Lampshade Making
I’m always up for trying a new craft. Lampshade making wasn’t even something that I had considered so, when my other half gave me a Lampshade making course for Christmas, I was filled with intrigue! Based in Salisbury, we made a weekend of it, enjoy the Salisbury sights as well as some light fun (pun intended).
Overview
Budget: low to mid-range
Technical: Beginner
Location: Salisbury
Type of craft: Fairly unfussy - if you’re not a fiddly crafter, this could be a great course for you.
The course was held over an afternoon on a Saturday, and run by Lolly and Boo. Lolly and Boo not only run their courses but make lampshades on their site, mainly using Peony and Sage fabric which is be-a-uitful - perfect if you want a shabby chic home. There were about 10 of us there, sat in a horseshoe within the hall. All materials were provided except for the fabric - see the next section for more info.
Location
The course is based in Salisbury in a church hall, which I loved! There is parking there, and it was such a lovely, informal venue. Lou had also baked some homemade cakes and tea for a lovely mid-afternoon treat.
Homework
Lou did have fabric on sale there, which was gorgeous, but I would recommend taking some time to think about and buy some fabric before you go. I chose some dark grey fabric with a tree pattern which you can buy here, but linen, cotton and most light weight fabrics will work. You can make a ceiling light fitting or a table lamp so, if you’re making it for yourself, think about where it will go in the home as this might help with your fabric inspiration. Take a look at my lampshades to see the different styles you can create.
Teacher
Louise was a good, patient teacher. She gave lots of helpful hints and let everyone take their time. Being quite an impatient person, I found the course a touch slow at times, however, it was necessary as you don’t want to make any mistakes. And it’s nice to go a bit slowly, right!?
How many lampshades can you make in a day?
You can make one lampshade in a day. It can be a ceiling lampshade or a lampshade for a lamp/table lamp. You can choose from different sizes - 15cm, 20cm or 25cm from memory - and a drum or more of a cone lampshade.
Best bits
It was a really achievable course! It was easy to follow the step by step process, and you were given the step by step guide afterwards. It was a really satisfying craft for me; it was technically challenging enough without being too difficult, yet you created a real piece of interior design at the end of it which was so rewarding. Lampshade making is so addictive as well—see my range of homemade lampshades that I went on to make as a result of this course!