The girls in preteens are usually very enthusiastic and choosy about their bedroom décor. This article enlists some interesting ways to adorn or make over lampshades for girls in their preteens.
All of the made over lampshades are guaranteed to be unique and guaranteed to fit well in the conventional pink or any other type of girly décor. Choose any of the makeovers to do alone or with the little girl. Be sure that she is going to love the finished product.
The starry night lampshade
If the little girl is used to sleep in some light, she is going to love this dreamy lampshade.
Materials required
Plain off white cloth lampshade, tailor’s chalk, pencil (optional), scissors, felt cloth in two colors, glitter glue in the same two colors, clear glue
The method
Draw stars in different sizes with a tailor’s chalk on the reverse side of the felt clothes. (Those who are not at ease using a tailor’s chalk can use a pencil.) Use a sharp pair of scissors to cut along the outlines of these stars. Stick the felt stars on the lampshade with the clear glue. For added oomph, outline some of the stars with the glitter glue. Draw a thin line with any of the glitter glues at the top and the bottom border of the lampshade.
The starry night lampshade looks the best when golden and silver colored felt clothes are chosen. In addition, tiny stars look better than the bigger stars. If you find it hard to outline the tiny stars, apply glitter glue on top of some of the stars. Make sure that you do not apply glitter glue on all of the stars to keep the details interesting and contrasting.
The Disney lampshade
If a little girl loves the Pooh, the Tweety, or any other Disney character, then this particular lampshade would be a treasure to her.
Materials required
Cloth lampshade, scissors, light colored pencil or tailor’s chalk, white/PVC glue, a brush to apply glue, pieces of fabrics with picture(s) of the girl’s favorite Disney character, its friends, and its accessories
The method
Cut the pictures of the Disney character, its friends, and its accessories using a sharp pair of scissors. Decide how you might want to arrange the pictures on the lampshade. If you are unsure, consult the little one. Mark the places where the pictures are to be pasted with a light colored pencil or a tailor’s chalk. Spread a very thin layer of glue diluted with equal amount of water on the lampshade with the help of a brush and let it dry. (This step is very necessary because the fabrics absorb glue. The pictures won’t stick to the lampshade properly if this step is missed.) Then apply glue on the reverse side of the picture and stick it on the lampshade. Smooth out if there are any trapped air bubbles or wrinkles. In the same way, stick all the pictures on the lampshade one by one.
The Disney lampshade looks the best when the colors of the lampshade fabric and the Disney figures coordinate well with each other and with the overall décor of the room. Also, keep in mind that for this design, ‘less is more’. Do not crowd the lampshade with too many pictures.
The fairy themed lampshade
I discussed the technique of this lampshade makeover in another article of mine. This particular idea employing the technique is specifically for the girls in their preteens.
Materials required
Any kind of lampshade, Fairy themed wrapping sheet, star printed tissue paper (the stars should be tiny), scissors, PVC/white glue, glitter glue (optional), clear varnish, a brush to apply glue and varnish
The method
Carefully tear around the fairies from the wrapping sheet. Apply glue on the reverse of the cut-outs and stick them around the lampshade. To fill up the gaps cut pieces of star printed tissue paper. Apply the glue in the gaps with a brush and stick the tissue paper in the gaps. The tissue paper may crumble due to the glue. Do not try to stretch the tissue paper to remove the wrinkles, as stretching can tear it. (The tissue paper wrinkles create an interesting texture, so do not worry about them.) When the glue is completely dry, apply a coat of clear varnish to finish.
The fairy-themed lampshade looks the best when the printed tissue paper and the wrapping sheet are in soft pastel colors. For added oomph you can choose to highlight a feature of the fairy (for example her dress or a piece of jewelry or her wings) with the glitter glue.
The jeweled lampshade
The preteen girls who love jewelry are going to go gaga over this lampshade.
Materials required
Cloth lampshade, towel, faux gems (in 3 colors) that can be stitched to the cloth, 3 needles, threads in the colors of the faux gems, clear glue (optional)
The method
Lay a towel on a table or any other hard surface. Thread the needles with the threads matching to the faux gems. Hold a gem in the hand over the towel and rest the lampshade over it. Starting from inside of the lampshade, stitch the gem with the lampshade. In the same way, stitch all the gems using their matching threads. People who are not familiar with this sort of needle work should use clear glue to stick the faux gems on the lampshade.
The jeweled lampshade looks the best when the colors of the lampshade fabric, faux gems, and the overall room décor coordinate well with each other.
The textured polka dot lampshade
This is a very easy and smart idea to make over any plain cloth lampshade.
Materials required
Plain cloth lampshade, textured cloth, scissors, tailor’s chalk, anything circular (for example a lid or a cork), clear glue, pencil (optional), a brush to apply glue
The method
Draw circles with the help of a cork or a circular lid on the reverse side of the textured cloth using a pencil or a tailor’s chalk. Cut around the circles with a sharp pair of scissors. (Do not worry about the stray threads, if any, around the circles. They create a nice rugged look.) Apply a coat of diluted clear glue with the help of a brush all over the lamp. Apply glue on the reverse side of one circle and stick it on the lamp. In the same way, stick all of the circles one by one on the lamp.
The textured polka dot lampshade looks the best when peach colored textured polka dots adorn a conventional pink lampshade.
Source(s):
Personal experimentation with lampshades
