How-tos & Tips

By Deborah in Summerville, South Carolina

A great example of a layered applique

This lovely stretch-style lampshade is hand-dyed silk, with the silk petals of the flowers applied with a glue stick (Nori rice paste would also work well; see Hardback Supplies; where there are other paste tips). To keep them from fraying, the edges of the petals are slightly burnt using a wood-burning tool (Sally said one could also use a candle, but that the fumes might be prohibitive). The rest of the decorations are painted on.

See Unsolicited Testimonials on the Shadecrafters.com site for another version of this technique. This link leads directly to Sally's shade, but if it's been a while since you were on this site, look around for larger versions of some of the shades in the banners—by the way, I need more shades for this site, too (opens in a new browser window).

By Sally Armiger
Sebewaing, Michigan

This shade is also a great example of the effect light has on layering. As you can see, the edges of the petals underneath show through when the light is on, which can also happen with painted and other decorations—darker colors under lighter ones show through and also change color. For example: when a red circle is half covered by a yellow square, the edge of the circle will not only show up, but the overlapping area of the square will be some shade of orange. This can be a swell effect when planned on, but rather frustrating when not.

How-tos & Tips Index

Soft Shade How-tos
Must-know Binding Info
Fabric Tips

Miscellaneous Decorative How-tos
If you've been a member for a while, you probably already have the first two items on this list, which have been updated, but are essentially the same. These are supplements to the book and done as PDF files that will open (in a new browser window) when you click on the link, and then should be printed and/or saved in your Lampshades folder.
The Traditional Way to Make a Tassel  Although this technique for making tassels is quite common and really easy, I didn't include it in the book because I had absolutely no luck making tassels of the type one would use on a lampshade by this method. Every thread I tried either clumped together, frayed, or was too thin. Then I discovered Pearl Crown Rayon, which looks almost exactly like the thread used for rayon lampshade fringe, and comes in gorgeous colors. (See YLI on the Embellishment Supplies list.)
Ruching and Ruffles  I came across an article on how to make shell ruching, and soon after discovered there are various kinds of ruching, all of which I was familiar with; I just didn't know the correct name. What I call double-edged ruffles in the book should be called single ruching. This eight-page supplement includes instructions on how to make four kinds of ruching, along with more on making ruffles.
Petersham Ribbon  The original grossgrain ribbon and much more suitable for this craft.
Bead Basics
Fun with Hem Facing

Hardback How-tos
All About Paper  This is a 10-page PDF supplement.
Working With Paper  Tips on working with paper (also included in the above PDF).
Clothespins vs. Bulldog Clips and Other Tips  Tips on the two kinds of clamps used to make hardbacks.
Quick Notes on Hardback Bindings  This started out as a note on the Hardback Supplies page, and ended up too long to leave there. It'll have more illustrations soon, but if I stop to do this now, I'll never get this site launched.
Colorizing White Paper  This includes information on Design Master COLORTOOL paint, along with spray paint and adhesive safety tips.
Get a Can-Gun  This gadget makes applying spray paint and adhesives so much easier.

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