Budget friendly decorating: Lampshades posing with Mr. Abe Lincoln

Decorating a lamp shade is a fast and frugal way to give your space a new-found look. You can use mixed media to create a custom appearance or keep it eloquently simple by gluing silk flowers around the edges or hanging crystals from the chain-pulls.

Rainy days are perfect days for getting crafty. The shades in the photo were not made by me. They were given to me by a close relative, and I love them! The rose you see is a Abe Lincoln rose in full bloom!

You can use spray paint, fabric paint, or even watercolors to create your lampshade. Try stencils, or even wallpaper! Get a high end look by covering in trendy fabric, ribbon, or lace.

Embellish with beads, gemstones, or vintage costume jewelry pieces. The sky is really the limit.

Tired old lampshades can be found at thrift stores for a pocket of loose change.

If you are not planning a trip to the thrift store anytime soon, why not make a cute luminaria out of a recycled soup can? Just peel the label off and wash and dry well. Use a can opener to cut the bottom from the can. Draw a pattern of dots with a permanent marker on your soup can. Fill with water and place in freezer until solid. Now use a nail and hammer to punch out your design. (The frozen water will keep the can from crushing while you are punching your holes.) Also a good idea to hammer the edges a bit so they are not so sharp! Now just place over a tea light for a nice ambiance. If you are feeling extra creative you can paint your can too!

Below is some cute ideas for kids rooms. They are from HGTV.

The perfect accessory for a little boy’s room is a transportation-themed lampshade. Just spray paint a lampshade black to look like asphalt. Randomly arrange roadway and street-sign stickers, then hot glue a few toy cars onto the shade. The airplane is affixed to the harp of this lamp with spring wire so it will have some bounce and movement.

The perfect accessory for a little girl’s room is a pink dress lampshade. Wrap a baby girl’s dress around a lampshade, tuck it underneath and glue it onto the bottom. A little gimp trim and some beads add the finishing touch.

I would love to hear any ideas you have for decorating lampshades.