As I mentioned in my previous post, I am in search of ideas on how to dress up my pendant lights. I actually have 8 lights to dress up in the house and so I need LOTS of ideas. I love paper and I have lots just lying around the house so I compiled interesting paper shade ideas for my pleasure and yours.
Quick and easy DIY with instructions:
2. Add interesting details to your plain, white Ikea lantern from CraftyNest.
3. A video tutorial from Traveling Mama. These weren’t created with lights considered but I guess you can easily make adjustments to accommodate a bulb.
4. Easily add a pop of color by adding colored tissues to your lanterns via Martha Stewart.
5. Create a 3D modern light shade out of the simplest things that you can buy online or in your nearest supermarket and homewares store. via Cutoutandkeep
6. I am inlove with this simple die-cut falling leaves shade by Patricia Zapata
Origami Inspired Lamp Shades:
7. Origami lamp shade design by Tomoko Fuse. Folded instructions included.
8. Another origami lamp shade with instructions.
9. Not exactly origami, but there’s still folding involved from Craftster.org
DIY-able but requires patience and time:
10. This drum shade is designed by zipper8lighting at Etsy. It utilizes hundred of of pieces of folded paper. It reminds me of paper fortune tellers we used to make back in grade school.
11. Another creative lamp using scrap paper strip by graphic designer Gabrielle Guy. via ScrapHacker
12. This is a unique paper lamp shade by Cut & Paste. via FurnitureSides
13. And my favorite of them all–Wanessa Carolina’s rolled paper lamp. I’m a definitely going to steal this idea for our living room light! So pretty!
Paper lamp design ideas:
14 and 15. Design ideas from DeLuxe Interior
16. Paper lamp by Carl Zahn via CubeMe
17. VARMLUFT from Ikea
And if you love paper lamps but don’t have the guts to make one, buy one instead. These are my gorgeous finds from Etsy.
I absolutely love origami lamps. I tried doing a simple tulip origami (following the steps in YouTube) and gave up halfway. Someday when I have the patience, I will do try again. But for now, I’ll drool over these Etsy finds.
18 and 19. Fiber Lab’s Etsy store.
20 and 21. Studio Snowpuppe. I super love their pastel color origami lamps as well as their pastel colored textile cables. Quite pricey though. I wish I could figure out how to do this myself.
22. Coral lamp by Berlin designers in Studio Aisslinger via CubeMe. Any idea how you can DIY this?
23. Cup’o Lights via Yanko Design
24. Tetra Box light via Yanko Design
25. Bulbous Handmade Paper Lamps By Paula Arntzen Hang Like Glowing Sculptures via Inhabitat
I hope you found your inspiration. 
By the way, check out my version of DIY paper light shade here.
Wow these are great ideas! My favorite is number 11. It seems so intricate! You said it very well, DIY-able but requires patience and time.
Lots of great ideas here. I want to do all of them. Haha!
Me too! That’s why I had all our lights “dressable.” I’m starting to loathe bare naked bulbs. hehe
Hello, thank you fo sharing – I will have to do the fluffy one:-).
Ad number 22 – I have seen this befor and I was wondering how to do it, still not sure but I thing the main issue is to calculate the tapering angle of those hexagons elements – to make it round (sorry for my English, hope will be better one day). It is made of felt so I think what is needed is a pre-felt (or if someone has enough time handmade big piece of felt) then a 3D template (better I guess is to have more than one of them – 5 or more) in shape of hexagon pyramide (here is the problem with the angle…) made of something hard – wood, metal sheet, aluminium folie, …? and glue. The pre-felt cut in equally wide stripes – wrap it around those templates, edges glue together… Now maybe used hot watter to make the felt shrink a bit around the shape (carefully around the glued edges or – any idea how to joint them in other way…?), let them dry – glue together and at the and take the “templates” out – and repeat, repeat, repeat…:-). … I guess it could work with paper also but felt is a bit better because it is partly flame-proof so I think a more efficient light bulb could be used then… All those glued elements now in the final round shape put on a wire construction – to keep the shape and to hang it…? Thats all have for now – have not tried yet but I will let you know in case:). Bye
Lenka
Hi Lenka! Thanks for sharing your idea. You’re right. Each hexagonal piece is made of polycarbonate wrapped in felt to keep it sturdy and maintain the round shape. I think super glue might work better than hot glue though because it’s more invisible. I’m starting to get intrigued by this, I’d like to give it a try too. Let me know when you’ve done it.
I had a go at making lampshade number 11 but half way through..(about 2 hours) i realised id made the rookie mistake of sticking on the individual strips upside down..that is to say that i started pasting them on at the top end thinking it was the bottom end..well i carried on till the end anyway and then turned it upside down and the result was AMAZING !! completely different and unexpected and beautiful.
Good for you Roxanne! I can imagine how it looks like. I am so eager to see the readers’ versions so I will be creating a link where you guys can post pics of your work soon.
Wow glad to find this collection <3
I was thinking of doing #1 to brighten up our living room but I'm worried on how I'm going to clean them afterwards XD #dustmagnet urgh!
Any tips?
I wanted to do the first one too and since we’re in the Philippines, dust is inevitable. And not just white, sandy dust but grey dust from smog. Argh! But don’t let the dust hold you back from doing it. Those pretty paper lamps are not meant to last anyway. Gives you more reason to change design often too.