Christmas does not have to break the bank.  In fact, it shouldn’t.  Going into debt or spending more than you should is no way to show people you care about them.  That’s why I began this Simply Homemade series.  I wanted to release you from the obligation to spend too much by coming up with some creative gift alternatives you can make yourself.

Every single idea I’ve shown you so far can be made in very little time and requires no special talent, fancy equipment, or complicated directions.  They’re just simple. 

Today’s idea is no exception. 

How to Craft a Peacock Lamp Shade

This project is so simple, you really don’t need a tutorial for it. 

I purchased a couple of accent lamps at a home store for under $10 each.  They are pretty enough, but the lamp shades are kind of eh.  Certainly, they wouldn’t make a very memorable gift, not with vanilla lamp shades that aren’t special at all.

Fortunately, it takes very little effort to transform a boring lampshade into something one-of-a-kind.  All you need is a bit of ribbon, a peacock feather, and an interesting jewelery finding.

Pre-embellishment

A dear friend of our family gave me a bunch of peacock feathers a few years ago.  She collected them from the peacocks that roam about her mother’s property on Whidbey Island, Washington.  Every year, the birds molt, and she goes about picking up the long, jeweled plumes because they are too beautiful to leave out in the misty rain.

That’s one of her feathers in the picture above.  You’d better believe I moved those babies all the way from Washington to Texas this summer, even when the packers looked at me funny and none of them could find a box the right size.

Using fabric glue, I wrapped the ribbon around the top of the shade, being sure to start and end on the seam that was already there (neatness counts).  I tried to use as little glue as possible because my ribbon is sheer and I didn’t want globs of glue to show.

The ribbon was a bit too sheer for me, so I wound it around a couple times, secured it with the clip, and let the glue dry.

Then I created a bow, ran the shaft of feather through it, arranged it the way I wanted, and secured the whole thing with a jewelry finding and some hot glue.  The jewelry finding is important because it hides and holds the feather in place, but you could use anything you like, from a button to an old key.  I just happened to have a couple of those faceted gems leftover from another project (besides, I kinda liked the added bling).

That’s all there is to it. 

I love how this lamp looks when it is off or on.  When the lamp is off, the peacock feather adds a splash of sophisticated color.

Peacock lamp shade OFF

When the lamp is on, the peacock feather looks like a pencil sketch.

Peacock Lamp Shade ON

I made a pair of these with slightly different bases to give away.

But for now, they’re adding a little light around the corners of my rooms.  I love having little pools of light in unexpected places around my home.  Don’t you want to walk into a room where a cozy light is shining?

That’s what makes this gift so great.  Most people like light, and in the winter, we never quite get enough of it.  Give one or two hand-finished lamps and it’s sure to be appreciated.

Another project is coming right up!  Stay tuned for another simply homemade idea tomorrow.

The post Simply Homemade: Craft a Peacock Lamp Shade appeared first on Five in Tow.