"We cannot hold a torch to light another's path without brightening our own." ~ Ben Sweetland
One of my favorite accents in Emma's room makeover is this sweet little lamp. I have long admired hand-painted, boutique-style, monogrammed shades carried by children's shops, but the custom look can be so expensive. At nearly $100 less, this personalized version gave us the look I wanted at a price that fit my budget.
My first attempt at this craft was a major flop! I wanted a pink shade, so bought a white paper shade and painted it with leftover pale-pink wall paint. {Genius, I thought.} I added white polka dots, a pink monogram and ribbon trim. It looked great! I placed it on the base and called the children in to see my handiwork. They were very impressed -- until we actually turned the lamp on. Lit with the glow of the bulb, the pink paint looked like streaks of mud! It looked so terrible, we all burst out laughing. I kept the shade because I'm certain it will come in handy someday for a devotional. The shade pictured above is the version that worked. Find directions below for this easy, inexpensive craft.
Monogrammed Painted Shade
Lamp shade
Round foam paintbrush
Acrylic paint
Pencil, optional
Paintbrush
Hole punch
Ribbon
Hot glue
Scissors
No-fray solution
Choose a lamp shade in the desired base color. Use a round foam paintbrush to add polka dots, and let the paint dry completely. Next, paint a monogram. I added the letter freehand, but you can lightly draw the design with a pencil first, if desired. Let the paint dry completely.
Use a hole punch to punch holes around the top and bottom of the shade. Space them easily by punching the first hole, then punch the second hole opposite the first. Make the third hole halfway between the first two, and punch the fourth hole opposite the third. Now you have four holes that divide the shade into quarters. Fill in with additional holes as needed, keeping the space between equal. Do this for the bottom of the shade, and repeat for the top. (Keep the positioning of your painted monogram in mind in spacing holes for the top of the shade, so you can center the bow.)
Thread ribbon through the holes along the bottom edge of the shade, starting and ending at the back. Tuck the ends of the ribbon under the shade and secure with a dab of hot glue. Thread ribbon through the holes around the top of the shade, and tie with a bow. Trim the tails of the bow to your desired length, and finish the ends with a no-fray solution.
Photo by Allison Hilyer. Used with permission.
