DIY Lampshades

A few years ago I bought a pair of basic lamps at where else...TJ Maxx. Basic black post, neutral linen shade. Then I decided I wanted to them to "pop" a little bit. I went through my acrlyc paint container and picked out 3 neutral colors: white, ivory, and khaki. I cut a stencil from the bottom of a cup and traced circles all around the shade. After squirting various plops on paint on a paper plate I went to work. Not wanting every dot to look and same, I dipped and swirrled until all the circle were filled. Finished?...not really. When the shade was dry I put it back on the lamp and turned it on. The light flooded through the linen and all of my cute dots turned to dark...not good. So, I took the good old aluminum foil from the kitchen, a roll of scotch tape, and lined the inside of my shade. It was super easy and only took about 5 minutes. I tore the foil into several sections and folded each one to fit. I taped each section at the top, middle and bottom. If it's strong enough to withstand a hot oven, a 60 watt bulb should be no problem...

Here's the downside to lining the lamps...while it's great in the daytime and the dots really stand out, the lamps don't give out a lot of light. It's perfect for the bedroom, especially when one person is sleeping and the other turns their lamp on...light doesn't flood the room. I am happy with how they turned out, but wouldn't reccomend it for a living room.

Shine a little light on me!

Rachel :)