The Making of a Victorian Lampshade - Golden

Follow the making journey from wire to wonderful! My latest project is a golden gem of a vintage style Victorian lampshade with clean lines and beautiful textiles. This lampshade was made with no fringe or beads in order to showcase the beauty of the antique lamp.

Making Victorian Lampshade and antique lamp pairing

The completed project! Here, the finished lampshade is paired with a favorite antique lamp from my extensive collection of antique lamps. What I love about antique lamps is that they were made to last. In most cases, my lamps are over 100 years old and with new wiring, they will easily last another century under proper care. When paired with a handmade silk lampshade, the result is a stunning work of functional art.

Making the Victorian Lampshade

A few steps along the process! I sealed the beautiful wireframe to prevent rust because untreated wire rusts, even in the slightest humidity.

Next, I wrapped the frame, and added a stretched silk white lining.

In the third photo a new layer of gold silk charmeuse has been sewn to the lampshade, looking smooth, unpuckered, and flat. This is much more difficult to accomplish than one would think because stretching silk against curves can leave unwanted puckers. Here, the end result is no stretch marks or wrinkles on the lampshade.

The last photo reflects addition of beaded metallic couture laces on the sides, and design ideas for the central panel. I decided upon most elements in this design for the lampshade with exception to the antique net. Instead, I used a 1940’s antique hex net flocked with chenille dots, which gives the illusion of willow buds on the branches of the antique embroidery.

A brief view of flat seams with no stretch wrinkles. Professional quality construction is very important to customers.

The Finished Lamp

Design

The final design! A beautiful embroidered bird nested under antique textiles, surrounded by vintage trim in complimentary colors. The embroidery and trim colors enhance the beauty of the gold silk, creating a lampshade that is reminiscent of a summer day.

Beautiful unlit lampshade

Most of the lampshades I make look very different when lit, versus unlit. This effect is created intentionally. My goal is to create lampshades that are subtle by day, and vibrant by night, The lampshade, seen here in the unlit state, blends beautifully with existing home décor elements without appearing overwhelming.

Before and after

The before and after photos are a window into the creative process. It is exciting to see a creative vision evolved into a finished work. What do you think? Do you love before and after photos?

A short video of the making process and end result. All lampshade “making” videos are regularly posted to YouTube. Subscribe for more great content!

A final look at the finished project. For me, this lamp invokes memories of birds resting on centuries old statues in Europe.

---

About the Author

Crystal Hayes, Owner, Designer and Artist at Elegance Lamps

Crystal Hayes is a lifelong Seattle resident who gains inspiration from the natural beauty and vibrant arts communities in the Pacific Northwest. She thrives on creative expression resulting in unique Victorian lampshades, vintage lampshades, and lamps that can be used in everyday life. Crystal is entirely fearless when it comes to design, she is a perfectionist at construction techniques, and she proves that customer satisfaction still matters.

Would you like to request the creation of a bespoke Victorian lampshade or antique lamp? Let’s design something special that fits your unique specifications. Click the button below to get your project started!

Connect and Share

Help fuel the movement toward quality handmade artistic items made using trusted methods of the past!  When you follow and engage with artists on social media platforms, you support the arts, give small businesses well deserved attention, and encourage the creation of new art. Follow on socials: Facebook YouTube Tiktok Instagram and Pinterest.

Elegance Lamps Victorian lampshades and antique lamps

Where beauty and functionality meet.

Use the social sharing buttons below to share this post. Thank you so much! Feel free to leave a comment.  You do not need to enter your email address or website.