Can you paint a lampshade?

That was the question rolling around for me. After some research and mixed answers where some said yes, others no, I thought - guess I better give it a try to see. I had a perfectly good lampshade that I wanted a different color because it just didn't add anything to the decor of the room. I even shopped for the right color and didn't find it, so I decided to try the paint option.

 So here is what I did:

• Clean all the dust, cobwebs, etc off lampshade
• Tape the parts of the lampshade you don't want to get painted (you can stuff the inside with paper - it's easier than tape)
• Spray paint in one direction first - across the pleats. Go back and respray in an up and down motion. 

I used Metallic Bronze Rustoleum general use spray paint- not fabric paint, because I had it!
It worked! There is no paint smell at all when it is turned on - that was my worry. And it does have a sort of opaque color when lit -but the bronze color is exactly what I wanted in that room - not brown so it turned out GREAT!!

And now the new office with the newly painted lampshade - looking much better overall with the office decor.  It was a quick and easy project.