Washi Tape Lampshade Lining

Have you seen the lamp selection at Lowe’s lately?  I was pleasantly surprised.  They have a lamp bar…choose your base, then choose from a selection of shades.

I found this shapely chrome lamp base and sleek black lampshade for under $40.  I actually liked the same lamp base in oil rubbed bronze with a white shade, but I wanted this lamp for some mood lighting in the master bedroom.  Black was definitely the way to go.  (Yes I actually assembled them on the floor at Lowe’s just to be sure.)

I love lined lamp shades.  Some are lined with paper, fabric, or even foil.  I wanted to try something a little more simple, forgiving, and removable.  I “lined” my black lampshade with washi tape.  I completed this project last week during the State of the Union address (good to craft during because there is nothing interesting to look at on the screen).

I played around with a few options until I found one I liked.  Washi tape is reposition-able which made this project much easier.  I liked a diagonal stripe affect.  The washi tape I used has tiny little grey stripes, but from far away looks almost solid grey.

I positioned my first piece of washi tape inside the shade at a 45-degree angle.  I left the piece of tape slightly long so it hung over the edge of the shade.  I used two smaller pieces of a different color washi tape as spacers.  I put my spacer pieces right next to my first stripe.  Then I put my next stripe butted up against the spacer pieces.  I applied tape only to the part of the lampshade touching my work surface and then rotated the shade as I worked around the inside.  The spacers helped ensure the stripes were equally spaced.  I went back and trimmed all the tape strips to fit inside the shade.  I found it easiest to make a crease with my fingernail where the tape met with wire at the top or bottom of the shade.  Then I pulled the tape up a few inches and cut on the crease line.  I pressed the tape back in place.

Since my lampshade has a slight taper, as I went around the shade the stripes changed direction.  By the end they were almost straight up and down.  I liked the effect, but if you want perfectly diagonal stripes all the way around you have to use a straight lampshade.

This lamp now sits in the corner of the master bedroom on top of the chest of drawers.  We have a dim 40-watt bulb in it.  When we want softer lighting in the room we use this lamp.  The lamp sits up pretty high, so the washi tape lining adds an interesting decorative element.  Up close you can notice the tiny grey stripes in the tape, but from a far it looks like wide stripes inside the lampshade.

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