How to make a beaded lampshade

Make the pretty lampshade from our winning room.

Finished beaded lampshade project

You will need:

Wooden craft beads with good-size holes you can pass a wool needle through
Wool needle
Assorted ribbon
Resene testpots in colours that suit your room – we used:
Hot glue gun and glue (get adults to help)
Wire and wire frame or inside of a lampshade (you could recycle an old one)

Step 1
Paint wooden beads in assorted coloured paint then set aside to dry (thread the beads onto a pipe cleaner to paint them for clean hands). Prepare the lampshade frame. You may need to add wire supports as shown.

Step 2
Thread the first ribbon through the wool needle and start threading on beads in random size and colour order. You can adjust the spacing later.

Step 3
Tie the ribbon end to the frame, then push a larger bead over to hide the knot and loose end. Start weaving the ribbon in and out of the frame by going under then over both the top and bottom of the 2frame. Space the beads as you go.

Step 4
At the top and bottom of the frame glue the ribbon onto itself, making sure the ribbon is taut but not so tight as to bend the frame. It should also hide the frame. Keep threading and weaving.

Step 5
Change ribbon colour by simply tying together then push a bead over the join.

Step 6
You might want to use some painted beads as legs on the bottom. Glue them on with the hot glue gun. Make sure you use a low wattage energy-saving bulb.

Resene Half Alabaster

words and styling: Elizabeth Berge
pictures: Jason Berge

▸ Download a PDF of this article

summer 2010/2011

Search habitat magazine stories

Want to get your own free copy of future issues of habitat magazine?

Printed copies of habitat highlights are available from late March 2024 at Resene ColorShops and resellers, while stocks last. You can view back issues of habitat magazine online.

Specifiers:
- Earn CPD points reading this magazine – If you're a specifier, earn ADNZ or NZRAB CPD points by reading habitat magazine. Once you've read an issue request your CPD points via the CPD portal for ADNZ (for NZ architectural designers) or NZRAB (for NZ architects). Join our specifier and trade database...

If you have an idea, project or story that you think would suit habitat, we’d love to hear from you. Please drop us an email with your details and include photos if submitting a project.

Sign up for a DIY card and Save! Australia | New Zealand

› Return to Habitat 13

Resene Paints Ltd – www.resene.com