Monday, January 19

DIY Dip-Dye Lampshade

There is something to be said for the plain white lampshade; it's classic, inexpensive, and goes with just about everything. But wouldn't it be nice to jazz up that shade with a special touch? A quick dip in Tulip fabric dye takes this lamp to the next level!
Best part of this project? It's crazy easy. You are four steps swap from something seriously snazzy.
Materials

1. Cloth lampshade. In this case, my shade was paper lined fabric (very common in home stores -cost around $10). Shades made from 100% paper will absorb the dye but it may not spread like fabric. Experiment!
2. Tulip Fabric Dye. Here I am using a .64oz bottle of Deep Sea blue. 
3. Water. About two cups. 
4. Paint Brush. 
5. Shallow tray slightly larger than your lampshade. I couldn't find a tray so I used a cookie sheet covered in a white plastic trash bag - this makes for easier clean up. 
Instructions
1. Use a wet paint brush to moisten the bottom rim of the lamp shade. Just brush it on lightly and give it 15 minutes to spread and absorb. The spread across the surface of the fabric quickly.
2. Fill the bottle with water and shake.
3. Pour the dye into your shallow tray. (If it does not cover the entire bottom of the tray, that's okay, aim to have a generous amount in the tray - enough to easily slosh from side-to-side).
4. Dip the lampshade in the tray. After a few seconds, tip the tray from one side to another, allowing the dye to scoot up the surface. Because you pre-moitsened the surface in step one, the dye will travel quickly (see quick video here).

Let it dry overnight, and there you have it! You will notice that the dye will continue to travel over several hours. In my case, it creeped up another 2", then most of it stopped, while a small amount continued on even further, creating a lovely ombre effect. Happy accident! You could probably mimic that with a spray bottle, but keep in mind, this is not an exact science. Embracing the unpredictable is half the fun. Bonus: The gradient of the dye looks especially cool when the lamp lights up. 

Well, that's a wrap. Goodnight everybody!





8 comments:

Sarah Quamy said...

This is dreamy. I have five white lampshades in my house this minute. I have plans for all of them, mwahahahahaha!

Rella B said...

oooooh! I have a very boring lamp I want to try this on. Thanks for the inspiration.

Darmit said...

Great DIY lamp. Will surely try this at home. Also, found some more info about this exact lampshade here

skatiedoyle said...

Hi, Just saw this idea. I was curious if you tried dipping the shade instead of right side down, dipping it length wise so you get two gradient ends?

Unknown said...

Hello, I am wondering where you got the paint. I dont see the exact one you used on the link you provided.

Unknown said...

Wonder if u used a lighter color.. say.. sea green.. did the process and had it go up a few inches higer.. let it dry two or three days and go back with a beautiful blue but only go half as high and hopefully it would meld into part of the sea green.. do the lamp base in sea net and shells or spray adhesive sand and tiny shells.. drape a piece of sea net over the edge of the shade for a bit of romance?..uniquely_phyllis@yahoo.com

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