The Lavender Magnolia: June 2012

I love to makeover '80's brass lamps that I get from thrift stores. Many have great shapes and details, but the brass has pitted or is just no longer looking its best. Most of the time these lamps sit there without a shade on them, so I usually just go to Home Goods and get a pretty new shade to add to its new look. I did grab one a few months ago that had a paper shade on it. A little cheap looking and it had some dents and some spots on it, but I didn't want to throw it out (I hate throwing out something that has life left in it).

After a couple of months of staring at it, I grabbed some Onasburg fabric that I had and glued it on with some fabric glue. It was very easy. I used clothespins to hold the fabric in place while the glue dried. I then used hot glue to adhere the fabric at the top and bottom edges to the underside of the shade. Then I just trimmed the excess fabric down and waa laa, a new shade. I put it on a lamp I had to see how it looked. It was a bit plain and when I the turned the lamp on I could see the raw fabric edges through the underside which I hadn't seen while the lamp was off. I took the shade off and sat it on an empty dining chair until I could figure out a solution.

A few weeks passed and I was in my local WalMart, checking out the newly added sewing department. Can I just say that I am thrilled they added a sewing department to the store? It is only five minutes from my house and it takes me 30 minutes to get to JoAnns. Although the department doesn't have a lot of fabric, it has the basics and that makes me really happy! Anyhoo, I found the cutest trim. I can't decide if it is butterflies or some sort of free form flowers. I bought a couple of yards and went home and glued it to the top and bottom edges. I love it! I mean, I really love it. I love the burlap-y color of the Onasburg fabric with the pop of white trim. My local thrift store is loaded down with lampshades and they never sell. Now I may start making over those, too. So much cheaper than the $16.99 that I pay at Home Goods for brand new shades.