What type of fabric is best for lampshades?

We are often asked this question.

Ministry of Handmade has been making lampshades for many years and based on this large reservoir of experience, here’s the tips for choosing great fabric to make your lampshade.

Best tips:

1. Type – Cotton, linen, cotton drill, polyester cotton. They tend to “behave” well during the making process.
2. Weight – Light to medium weight is best. Heavier fabrics don’t let as much light through and they tend to be stiffer, so harder to work with.
3. Weave – Tight weave is better than a loose weave. Loose weave fabrics tend to fray more and they don’t hold their form well.

Fabric to avoid:

1. Indoor/outdoor fabrics
2. Really lightweight satins and silks
3. Heavy upholstery fabric
4. Fabrics that have voids, or are holey

Design:

1. Fabric with a strong grid design, i.e. vertical and/or horizontal lines are best suited for drum shades. If using this type of fabric on an empire shade be aware that the grid will slope away from vertical the further round the shade it travels.
2. Fabric without a strong grid eg. florals and abstract designs are suited for both empire shades and drum shades.
3. Fabric with a large design is not always suitable for small shades.

If you have any questions about this please contact Julie create@ministryofhandmade.com.au

Cutting Fabric for Drum Shades

1. For drum shades that are up to 40cm diameter, you can cut the fabric across the roll as shown in this diagram:

2. For shades that are over 40cm in diameter, you will most likely need to cut the fabric running down the roll as shown in this diagram:

> Fabric in our shop

> Lampshade Kits