#tipsandtricks

Sep 27
5 min

Tips and fixes to help prevent and resolve Lampshade Seam Issues

Once in a while, you may experience an issue with your lampshade seam. It could be due to the type or thickness of the fabric you’re using for your outer shade and whether you’re making lampshades to sell, or just for your own home, it’s tricky to know what to do. In this blog post, we’ve compiled tried and tested techniques and tips for use on the kind of lampshade seam issues our fabulous Facebook Lampshade Makers group experience, to help you solve them too. Caving Seam Wh

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Sep 6
5 min

Back to Lampshade Making School - Tips & Techniques to Create Amazing Lampshades

Whether you need a quick refresher course or are completely new to lampshade making, today we’re taking you 'Back to Lampshade School' with a post filled with tips, techniques and insider knowledge ensuring every handmade lampshade you make is truly top-of-the-class! From using a kitchen mug to our top taping tips, there's no doubt our quick and easy lessons will take your lampshade making to the next level. We can feel a few gold stars coming on! Preparation Press, press and

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Aug 11
4 min

New Lampshade Shape - How to make a Y-Frame Lampshade

New, novel and completely unique, our Y-Frame Lampshade ring set will certainly add a point of difference to your room! A shade like no other, the three arms create the Y or propeller shape, which is a fantastic vehicle for a plain fabric which enhances the unusual shape. For double the impact, pair with an eye-catching pattern! Read on for more information on the materials you need and our step-by-step tutorial packed with plenty of hints and tips, to help you make this quir

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Jun 2
4 min

Lampshade Hack #8 - Jubillee Ribbon Pinch Pleat Shade

We couldn't let the Platinum Jubilee slip by without celebrating the occasion, so we've taken inspiration from a vintage lampshade style - the pinch pleat shade - and added our own modern ribbon twist. Using royal blue striped ribbons, matching bias tape and a Conical Lampshade Making Kit this shade hack is packed with new, but easy to grasp skills and we think the result is definitely fit for a queen! What you’ll need to make your Ribbon Pinch Pleat Conical Shade 30cm Conica

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May 12
3 min

How to Use a Rolled Edge Creasing Knife to Cut Lampshade Panels

If you’re wanting to explore bespoke sizes or shapes of shade, or simply enjoy cutting your own lampshade panels, then you need to know about the Rolled Edge Creasing Knife. Essential for adding the perfect fabric margin to your lampshade panels, to give your lampshade a professional edge, this clever tool scores the perfect ‘kisscut’ into your lampshade panels, which is then removed. Quick and easy to use it's a great professional tool to have in your Lampshade Making arsena

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Apr 26
7 min

Tips and tricks to achieve a professionally tucked in lampshade edge

Tucking in your fabric seam allowance is the final stage of making your Lampshade Making Kit, which gives your shade a wonderful and professional crisp finish. Over the years, we’ve collected lots of useful information from our army of Professional Lampshade Makers, which includes tried and tested techniques, extraordinary tools and valuable tricks to get a perfect lampshade edging. In today’s post, we’re going to share them all! Tucking Tools Our obvious go-to choice of tool

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Mar 4
2 min

Mother’s Day Gift Idea - Make a Pamper Hamper with a Sewing Bin Kit

Showing your mum or someone you hold dear how much you love them is what Mother’s Day is all about and to celebrate we’ve turned our popular Sewing Bin Kit, into the ultimate personalised gift – a pamper hamper! By curating a selection of nice smellies, choosing a book they’ll enjoy and adding in a box of luxury chocolates, all your Mum needs to do is take some ‘me time’ to enjoy them. By carefully selecting a fabric that you know they’ll love for the outer of their Sewing Bi

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Sep 24, 2021
4 min

New Product - Introducing Pleated Lampshade Sleeves

It’s NEW product time and today we’d like to introduce you to our Pleated Lampshade Sleeves which are smart lampshade solution, in more ways than one! Made using neat accordion pleating, our Pleated Lampshade Sleeves are quick and easy to put together and will add instant sophistication to any room! Offering an eye-catching interior alternative to a shop-bought lampshade, our Pleated Lampshade Sleeves work in tandem with our stylish French Drum frames, which taper outwards fr

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Sep 7, 2021
4 min

BEAM - Making lampshades to expand your soft furnishings services

The skill of making bespoke curtains and blinds is not to be underestimated, as many curtain and blind makers will know. From initial measure up to the handover of the finished product, hours of work, skill and knowledge are put to use. But what if you, as a curtain maker, could add another soft furnishings skill to your repertoire to increase the services you offer? When changing the look and feel of a space, buying a new lampshade naturally goes hand in hand with changing o

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Sep 2, 2021
4 min

Introducing lampshade diffusers + bespoke fabric diffuser tutorial

'Diffuser' might be a new word for your lampshade lexicon, but they’re a handy addition to your lampshade making materials, enabling you to change the look of your shade and the light it emits. Far from dull, our diffusers come in a range of shapes, sizes and patterns and if you're keen to add another aesthetic trick to your arsenal, we'll take you through what you need to know about diffusers, as well as a handy tutorial on how to make your own from your chosen fabric. What’

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Aug 27, 2021
3 min

Introducing Self-Adhesive Textile tape and how to use it

As a follow up to our recent post on our fabulous and creative laminated parchment papers, we’d like to introduce you to their perfect partner – Self Adhesive Textile Tapes. Primrose yellow, bottle green, blush pink and mid grey are just a few of the 35 colours (yep – you read right!) that our Self Adhesive Textile Tapes are available in, meaning whatever colour you’re looking for we’re bound to have it! Not only used to create a strong bond at the top and bottom of a parchme

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Aug 11, 2021
4 min

Lampshade Inspiration - How to use laminated parchments

Parchment lampshades are back! Offering a delicate, soft glow and holding plenty of possibilities for creativity, their natural feel fits well with many interior trends. Just a small step up in terms of skill from making one of our lampshade making kits in this post we'll introduce you to five types of parchment and tips on how to finish your parchment shades. The Story of Parchment Over the years lampshades have been made from many materials and parchments, although used pre

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Jul 6, 2021
2 min

DIY Tutorial - Make and Paint Kit Scribble Sharpie shade

Our Make and Paint Lampshade Making Kits are for exactly what it says on the box, making and painting, but in our quest to try new, inspirational and creative ideas for our lampshade making kits we’ve taken another much loved products, the humble Sharpie Pen Set, and put the two together. The results? This Sharpie Scribble Shade DIY tutorial. Born from a simple crafting technique that makes ‘squiggle gift wrap’ using brown paper and a bunch of felt tip pens (try it, it’s real

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Jun 25, 2021
3 min

Lampshade Kit Hack #7 – Applying bias tape to a shade

As well as being the creative vehicle for making your bespoke lampshade, our Lampshade Making Kits can be added to with easy #hacks delivering a shade that's even more unique. In this post we show you how to add bias tape around the top and bottom of your shade, giving it a polished professional finish. Whether you buy off-the-shelf bias binding (check out our range of patterned bias binding) or make your own in a matching fabric, this clever technique can be used with fabric

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Feb 24, 2021
3 min

Lampshade Kit Hack #6 - Starry Night Lampshade + FREE Template PDF

Highlighting our professional cutting service in our last blog post got us thinking that it would be fun to explore a DIY version of the same thing and this effective star cut out hack was born! Making shades for a children's room opens up plenty of cool creative ideas and we think kids will love the soft glow of the stars shining through the fabric. The stars are a simple design, the perfect unisex lampshade and with all of our drum lampshade making kits, this can be used as

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Jan 29, 2021
4 min

Lampshade Kit Hack #5 - Happy Holidays Map

Hands up who’s dreaming of a holiday escape? 🙌🏻 We Britons love our holidays - a day by on the beach, playing in the sand and sea rounded off with a fish and chip supper. We thought we’d capture those happy holidays with one of our Rectangle Rounded Lampshade Making Kits and in this DIY tutorial we’re going to show you how to make a lampshade using a paper map. Whilst this project uses regular lampshade making skills, there are a few differences when working with paper, but

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Jan 4, 2021
4 min

5 resolutions to kickstart your lampshade making year

Happy New Year! We’re finally in 2021 and we’re hoping it’s a better and brighter year for everyone. To celebrate our craft and your passion, we'd love you to kick off your lampshade making year with a bang and encourage you to try something new and exciting in 2021. Whether you’ve been considering making your first Dannells Lampshade Making Kit for your home or are already an accomplished shade maker, take inspiration from and get creative with, our 5 resolutions to take you

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