Shades of colour

An old cream lampshade can be spruced up with the use of leftover paint. Many types of paint are suitable, including leftover emulsion or small pots of acrylic. However, fabric paint will bond well with the shade and should prove more robust over time, being less likely to flake off when dusted. The lampshade is cleaned with a damp cloth and left to dry before being painted. Masking tape can be used to ensure the first line is straight. After this, the following lines can be painted by eye, with a steady hand. The effect works best if a wide variety of colours of a similar tone are chosen. Brushes of different thicknesses are also used to create variety in the stripes. When finished, the lampshade is simply left to dry.