements with a sharpie on each edge, then line up the ruler with those marks, and cut.

 

 The next step is to adhere the fabric to the shade.  I purchased a can of spray adhesive.  Any brand will do.  Go to a well-ventilated area (outside) and spray the entire outside portion of the shade. 

Wrap the fabric around the shade, being careful there are no bubbles and it's nice and smooth.

I used Aleene's Tacky Glue to adhere the edges down.  I think there are better products for adhering fabric, but this was all I had at the time so I went with it.  It works fine, it just gets the fabric a little "wet" until it dries.

Once that was done, I wanted to finish off those inside edges so they didn't look frayed and uneven.  I applied more Tacky Glue and ran a strip of black ribbon around the edge.

The last step was to add a decorative ribbon trim around the bottom.  I love red, so red it is!  I love the little pom-poms, too.

Here is that final pic again.  I am loving the way it turned out and I'm feeling great about my desk organization to start off the new school year!

TPT Sale Starts Today!!

Woo Hoo!  It's the big back to school sale at TPT!  Everything in my store is 28% off when you use the Promo Code below.

Click Here to shop!

 

Happy Shopping and best wishes for a smooth Back to School!

Pennant Banners

If you're like me, your summer days are dwindling and you're busy planning and setting up your classroom.  This summer I created some pennant banners for my room to use on my bulletin boards.

This banner tops off my word wall.  I made this set in Red Polka Dot to match my room colors.  I'm thinking I'm going to add a bow where the two ribbons meet in the middle.

I plan on using these pennants for other bulletin boards in my room as well.  The ideas are endless:
"welcome"
"daily 5"
"math focus wall"
"mrs. yourname's class"
"reading & phonics"
"who's in 1st grade?"

Notice the punctuation I used in those examples?  Periods, hyphens, apostrophes, ampersands, commas, and question marks are included. a-z alphabet and numbers 0-9 also included.

If you like them, my Pennant Banners in Red Polka Dot are available in my TPT store.  I have several colors available in polka dot or chevron.  Click on the pictures below to view.

 
  
 


Thanks for visiting and good luck setting up your classroom for back 2 school!