Knit Lampshade Trim: Makeover for a Boring Ikea Lampshade

Have you ever had the solution to one problem cause another? This knit lampshade trim is the last (hopefully!) in a long line of problems caused by previous solutions.

It all started when I decided to have 5 kids… 🤣 Just kidding! But seriously, I have a tiny house for a family of seven and my monstera was taking up way too much space in front of the only available window.

Solution 1: move the giant plant into a dark corner. Now the poor baby gets no light. Unfortunately, she really enjoys photosynthesis.

Solution 2: dig out an ugly Ikea lampshade and hanging cord that no one is using and slap a plant bulb in it. Now I have an ugly lampshade hanging in my living room! 😫

Solution 3: knit colorful trim and give the lampshade some personality!

So here we are. It was super easy, I’ll tell you what I did.

Measure the Lampshade

First, I didn’t even bother taking down the shade to measure it. I just semi-carefully measured around the bottom edge of the shade. It was 52 inches.

Knit the Trim

Second, I looked online for a knit trim pattern that I liked. I chose this one, and bookmaked a handful of others so I can create my own motley collection of lampshades in the future.

Next, it didn’t take me too long to knit the trim. I purposely chose leftover yarn that was a heavy worsted and used US9 needles. This was definitely meant to be a quick and easy project! (If you don’t have cute little sheets to keep track of your projects, you can get the one in the picture in my free Merry Knitter’s Bundle of Fun here. It also includes an exclusive shawl pattern and 2 phone wallpapers.)

I did take the time to block my trim, I’m not a total slacker. A nice straight edge elevates the whole project.

Glue on the Lampshade Trim

Finally, armed with a 53-inch length of knit trim, I was ready to make over my boring lampshade! I did take it down for this part so I wouldn’t have to fight gravity as much. It only took about 5 minutes and a hot glue gun. I started on the front of the lampshade, with the middle of the trim, so the seam in the trim would line up with the seam in the back of the lampshade. If you own a hot glue gun, I don’t have to tell you to glue a couple inches at a time while the glue is hot. You could also use fabric glue – and probably good old craft glue – but you’ll have to wait for the glue to dry before you can hang it back up. I don’t have that kind of patience.

Overall, I’m very happy with this project. I may even put in 5 more minutes of effort one of these days to spot-clean the lampshade! 🤣

If you’re looking for a good yarn for your lampshade trim, I recommend Knit Picks Swish. It’s not as heavy as the scrap yarn I chose, but it has just a tiny bit of sheen to it that I think would look nice. Are you inspired to add knit trim to everything? You can see how to knit trim directly on to a knitting project here.