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Put a Bird on It

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January 4, 2012 By Jackie

It may be an overdone trend, but you simply can’t deny that sometimes you just have to put a bird on it. Well, a few years back I put a few birds on the lamp shades in our master bedroom and I still love them today. Just to be clear, they are our only bird related decor (if you don’t count a DIY ceramic owl or a mercury glass owl).  I was reminded of this project recently, when I again saw the inspiration in a Better Homes and Gardens magazine. I was originally inspired by it years ago and they recently republished the same idea in a new magazine. Obviously they still love it too.

DIY Painted Lamp Shade

It is a super simple project. You only need masking tape, contact paper, and acrylic paint. First, I masked off a 1/4″ band near the bottom of the shade. I painted in the band on each shade. To create the masking for the birds, I printed off a few bird images to create templates. I cut the birds out of the center of a small piece of contact paper, creating bird stencils. I stuck the stencils to the shade, resting the bird bellies on the wire. I painted in the birds. I like maximum effect for minimum effort, so I skipped putting birds on the back of the shades where they would not be seen.

The birds are a whimsical touch, but the simplicity of the design on white rectangular shades with chrome lamps keeps it modern.  The purple design and that adorable tray used as a coaster and catch-all, go perfectly with the fabric selections for the master bedroom.

You could also do this on a round drum shade (maybe a DIY drum shade pendant) or spruce up a plain pillow with some birds on a wire.

Okay, now you tell me where have you put a bird on it?

Sharing this project here:
House of Hepworths
Shabby Nest
Addicted2Decorating
Tatertots and Jello

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Comments

  1. [email protected] says

    January 4, 2012 at 2:16 pm

    I just saw this project in a magazine and thought that it would be fun to do. However, their how-to was not all that helpful. Thank you for breaking it down a bit more. I may give it a try. I don’t have birds anywhere in my home, but I thought it might be a fun way to spruce up the lampshade in my living room.

  2. [email protected] in a Row says

    January 5, 2012 at 10:12 pm

    Old trend or not, it is still stunning. I LOVE the simplicity of this!

  3. Sandy says

    January 2, 2013 at 7:59 am

    Love the idea! Trend or not, my love of birds is not going away anytime soon. If you love it and it makes you smile then it is timeless. Getting ready to burlap a lampshade and stencil a couple birds on it.

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I believe you are the best person to decorate your home. You just need a dash of courage and a dose of decorating know-how. That's why I created School of Decorating.

I know how frustrating it is to feel like failure at home. I also know how amazing it feels when decorating finally makes sense and your home reflects you. I want to share what I've learned so you can create a home you love without years of trial and error.

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