A few weeks ago I noticed my light shade in the kitchen was looking a little grubby and thought I would give it a quick clean. Which did not turn out to be the quick task I had imagined. While cleaning the light shade it moved and unfortunately fell and smashed down to the floor into 100 pieces. I bought a new light shade but it looked so boring it just blended into the roof. So I came up with the idea to give this plain glass light shade a makeover using vinyl decals I would make using my Cricut vinyl cutter.

The idea I had in my head was to have a design that would reflect onto the walls and roof when the light was switched on. This was the reason I chose the Greek key design, but I am sure it will work with any geometric design.

This was the boring light shade I bought, I thought at the time that it would look clean and modern but that was not the case. You could hardly even notice it was there.

Do It Over Designers

Today we’re taking part in the Do It Over Designers Blog Hop hosted by Ann at The Apple Street Cottage.

We’re a group of bloggers who take something old and/or unused and ‘do it over’ into something new. These items can be found in closets, barns, garages, yard sales, thrift stores, you name it! To make the challenge more interesting they have also added a theme and this month the theme is “Glass”. Check out the other projects at the very bottom of this post.

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How to give a plain light shade a makeover using vinyl decals

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Materials Needed

1. Plain glass light shade
2. Vinyl sheets in your desired colours
3. Cricut vinyl cutter
4. Transfer tape
5. Scissors
6. Weeding tool
7. Rubbing alcohol
8. Lint-free cloth

Measuring your light shade

If you don’t have a paper or fabric tape measure like me, you can use a more primitive way. I used a piece of string and wrapped it around the light shade. Then I measured the string on a ruler. This gave me the size I need my decal to be.

Vinyl Cutting Machine

For this tutorial, I am using a Cricut Explore Air 2 but most vinyl cutter will do the same thing. Cricut does have a more recent model like the Cricut maker which has a lot of added features that the Explore Air 2 does not have. So if you are in the market for a vinyl cutter I would recommend the Cricut maker.

I personally have never used the silhouette cameo range of vinyl cutters but I do have friends that use the Cameo 3. But that being said there is now a cameo 4 available so you may want to do some research before you run out and buy one. If you are looking for project ideas that you can make using a Cricut here are some I have made.

Creating your design in Design Space

I looked for free images on the internet and this is the one I selected. Experiment with different shapes, patterns, or even text to achieve the desired look. Import your images into Cricut Design Space, this is the design software associated with the Cricut vinyl cutter.

To get a repeat image, select the image by clicking on it and selecting duplicate on the right side of your screen. Make enough copies to go around the light shade. I used the measurements shown on the screen to get the perfect size I needed.

You now need to “select all” and then select “group” on the right-hand side of your screen. This will keep your design together as you see it on the screen. Once grouped you can click on the image and use your mouse to move the small square in the corner to move the image to the exact size you need using the measurements shown on the screen.

Next, push the “Make it” button and select your material type on the dial on the machine. For other machines like the Cricut Maker you select your material type on your computer screen before you start cutting.

Next, load your vinyl onto your cutting mat with the vinyl facing up. I used Oracle 651 vinyl for this project which is a permanent vinyl. Put the mat into the machine and push the arrow button to load the mat and then push the “C” button on the machine to start the cut.

Weeding the design

Next, you need to weed the design, this means you want to remove all the excess vinyl you don’t want in your design. This design is very easy to weed but for more intricate designs take your time and use weeding tools to make it easier.

You can cut away the excess backing paper ready for transfer.

Preparing the surface of the light shade

Before you transfer your vinyl decals to the light shade you need to make sure the surface is clean, dust free and has no fingerprints. You will need a lint-free cloth and some Isocol rubbing alcohol. Add some Isocol to the cloth and wipe over the surface.

I have done a few glass projects over the years like these novelty glitter wine glasses or this unique Game of Thrones lamp. I have picked up a couple of helpful tips I can share. Before you add the decals to the surface, use a hairdryer or craft heat gun to heat up the surface. This will make the decals stick to the surface better. Try not to use new transfer tape, use an older piece which has been used a few times already.

My experience using a new piece of Cricut transfer tape is that the decal sticks to the transfer tape and does not release well onto the glass. When I don’t have any old pieces I take a new piece and push it against lint-free fabric or a clean surface a few times. This will do the trick.

Transferring the decal to glass

To transfer the decal you will need to use transfer tape. Cut a piece of transfer tape slightly larger than your decal. Peel off the transfer tape backing and place it over the vinyl decal, sticky side down. Use a scraper or your fingers to press firmly and remove any air bubbles.

Peel off the backing paper from the vinyl decal, leaving the decal adhered to the transfer tape.

Next heat up the surface with a hairdryer and position the decal onto the glass light shade, aligning it as desired. Press the decal onto the glass surface, starting from the centre and moving outward to remove any air bubbles. If you do not have a flat surface to work with like mine, you can cut slits into the transfer tape. This will help you add the decal to the round surface.

Your light shade is not ready to be hung. That’s it! With these steps, you can give your plain glass light shade a personalized makeover using vinyl decals created with a Cricut vinyl cutter. Enjoy your newly transformed light shade

Do over designers’ blog hop

As I mentioned, this is the ‘Do It Over’ Designers Blog Hop and there are some amazing projects!  Be sure to click on the links below for inspiration.

Little Vintage Cottage

Modern on Monticello

Pandora’s Box

Purple Hues & Me

Southern Sunflowers

Unique Creations by Anita

Color Me Thrifty  

The Apple Street Cottage

Exquisitely Unremarkable

If you are looking for any of the items used in this project, please consider using our links. By clicking on the links we will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.  Which helps us come up with new and exciting ideas to share with you. Please feel free to share or leave a comment we would love to hear your thoughts.