Trash to Treasure Lamp Shade....literally!

Quite a few years back my husband and I were driving home from church on a Sunday afternoon, when something caught my eye. Was I seeing things or was it really and truly the lampshade that I had been coveting in a neighbors window for months, sitting in the trash!(I know, I know, thou shalt not covet!) :) Lo and behold, it was THE lampshade! I told my husband to pull over cause I was gettin' that lampshade. I assume he thought I was joking cause he drove on around the corner to our house. :-/ I told him to leave the van running cause I wasn't kidding, I was going back for that lampshade! I won't go into the strange looks he gave me, but lets just say he thought I'd flipped my lid. :) I drove on back to the house and the lady that owned it was about to take a walk. I asked her if I could have the shade and she asked me if I'd re-cover it for her. ( it had seen better days.) LOL I told her I had never done that before and wouldn't want to disappoint her............soooo, she said I could have it. :) I really and truly had never covered a lampshade before, but figured I could try it for myself and if I messed up, I messed up..no biggie! I took home my prize and immediately started looking for something suitable to re-cover it with. I found some lining fabric that was thick enough so you couldn't see through it, but pliable and stretchy enough to hug the wire frame. I was able to save the vintage fringe and trim from the original covering, so glad too.....the trim is about 1 1/2" wide! I used the old fabric from the lamp as a pattern and allowed just enough extra for a seam allowance. I stretched the new shade covering over the frame and with some hot glue and a few blistered fingers later...........walla, a new shade! I LOVE this lampshade........I wish I had a before shot of it, but I wasn't blogging then and didn't think to take a pic. Just picture the shade how it looks now with a lot of water stains and a few tears from dry rot and you'll see what the old shade looked like then. :-D Anyway, this lampshade is HUGE! It measures close to a yard across the bottom........fabulous for my floor lamp! So, if you happen to see an old lampshade on the side of the road, make sure your husband knows you're not joking when you tell him to pull over.................it'll save you some time from having to go backtracking. :) Enjoy your day and your dumpster diving! lol




isn't this vintage trim yummy!




You can't buy the color of aged fringe like this!



Here's my lampshade all redone and sitting in my foyer.........ain't she a beauty!! :) Not bad for FREE!!!

I'm linking up to:
Make it for Mondays @ Cottage Instincts
Met Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch
Show off your Cottage @ The house in the roses
Make Your Monday@ Twice Remembered
It's So Very Cheri
Trash to Treasure Tuesday @ Reinvented
DIY Day @ A Soft Place to Land
Blessings
MELISSA