You might recall that a long time ago I posted a to-do list. Or you’ve probably forgotten about it – I won’t blame you, it’s been a long time, afterall. So far we’ve finished the outdoor table (and matching benches), the gallery wall, and hung a poster. When I put it that way it doesn’t seem like we’ve done much at all… but we’ve also halfway done on organizing the “trastero” – we have to pick up a few more shelves before we’re completely done with that – and we’ve also built the barstools for the kitchen. We haven’t done the finish yet (that’s why I haven’t blogged about them) because we’re getting the doors of the upper cabinets changed sometime soon, so we’re waiting for the new ones to arrive before we decide on a paint color or varnish. Plus, the drying rack area is also (almost) done – probably by next week or so! (crossing fingers for nice weather…)

We’ve also tackled item number four on the list – a lampshade for the spare bedroom. I had been eyeing drum pendant lighting for a while, but I didn’t find anything cheap that I liked. After a long, fruitless search, I finally decided to make one myself. I wanted a pattern that didn’t compete with the curtains, but that it was somehow related to them; this one from Orla Kiely seemed perfect. And it was easy enough for me to trace on fabric. Luckily, Ikea came out with a new shade, Lobbo (7€ in Spain), which had just the shape I wanted so I could use it as a starting point. It was very cheap looking (it’s plastic, afterall) but I didn’t mind because I was planning on covering it. I picked one up in white so the color wouldn’t show through, and I bought a cream, linen-like fabric also from Ikea, plus a lighting kit (I couldn’t find this one in the US store, sorry Here’s the US link – Thanks Kristen!). Here it is already mounted…

… but let me explain the whole process:

1. I chose the design and printed it out on paper. Before deciding on the size of the pattern I took into account the diameter of my shade. (Here’s a downloadable PDF in case someone wants to try it on their own)
2. I decided the shade was too tall relative to the diameter, so I cut it out a bit with scissors until I got the desired height. I did this after having the design picked out; but you can also do it the other way around.

1. I glued the fabric to the plastic – they sell the shade disassembled (only at Ikea!); but this time it was actually helpful, since I could lay it out like a piece of paper and it was easier to paint. I thought it was easier to paint the design after it was glued to the plastic (otherwise the fabric might not be as streched out as one would want). The glue I used was very heavy duty (and toxic; I had to let it dry outside) because anything else wouldn’t stick. I used clothespins to keep the fabric taut while I glued it. Having another person around to help you is also nice.
2. Then I used masking tape to paint a crisp white border on the top and bottom. (I used the same paint as I did for the Ikea rug – it worked just as well! and I still have a lot of paint to use up haha). The fabric might not look very streched out in this picture but once you assemble it it looks perfect.

1. After letting it dry, I used more masking tape to paint the “stems” of the design (after double measuring how many centimeters there should be between each one).

1. The last thing I did was trace the leaves. I marked where each leave should go for every stem; cut out a single leave out of my printout, and traced it lightly with a pencil. Then I just painted it with a brush.

1. When everything was dry, I assembled the shade (it took a couple of tries and the fabric un-glued itself from the plastic at the joint, but I just glued it back on). I was planning on hemming the edge, but honestly, you can’t really see it even though I cut it with scissors. Probably because it’s up high, and on the less-visible side of the room. The edges didn’t even fray.
2. Retouch the paint on the edge if necessary, and finish assembling the shade like the Ikea instructions indicate (don’t you find the Ikea instructions hilarious?) – you’ll have to punch out three holes on the fabric that align with the holes on the plastic shade; anything sharp will do since the holes are pretty small.

1. Use the Ikea lighting kit to mount it on the ceiling… it actually took us a while, and the shade is still a bit crooked, but we haven’t been able to figure out why. We’ll get to that soon enough. In the meantime, we get to enjoy a new shade – no more lightbulbs!

I really like how it turned out – and you can’t beat the price: 7€ for the lampshade + 3€ for the fabric + 2.5€ for the lighting kit = 12.5 euros! (we already owned the other supplies such as the glue, paint, brush etc.). Plus I like that it’s highly customizable – and if you choose an already patterned fabric, it’s actually a very easy and fast project: glue the fabric; assemble the shade; mount it on the ceiling; you’re done. I forsee more drum pendants in my future – what do you think?

What do you think? Share your opinion in the comments.