fabric stamped lampshades!

when i did a little lamp shuffling after making the pottery barn inspired lamp, i had left one of our bedside lamps naked with no shade. we used to have completely non-matching lamps because i am apparently scared of anything being too matchy-matchy, but i have seen photos everywhere of matching lamps on either sides of the bed or between twin beds that look completely fabulous. so when i got these two lampshades in excellent shape completely free, i thought i'd at least try out matching lampshades on either side of our bed.

before:
[i tore off the thick top and bottom trim]

i've been wanting to add a touch of yellow since our room is kinda beachy, and i thought it would give a little sunshine-y feeling and a pop of color. but among all the yellow fabric from my stash, there wasn't a single piece that wasn't flowery... i wanted bold and graphic.

i had just bought some fabric paint [including yellow] to try freezer paper stenciling, and decided to really branch out and try stamping directly onto the lampshade with it. it worked out really well!

i started with these super cheap stenciling sponge brushes to make a perfect circle, and a plain old plastic juice lid to make a ring.
the stencil sponge is perfect for making a nice fat circle! i just loaded it up with paint and squished it gently with my hand inside the lampshade to give it a sturdy surface. same with the juice lid... although some of them i had to go back over once or twice to get a solid line.
i had a bit of a pattern in mind as i went, but just kind of made it up on the go. in hindsight, it probably would have worked better to sketch out a bit of a plan very lightly in pencil. it started to come together as long as i tried to keep the spacing even.
after the paint was dry, i planned to hot glued some rope-like jute to hide the torn edges where the old trim used to be, but i could never quite find exactly the trim i wanted.

so i put them in our master bedroom to see how they looked, and just couldn't get crazy about them. not loving it! sometimes [ok, often] that happens with me and my jump-in-and-go-for-it crafting style. while i thought they would be adorable for a kiddo bedroom or playroom, they just weren't doing it in the beachy-serene thing i have going in our bedroom.

i actually made these back in may... it is now november and they have sat there all these months, unfinished & totally wrong for the room. so, if you ever find yourself reading here & lamenting some unfinished project of your own, come back and have a look again at these sad, half-finished little lampshades.

ooh, and then check out craft fail, because it could make anyone feel better. i read it all the time because it usually makes me laugh that good weepy-hysterical-almost-crying laughter that feels so good. and then i do feel better.