How to make a DIY bamboo lampshade

Lampshades are made from all kinds of materials – metals, plastic, linen (made from flax plants!), wood, paper and plastic. Often lamps and lampshades last a long time so are not as problematic as short-term single items. But eventually, you may have to replace your lamp. So when you do and if you like crafting, this  DIY bamboo lampshade will be a fun project.

Is bamboo better than wood for the environment?

Did you know Americans use about 10 to 15 million cubic feet of wood each year? This is equivalent to  640 pounds of wood products per American annually- including for purposes like interior decorating. 

Since wood production has many environmental implications, including cutting down trees, which release stored carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, one way to reduce your personal environmental impact is finding or making your own bamboo alternatives to your favorite household products! An exciting and easy place to start is to make your own bamboo lampshade.

Bamboo is a fast-growing, highly renewable resource, and compared to alternative materials like wood, it requires very little water and pesticide use. Opting for bamboo alternatives is not only an environmentally conscious choice to minimize your household’s impact but also a fun way to explore distinctive lampshade designs and give your home a natural touch!

You should look for the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) sticker on your bamboo to make sure it was grown sustainably. We don’t want to encourage cutting down forests and replacing them with bamboo plantations.

You can buy or make a lot of products from bamboo. Here we’re sharing a tutorial for making a lampshade.

How to make a DIY bamboo lampshade

Step One: Plan a design for your bamboo lampshade. If you have a hanging lamp or an old lamp socket, you can customize your design to that.

Step Two: Gather the materials you’ll need:

• Bamboo sticks
• Optional bamboo poles
• Scissors
• Hot glue gun or wood glue
• Clamps (if you are opting to use wood glue)
• Optional twine made from renewable materials such as hemp
• Light bulb and socket

You can find bamboo skewers at your local home improvement store or in the grilling section in your local store! Alternatively, if you want more customizability, you can find bamboo poles at a craft store, which you would need to sand and then saw into your desired size.

Step Three: Arrange your bamboo! Depending on your design, this may vary, but the bamboo sticks can be arranged into two square frames, one big and one small. This will be the top and bottom base of your lampshade. Be sure to leave a gap in your bottom base fitted to your lamp socket to allow for later installation of your lampshade. 

Step Four: Put together your frame.  Apply either hot glue to your bamboo pieces or use wood glue and press the pieces together- you can hold them in place with clamps until the glue dries! Repeat this step until the entire frame is assembled to your liking.

Step Five: Fill and glue your frame into your lampshade with your leftover skewers in your preferred pattern. Optionally make a knot with your twine on the top corner of your lamp frame and weave it through, wrapping it tightly around the upper body of your lampshade frame- make sure its secure so a panda can’t steal it! 

Step Six: Insert your completed bamboo lampshade onto your lamp socket or set it up on a hanging lamp. 

And that’s it, you have your own unique and eco-friendly bamboo lampshade. Don’t worry- you won’t attract TOO many pandas.