In Defense of the Crocheted Lampshade!

I’m a huge fan of lamps especially the chic and funky lamps that sport shabby chic-ness, coastal charm, southern kitch and usually at a hefty price. You know the ones I mean, mixed colors perhaps topped with a seagrass shade? Umhmm. My ‘old’ lamp had been basecoated in a flat white for quite some time and sat in her naked glory calling my name each time I passed through the room. Oh, I heard her loud and clear. As a self professed crafty girl the problem was not the crafting but the time required to do so. This week push indeed met shove. My lamp was reborn into a beauty….. with a crocheted lampshade!!! {yes, really!}

She was a tall skinny thing in her former life, rusty brown and half of a pair that formerly graced a buffet. Her shade has ‘great bones’ with an interesting shape….. it’s the fabrication that is sort of blah. The first thing I did was to paint areas of the lamp in a blue I mixed in acrylic paint a little bright Bahama Blue and a bit of Cream to mellow the tone out a bit. Then I wrapped the straight areas of the lamp in a flat tape that closely resembles raffia, just softer and more evenly toned. This ‘yarn’ was from Habu Textiles although I think you could use commercially available raffia or raffia yarn as well. I used a little dab of glue to hold the ends down into place.

Once the lamp was wrapped it was time to tackle the shade. I’d seen home dec blogs that used seagrass ropes, or taken apart placemats that had the ‘look’. You KNOW the one I mean! I had another idea. Using a Size J crochet hook and very little tension I crocheted a mile {not really, but it felt like it} of the raffia looking tape…. not even crochet per se but simple CHAIN. Using straight pins I crocheted quite a bit and pinned to the existing shade. Crocheted chain again, etc— etc., until I reached the end of the shade.

When I reached the end of the shade and it was well covered I had to decide what to do about the “exposed” part. I knew I would leave the top of the shade, it’s pleats and trim are very interesting. After a bit of experimentation I left the bottom plain as well rather liking the change in the two materials.

I like it…… and think that the money saved means new shoes! 😉