Monday, March 23, 2009

Lamp Shades for Less - 4 Ways to Save

By Jan Eloise White

If you're on a budget designer lamp shades may be something you can't afford. Instead of looking wistfully at the pictures in interior design magazines, here are 4 things you can do to get great looking lamp shades without the high price tags.

1. Use Your Mouse

Browsing around online lighting stores You are likely to come across lamp shades you love with just a few clicks. You will be amazed at the selection of lamp shades on offer at reasonable prices. Nothing beats the convenience of online shopping and because you are able to compare prices you can get a very good deal.

Online auction sites such as eBay offer great deals too. Be sure to check out the selection of lamp shades available at various prices and see if they have just what you are looking for. If buying there, do a bit of research on the seller by checking out feedback scores to make sure you're happy with their reputation.

2. Check out Deals in Local Stores

Sales seem to happen all year round these days so make sure you keep an eye on those stores which sell lamp shades if you are looking for a good deal. If you find a designer lamp shade you love on sale just make sure that it is right for your lamp before you buy, otherwise it is no bargain!

Discount stores often have great deals on lamp shades too. You'll find the cheaper plain lamp shades here, of course, but you often find that the discount stores follow trends in interior design and they will have the most popular looks of the season at great prices.

3. Trim a Plain Lamp Shade

You can buy plain lamp shades quite cheaply online and in discount stores but they just don't have the designer look. You can upgrade them quite dramatically however with the magic of trimming. Take a look at all the trimmings available in the haberdashery department of a large store for inspiration. You'll find beautiful braiding, fringing and beaded edging among the ribbons and elastic.

If you see a designer shade you love take a look at the trimming and see if you can find similar trimming locally. You can then get the same look for a fraction of the cost.

4. Recover an Old Lamp Shade

If you have an old lamp shade that you want to replace then you can give it a new look without going to the expense of buying a new shade. Choose a beautiful fabric and cover it. You'll find instructions for this online. Alternatively choose some designer paper to match your decor and cover it with that.

It may even be worth recovering a new plain lamp shade if you don't have an old shade (though you can often pick them up in garage sales for a song.) Just get the right shape and size for the base when looking at lamp shades and you can choose the finished look yourself by completely recovering your shade. - 15252

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