Lampshade Tutorial

Have a plain old lamp shade that you want to spruce up?  Well, consider adding some crocheted ruffles. I was inspired by a fabric lamp shade that I already have and wanted to add the same look to another one. This is a free crochet pattern for your home decor.


 

First, measure your lamp shade to see how long the ruffle bands need to be. Now, you might have to experiment a couple of times to see how many chain stitches you need to make in order to achieve the right length (it really will depend on the thickness of the yarn and the hook that you choose). I would also recommend using a natural yarn because, when the lamp is on, a synthetic yarn might not react well to the heat source! I'm using a DK weight mercerized cotton yarn and an E hook.

Once you've got the right number of chain stitches, then single crochet in each chain across. When you get to the last stitch, put 2 more single crochet stitches in that chain, then don't turn, just keep single crocheting into the bottom of the chains all the way across. This way, you are still on the "right side" of the fabric. When you get to the end, put 2 single crochet stitches in that chain and slip stitch to the first single crochet.

For your second round, chain 1 and make 2 single crochets in the same stitch and in each stitch around. Your work is really going to start curling up on you, but that's ok, we'll straighten it out a bit later before attaching to the lamp shade.

For your third round, chain 2 and make 2 double crochet stitches in the same stitch and each stitch around. Experiment here with 1 double crochet and 2 double crochets in alternating stitches in order to have a less ruffled effect or 2 double crochets alternated with 3 double crochets for an even more ruffled effect. I used 2 double crochets in each stitch except for at the ends, where I did just 1 double crochet or single crochet stitch.

To prepare your ruffled band to attach to your lamp shade, you might want to first stretch it out on a soft surface (like an ironing board or where you normally block your finished items), pin down the band, and spray it with some spray starch or fabric stiffener in order to give some shape to your ruffles. Once dry, then sew or pin your ruffled band to your plain old lamp shade and voila!