Lamps are one of my favorite decoration pieces for the home. When 3M approached with a partnership offer using their Scotch Colors and Patterns Duct Tape, I immediately suggested using the fun and colorful tapes to DIY a pendant lamp shade that I would love to add over my dining table. So in this week’s DIY, we will use a weaving technique & a few simple steps to create a beautiful duct tape lampshade with a chevron pattern … from scratch.
Let’s get started!
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Scotch Colors and Patterns Duct Tape (Choose one in solid color &  another in a pattern)
- Embroidery Hoop (2 pairs in 10 inch size – use the hoop without the hardware from each pair)
- Wax Paper (33 x 10 inches)
- Scissors
- X-Acto Knife & Cutting Mat
- Cord or Chain
- Ruler
Step 1: Take a 33 x 10 inch piece of wax paper and begin taping the pattern duct tape vertically from the 33 inch top edge to the 33 inch bottom edge of the wax paper. This will create a sheet of pattern duct tape.
Step 2: Â Leaving an inch border at the top and bottom, cut vertical lines on the pattern duct tape sheet. Each cut should divide each of the vertical strip of the pattern tape into half (shown by black dotted lines in the image). Make the same length cuts where two stripes of the pattern tapes meet (green dotted lines in the image).
Step 3: Â Take the duct tape in solid color and begin making 8 double sided strips by folding the tape in half. Each strip should be 36 inches long.
Step 4: Â To begin weaving, take one of the strips of tape from Step 3 in solid color. Starting from right to left, pass the solid color strip under the first two pattern strips from the right. Then over the next two pattern strips and then under two. Continue this until you reach the last pattern strip on the left. Push the solid color strip all the way against the beginning of the cut we made.
Step 5: Â Pass the second solid color strip over the first pattern strip from the right, then under the next two pattern strips and then over two. Continue the over two and under two repetition until the end. Push the second solid color strip close against the first one.
Step 6: Â With the third solid color strip, start by passing it over the first two pattern strips then under the next two and repeat till the left end. Push it up against the previous solid color strip.
Step 7: Â Pass another solid color strip under the first pattern strip from the right and then over the next two pattern strips and so on.
Step 8: Â Repeat Steps 6, 5, 4, and 7 in this same order with the remaining 4 tape strips in solid color. Remember to push each up against the previous one.
Step 9: Â Trim the extra solid color strips on the right and left borders of the woven sheet. Seal them by adding the same solid color tape covering the first pattern strip and fold it over to the back.
Step 10: Â One the top and bottom 1 inch borders of the woven sheet, run the same solid color tape from left to right end covering just half an inch from the edge of the sheet. Place the embroidery hoop at the back of this tape and fold the tape back so the sheet with the hanging tape wraps around the hoop. Repeat the same on the bottom border of the woven sheet. The two shorter left and right borders of the woven sheet will overlap a little.
Step 11: Â Depending on how high or low you want to hang your pendant lamp shade, measure 4 pieces of the required length of cord or chain. Tape the cords on four sides inside the lamp shade and if you are using a chain, use the X-Acto knife to cut holes on the top edge of the four sides of the lamp shade and pass the chain through each of them.
And you are done! You have created a pendant lamp shade from scratch using duct tape! I got a regular bulb and cord set and hung it through the DIY lamp shade. With tapes in a variety of  colors and patterns, you can get as creative as you like. The same pendant lamp shade can be turned into a table lamp shade as you can see in the last image. What did you make with duct tape? Share in the comments! Until next time, get your creative fix and stay HIGH on DIY!
