The Spruce / Sarah Crowley
Painting lampshades is a fun and inexpensive way to tune up your decor.
There are countlesslampshade ideas to inspire you.
When it comes to paints, watercolors are among the least toxic types of paint you could use.
The Spruce / Sarah Crowley
You don’t need special protective equipment like a respirator, gloves, or goggles when using watercolor paints.
If you get watercolor paint on your hands or skin, it rubs off with soap and water.
Pick out three to six colors that work well with your existing decor.
The Spruce / Sarah Crowley
Pick a Lampshade to Paint
We opted for an all-white shade that had a felted design.
This built-in design gave us an instant pattern to follow instead of needing to create our own.
What Is Ombre?
The Spruce / Sarah Crowley
confirm you vacuum the fabric before the next step.
If a vacuum doesn’t work due to the fragile nature of the lampshade, try a lint roller.
Start Painting With the Lightest Color
Pick out your first color.
The Spruce / Sarah Crowley
Using a small paintbrush, paint the color onto the felted design.
Don’t worry if the paint goes outside the lines.
Tip
If you’ve never worked with watercolors before, it might take a bit of practice.
The Spruce / Sarah Crowley
Use the same paper towel technique to blend the excess color into the surrounding fabric.
The more layers you add, the more dimension the finished result will have.
Layer Darker Shades Last
Once the lampshade is entirely painted, add some darker colors.
The Spruce / Sarah Crowley
Paint the darker shades on top of the existing paint and blend it into the lighter colors using water.
The idea isn’t to paint between the lines but to create a blotted, beautiful mix of colors.
You might need to wait until the paint is fully dry to see what it looks like.
The Spruce / Sarah Crowley
Once dry, you might see spots needing some work.
Painting with watercolor is a forgiving process; there’s no harm in adding more paint at any point.
Each has its merits and drawbacks.
The Spruce / Sarah Crowley
You’ll likely need two even coats.
Fabric paint is another great option.
It should not crack or fade.
The Spruce / Sarah Crowley
The Spruce / Sarah Crowley
The Spruce / Sarah Crowley
