Preparing your lampshade

Preparing Your Lampshade

With your fabric now fully prepped, it's time to turn our attention towards getting the lampshade frame bound and ready.

What You Will Need

• Lampshade frame
• Cotton bias binding
• Needle
• Thread

Binding the Bottom and Top Ring

Step 1

Measure out 2 lengths of bias binding; one that equals double the circumference of the frame's bottom ring and one that equals double the circumference of the top ring.

Step 2

Turn your lampshade frame upside down, so the bottom ring is facing up. Take the end of your bias binding, and loop it around the first spoke and back on itself to secure it.

Step 3

Start to wrap the bias binding around the bottom ring. To begin with, you will need to use one hand to hold the start point in place, and your other hand to wrap. Once this is secure, you can use both hands to wrap and ensure the binding overlaps continuously, is pulled tight and lies flat. Take your time - the aim is to achieve the neatest finish you can in order for your lampshade to have a solid and secure structure.

Step 4

When you come to a spoke, just continue with the same up and over weaving action. Ensure you are distributing the binding evenly around the frame, as you don't want any areas to be too bulky.

Step 5

Continue around the frame until you end up back at the point you started.

Step 6

To finish off, continue wrapping the binding just past your starting point and pull tight. With one hand keeping it secure, use your other hand to make a loop and thread the binding through to create a loose knot.

Step 7

While the knot is still loose, flatten out the binding and make sure it isn't folded over or creased. Once you're happy, pull taught to create a tight, flat knot.

Step 8

Take a threaded needle, and add a few stitches back and forth to secure the knot in place.

Step 9

With the binding of the bottom ring complete, you can now move onto binding the top ring. Follow exactly the same steps, ensuring the finish is neat and flat with no gaps or bulkiness.