DIY Newspaper Lampshade Makeover

 I have had this lamp since, and I’m not kidding here, 1996.  I got it the year my husband I got married for our very first apartment together.  As you can see from the condition of the lampshade, it had seen better days!  The metal frame was rusting through the paper and, I can admit, my packing tape fix wasn’t the prettiest thing in the world.  🙂  You can’t even see the inside where the lightbulb had touched the inside and melted the plastic a little… and yet, the cute little lamp has just kept on doing its job and providing light for our family for 18 years now (I think there’s a life lesson or something in there somewhere or something).

Anyway, I decided that rather than throw the shade away and get a new one, that it just needed a little TLC and a major lampshade makeover!  I spray painted the lamp base a bright turquoise color first and then moved on to the lampshade.

Here is what you’ll need if you want to do this project as well:

• newspaper cut into strips of various widths, long enough to cover lampshade top to bottom
• Mod Podge
• foam brush
• scissors 

Using your foam brush and working in sections, apply Mod Podge to lampshade.  Lay strips of newspaper over Mod Podged areas and flatten and smooth as you go.  Overlap strips and continue until entire shade is covered.

Trim strips lengthwise as you work so the newspaper barely wraps around top and bottom of shade.  Allow Mod Podge to dry and then apply another layer over entire shade to seal down newspaper and give it a nice finish.

And you’re done!

 Here it is on the bookshelf where it now happily resides.

The newspaper is such a fun detail next to all the books we have on that shelf!  And this entire project took me about 20 minutes and cost next to nothing.  My favorite kind of makeover!

Do you have anything around the house you can breathe a little life into rather than throw away?  Give it a try!