T
The Daily Insight

Can I cover a lampshade in wallpaper?

Author

William Smith

Published May 15, 2026

Can I cover a lampshade in wallpaper?

Covering a drum shade with wallpaper or fabric can give it a custom look. In fact, it’s one of the easiest DIY lampshades possible to make. Expect it to take one to two hours to make your fabric or wallpaper lampshade. Using wallpaper tends to go faster because it’s stiffer and stays in place better than fabric.

How do you brighten a lamp shade?

Add 1 teaspoon of liquid laundry detergent, baby shampoo or dishwashing liquid to the water for cotton or synthetic lampshades. Swish the water with your hand to make suds. For extra whitening, choose a laundry detergent that contains oxygen bleach. Hold the lampshade by the metal frame and lower it into the water.

Can you put paper on a lampshade?

Paper is perhaps the easiest material to apply to a lampshade frame to create a finished lampshade. You can purchase handmade paper at most art stores that is large enough to fit a lampshade. Paper can also be punched, pierced and carved into intricate patterns and shapes before being applied to the frame.

Can paper lamp shades catch fire?

Paper lamp shades and paper lanterns pose a fire hazard, and when not used properly, the risk of fire increases. If you wish to use a paper lamp or lantern, follow all safety precautions. Tests we have conducted indicate that paper wrapped around a 100 watt incandescent bulb will ignite in about 6 minutes.

How to choose the best lamp shade for your home?

You can browse our full selection of replacement lamp shades and use the filters under “Refine” to narrow down your choice to exactly the type of shade you’re looking for. We offer decorator-quality lamp shades as well as all the necessary guidelines to assist your selection, like tips on how to measure a lamp shade.

How do you make a lamp shade out of fabric?

Clear a large work space and then remove any decorations from the old shade. Use a pencil, tracing paper, and a yardstick or ruler to measure your lamp shade and create a template. Use the template to cut out your fabric. Then spray the fabric with adhesive to attach it to your shade.

Are there shades of light for table lamps?

There is perhaps, no quicker, easier way to give a living room or bedroom a facelift than to top off your light fixtures with new style. To that point, we have the latest styles in shades for table lamps and floor lamps as well as chandelier shades and wall sconce shades.

What should I do if my lamp shade is ruined?

If the old fabric of your shade is torn or ruined in any way, you’ll want to remove it before you recover the shade. Remove the trim (if there is any) by pulling on it; it should come off easily. Using scissors, puncture the old fabric and gently cut sections away from the frame.

What kind of wallpaper to use for lamp shade?

Wallpaper – Choose your wallpaper carefully, you want to make sure that the pattern is right for the lampshade. Smaller patterns are better, and think about the direction of the pattern. A roll of wallpaper will not be wide enough to fit round your shade widthwise.

How do you make a shade out of wallpaper?

Turn one of the ends representing the shade height over 1/2 inch. Make sure the wrong side of the wallpaper or fabric is inside the fold. Lay the drum shade on its side, and align the shade’s seam with the unfolded height end of the wallpaper or fabric. Roll the wallpaper or fabric a few inches onto the shade.

Can a table lamp be covered with wallpaper?

Floor lamps and table lampshades benefit from the wallpaper covering, along with lampshades for hanging pendant lights. To add decorator style above a dining room or kitchen table, cover the small lampshades on your chandelier with wallpaper.

There is perhaps, no quicker, easier way to give a living room or bedroom a facelift than to top off your light fixtures with new style. To that point, we have the latest styles in shades for table lamps and floor lamps as well as chandelier shades and wall sconce shades.