The lower half of the wall is painted in Resene SpaceCote Flat in Resene Swamp and the upper half is painted in Resene SpaceCote Flat in Resene Alabaster.
Sometimes, a perfectly functional solid-coloured lampshade can look a bit underwhelming in a room. The solution? Cover it with some patterned wallpaper, which is what I did using a roll of large floral Resene wallpaper. And, because there is a lot of wallpaper in one roll, I also used it to line some drawers and as an artwork by cutting out enough to fit into a frame. I still have a little left over, which I’ll use to wrap some presents.
You will need
- 1 roll of Resene wallpaper. I used Resene Wallpaper Collection 38821-1
- Old lampshade frame (try a secondhand store)
- Measuring tape and ruler
- Knife or scissors
- Double-sided tape
- Glue
- Frame (for artwork)
Tips
- A single roll of Resene wallpaper will yield several DIY projects
- If you can’t find a wallpaper to suit, use Resene Anaglypta wallpaper and paint over it in your favourite Resene colour
Instructions
How to upgrade a lamp with wallpaper:
Materials and tools
A close-up of all the materials and tools used in the project.
Step one
Measure the length and width of the wallpaper you need by running a soft tape around the drum shade. Add 2cm to fold over at the end, adding about 3cm to the width to allow you to fold the edges onto the inside of the shade.
Step two
Cut the length and width of the wallpaper using a large ruler and a knife or scissors.
Step three
Lay the piece of Resene wallpaper on a flat surface. Begin to glue (or tape with double-sided tape as an alternative) the inside edge of the lampshade 10cm at a time. The hot glue will dry fast, so do it in small sections.
Step four
Fold the Resene wallpaper around the bottom edge and onto the glue on the inside edge of the shade, pressing down to ensure it has adhered well.
Step five
Repeat this process around the shade. Leave the last 10cm free to allow for a fold once the other side is finished.
Step six
Flip the shade over and repeat the process. You may have to make a small cut for the wires that hold the shade together on this edge.
Step seven
Now that both sides are glued, go to the cut end on the face of the lampshade and fold it in to give it a nice tidy edge, then glue.
Step eight
Go back inside the shade and glue down the two 10cm edge pieces you left free. Hang up the lampshade.
Easy framed picture
- Buy a frame that suits the size of the print on your Resene wallpaper. This print is quite large, so I chose a poster frame.
Colours and wallpaper mentioned in this article...
More Resene wallpapers to try:
Product mentioned in this article...
Project: Nikki Kettle. Photography: Anna Briggs. September 2024.