DIY Flower Lampshade: Pressed Flowers and a Safe Lamp

A lampshade decorated with pressed flowers is one of the loveliest ways to keep summer blooms: when the lamp is on, the petals and leaves glow from within like stained glass. It is easy to make one in an evening. Here is which plants to choose and how to keep the lamp safe.

Flowers for inspiration: spray roses and flowers in a box.

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What you need

• A plain, light paper or fabric lampshade, drum or cone shaped.
• Pressed flowers and leaves: pansies, violets, delphinium, hydrangea, fern fronds and grasses.
• Decoupage glue or paper varnish, a soft brush and tweezers.
• An LED bulb, which barely gets warm.

Preparing the flowers

Press the flowers in advance: lay them between sheets of paper under weight for 1–3 weeks. Thin, flat flowers and leaves work best; press chunky blooms petal by petal. More on pressing in “How to make a herbarium”.

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Step by step

• Dust the shade and plan your design: lay the flowers out on a table or hold them against the shade and take a photo.
• Brush a thin layer of glue on a small area, place a flower with tweezers and gently press it down with a glue-loaded brush.
• Work gradually around the shade, leaving space between pieces for a light look.
• Once dry, coat the whole surface with another thin layer of varnish to protect it.
• Let the shade dry for at least 24 hours before switching the lamp on.

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Safety

• Use LED bulbs only: incandescent bulbs get hot, and dried plants are flammable.
• Keep a gap between the bulb and the sides of the shade.
• Do not leave the lamp on unattended for long and keep it away from curtains.

Care

Dust the shade with a soft dry brush. Over time the colours will fade a little in the light, which is natural and gives it a vintage look. A related pressed-flower craft is Japanese oshibana.

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FAQ

Which flowers keep their colour best?

Delphinium, hydrangea, pansies and verbena; red and white flowers darken more over time.

Can I use fresh flowers?

No, only thoroughly dried ones: damp plants will go mouldy and ruin the shade.

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Author: Maria Svitlovir

Graduated from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Institute of Biology and Medicine (2001). BSc in Biology, MSc in Horticulture. Writes about plants, works at a garden centre selecting and repotting plants, and contributes to plant reference guides.