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You are here: Home / DIY Home Decor / Decoupaged Lampshade Makeover

Decoupaged Lampshade Makeover

By Tuula McPhee (This post may contain affiliate links.)

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How to decoupage a lampshade with postage stamps
DIY decoupaged lampshade makeover with postage stamps
Decoupaged lampshade makeover with fun and colorful postage stamps

How to Decoupage a Lampshade

This decoupaged lampshade makeover project is an easy way to give a plain lampshade a fun and colorful new look.

front view of lampshade before makeover

I’ve had this one dollar thrifted lampshade around for what seems like forever, and it was long overdue for a makeover.

supplies used for lampshade makeover

Here’s my stash of postage stamps, which I have organized by color.

I’m not a stamp collector, but I love the way they look. These stamps were purchased specifically with crafting in mind.

lampshade and stamps for makeover project

This lampshade is very sturdy. It’s made of some kind of strong canvas material.

Applying Stamps onto Lampshade

applying stamps onto lampshade with decoupage medium

This is the kind of project that you just have to jump right into, without giving it much thought.

If I think about this kind of thing too much, I might never get started at all.

I just applied decoupage medium on to the lampshade, and put the stamps in place.

smoothing down decoupaged stamps onto lampshade

As I went along, I smoothed out the stamps with my fingers.

decoupaging postage stamps onto lampshade

This is very much like a puzzle, especially when you make your way towards the bottom of the lampshade.

decoupaging postal stamps onto lampshade

It’s helpful to have different sizes of stamps to pull from.

decoupaged stamps on lampshade

That way you can fill different sized spaces.

Trimming Stamps from Corners of Lampshade

trimming off stamps from edges of lampshade

After you’ve applied one coat of the decoupage medium to the stamps you can easily trim them with an xacto knife. The trick is to let the blade do the work. You don’t need any pressure at all.I

If you fold the stamps over onto the other side of the lampshade you’ll be able to see that when it’s lit up, so it’s best to cut the bits off.

covering all sides of lampshade with decoupaged stamps

I finished all four sides, just sort of winging it as I went.

trimming stamps off the corners of lampshade

And then I trimmed off the final corners.


Finishing Touches to Decoupaged Lampshade

light sanding of corners of decoupaged lampshade with fine grit sanding block

A light sanding with a fine grit sanding block s a good idea to smooth down any bits that might be sticking out on the corners.

light sanding of decoupaged lampshade with fine grit sanding block

Also, it’s a good idea to do this on the flat surfaces too, but make sure to support the lampshade with a hand underneath.

And this is just a light sanding, not much pressure needed.

decouapged lampshade drying after several coats of decouapge medium

I gave the decoupaged lampshade three light coats of the decoupage medium, with a light sanding in between.

At this point you could glue some kind of trim around the top and bottom if you wanted to, but I kept it natural because it goes with the outlines of the stamps. You could also put some kind of trim down the outside corners, but again I decided to keep it as is.

There’s no right or wrong here. It’s really just about personal preference.

Views of Finished Decoupaged Lampshade

first side of lampshade makeover with decoupaged stamps
fourth third side of lampshade makeover with decoupaged stamps
third side of lampshade makeover with decoupaged stamps
second side of lampshade makeover with decoupaged stamps

I love that all four sides are different, but similar at the same time, and all it takes to get a new look is to rotate the shade.

front view of decoupaged stamps lampshade when lit

And here’s one side lit up so you can see how it looks. It takes on a sort of antique-ish feel because of the creamy color of the lampshade material underneath.

Supplies for Decoupaged Stamp Lampshade

  • sturdy lampshade
  • postage stamps
  • decoupage medium
  • foam brush
  • xacto knife
  • fine grit sanding block

side view of lampshade before decoupage makeover

Here’s a side view before.

side view of lampshade decoupaged with postage stamps

And the after.

front view of lampshade before decoupage makeover

Here’s the front view before.

front view of decoupaged stamps lampshade makeover

And the after.

I wanted a colorful sort of random mosaic look, so my focus was on the colors and shapes of the stamps rather than what was actually depicted on the stamps.

You could easily use stamps that are all one color, or you could go crazy and use one color per side. ๐Ÿ™‚

Hmmm, now there’s an idea I might have to try next time. I’ve been know to like a little, or a lot, of crazy in my home’s decor.

Please pin to your favorite board.

Decoupaged lampshade makeover with fun and colorful postage stamps

If you enjoyed this project you might also enjoy there decoupage stamps projects.

Decoupaged Vintage Magazine Table

Decoupaged Bracelets, and Floral Earrings

Decoupaged Vintage Sifter turned Pencil Holder

Thanks so much for reading and until next time,

keep on keepin’ on!

XOX

Filed Under: DIY Home Decor Tagged With: Decoupage Projects, Postage Stamp Projects

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Judy Inukai says

    July 22, 2020 at 9:32 am

    What a fun project. I think I may have enough postage stamps from the ones my husband has been clipping off envelopes to cover a small shade.

    Reply
    • Tuula McPhee says

      July 22, 2020 at 7:34 pm

      That’s awesome Judy! This is a great way to create a unique lampshade. No two would be alike.

      Reply
  2. Olivia says

    July 22, 2020 at 9:36 am

    Love how the postage stamp lampshade turned out. I have done one in fabric before using the same method. My fabric was the size of the lampshade. I like all your fun crafts.

    Reply
    • Tuula McPhee says

      July 22, 2020 at 7:35 pm

      Thanks Olivia! I’ve used fabric for makeovers too. Lampshades can be dressed up in so many ways. ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  3. Sandra D. says

    July 22, 2020 at 12:20 pm

    Very creative!! I love the look of the lampshade! It would do great in a study, office, library, teen’s bedroom, etc!! Now to find those postage stamps I saved years ago! lol

    Reply
    • Tuula McPhee says

      July 22, 2020 at 8:23 pm

      Thanks Sandra! I hope you find your stamps. ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  4. Dona says

    July 22, 2020 at 2:31 pm

    You are really making good use of all those stamps! Need to get myself some! Another winner, girl! Dona

    Reply
    • Tuula McPhee says

      July 22, 2020 at 8:23 pm

      Thanks very much Dona!

      Reply
  5. MaryEllen says

    July 22, 2020 at 3:12 pm

    Such a cute idea! Such colorful stamps!

    Reply
    • Tuula McPhee says

      July 22, 2020 at 8:23 pm

      Thanks MaryEllen!

      Reply
  6. Marie-Interior Frugalista says

    July 23, 2020 at 10:20 am

    What a cool idea, Tuula! I love the new look and the shade looks so good against that pretty wall color of yours.

    Reply
    • Tuula McPhee says

      July 23, 2020 at 10:32 pm

      Thanks very much Marie!

      Reply
  7. Lora Bloomquist says

    July 23, 2020 at 10:27 am

    Looks awesome, Tuula! I love that vintage car stamp. Iโ€™ve got my dadโ€™s whole stamp collection packed away; canโ€™t wait to eventually get it out & do some projects with them!

    Reply
    • Tuula McPhee says

      July 23, 2020 at 10:32 pm

      Thanks Lora! I look forward to seeing what you do with you’re dad’s stamps.

      Reply
  8. Pam says

    July 25, 2020 at 1:29 pm

    Your lamp shade turned out beautiful Tuula! I always notice how polished and perfectly lined up and neat your projects turn out. Everything looks so professional. It just goes to show how patience and planning plays in to the outcome of your projects. I hope you, your hubby and all your kitty kids are staying safe and healthy!

    Reply
    • Tuula McPhee says

      July 25, 2020 at 3:31 pm

      Thanks so much Pam! I hope you and yours stay safe and healthy too. ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  9. Kaye Mangin says

    July 30, 2020 at 11:41 am

    Hi Tuula, The stamp lamp shade came out great. This is another great thing Iv’e seen you do with stamps. And thanks for the bunny story. We all need to step back and enjoy the things God sends us. There really is beauty everywhere.

    Reply
    • Tuula McPhee says

      July 31, 2020 at 10:06 pm

      Thanks Kaye! There is definitely beauty everywhere, even in our own backyards. ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  10. Carolyn says

    April 4, 2021 at 11:51 am

    Those stamps on that shade up against that wall could not have been planned and come out any better. All the colors look so great together.

    Reply
    • Tuula McPhee says

      April 5, 2021 at 10:22 pm

      Thanks so much Carolyn! This was a really fun project.

      Reply
  11. Kim S says

    April 4, 2021 at 9:43 pm

    Wow ! I’m loving this lampshade ….so much fun : ) Think this is going on my must try list as soon as I can find enough stamps to work with. Very creative !

    Reply
    • Tuula McPhee says

      April 5, 2021 at 10:22 pm

      Thanks so much Kim! I found my stamps in bulk quite a while back on etsy. They’re used and were sold especially for crafting purposed.

      Reply

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