Marbleized Shades
Things to Do | Crafts
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With a couple of easy steps you can add swirls of
color to purchased lampshades -- giving them an elegant marbleized look.
Make Dad a shade to match his favorite room in the house.
What You Need:
- Metal pan
- Liquid starch
- Acrylic paints in Dad's favorite colors
- Skewer
- Small lampshade
- Waxed paper
You could use this same technique to marbleize fabric or card stock. I have
used red and pink to marbleize white handkerchiefs and then write on them with a
gold pen. The make great gifts for Valentine's Day, or do them in your Dad's
favorite team colors to give to Dad on Father's Day.
Instructions:
- Pour liquid starch into the metal pan, filling
about 1 inch. Drip desired colors of paint into starch. If the
paint is thick, thin with water to the consistency of cream. Use
no more than two colors of paint at one time. If more colors are
desired, let the lampshade dry, clean the pan, and repeat the
steps.
- Use a skewer to gently swirl the paints in the
starch. Do not overmix. The paint will float on top of the
starch.
- Carefully roll the lampshade over the surface of
the liquid. For darker designs, hold the shade in the solution
longer.
Remove lampshade from the pan and let dry on waxed
paper.
More Ideas:
- For an even more artistic rendition, add hand-painted
touches over the marbleizing.
- As a finishing touch, you can glue rick rack or fringe to
the top and bottom edges of the shade. Be sure to use glue
that doesn't melt with heat!
- Is Dad a sports fan? Top a sports-theme lamp with a shade
painted in team colors.
