How much light do you need to need to come through your shade? Fabrics with a lighter weight and/or color will allow your lamp to throw more light. Why? The adhesive backing on the styrene sheet just doesn't stick to synthetic fibers. The general rule is to keep it as natural as possible. Okay, cotton with a bit of stretch does work, and a linen/poly blend would probably turn out well. Oh, the pain! You'll need many clips and even more patience for this.

After that, it's easy enough to work with. The hard part is applying to the styrene without wrinkling it. The more lightweight it is, the easier it will be. Can be more difficult to tuck under the rings. Easy to apply to the styrene and easy to tuck under the rings. So here I've ranked the types of fabric from easiest to most difficult to use for DIY lampshades. As someone who's made dozens of lampshades and experimented with different types of fabrics and fibers, I can tell you that some fabrics are much easier to work with than others. But you might want a bit more direction than that. Now, what about the fabric? The general rule is to choose natural fiber based fabrics - cotton, silk, linen, etc. You've measured your lamp base to determine your ideal lampshade size, and you've picked out your custom DIY Lampshade Making Supplies accordingly. So you're ready to make your own lampshade. Choosing the Right Fabric for Your Lampshade

Cloth cover desk lamp