FAQs

Let me ask you a question here. What is the lampshade for? For a sweet bedside lamp I would go with an 8” shade, or if you like things oversized then a 12” bedside lamp. For a table lamp you could go with either 8” or 12”. A standard lamp (that is a lamp that stands alone on the floor with a tall stand) I would always start at 16”. For hanging pendants (lampshades that hang from the ceiling) you can use all the sizes in varying quantities. For example, you might have four matching 8” shades hanging along the top of a counter or in four areas of a room. A bedroom might feature two matching 12” or 16” hanging pendants, or just one 20” pendant in a bedroom will have a fantastic impact. In my house we have a large open plan living / kitchen area and (when its built…;-) I am going to install four 20” hanging pendants in a 9x9m room – how exciting!

Another thing to consider when deciding what size to make is do you have a base already? There are a few design principles when deciding your lampshade height and diameter…that is not to say rules can’t be broken, because they certainly CAN! So if you have a short squat base, your lampshade should be about the same width/diameter as the base and the shade should be twice as high as the base. If you have a tall table lamp base your shade should be twice as wide as the width of the base and half as high…make sense?

The 3Chooks lampshade ring sets are fitted with a 28mm washer. This is standard for Australia. Measure the diameter of the lampholder where you unscrew the screw-on cap, if it is 27mm or slightly less it will be fine. The standard European washer size is 41mm and the standard US washer size is ½”. If your lamp base needs a European or other size fitting please contact me via email to discuss your custom-made requirements.

Have a look at where the light globe fits into the base. Just underneath will be a tapered cylinder shaped screw on cap. Remove the light globe, unscrew the cap, place your lampshade over the screw, then replace the screw on cap, then your light globe. Switch it on…hey presto!

Yes! A pendant shade is one that hangs from the ceiling. To make a pendant you simply make your lampshade with the fitted ring as the top ring, and the plain ring as the bottom ring. Be sure your fitted ring is inverted into the shade.

The short answer is yes…the instructions are the same and I can create a custom kit to make empire shaped shades / also known as tapered shades, or you might even describe it as making a conical shade. A few things to note: A tapered shade is made using an arc shaped template of lampshade paper. This results in more waste (of lampshade paper, and fabric) and increased cost. Striped fabrics or fabrics where the pattern needs to remain horizontal do not work on tapered shades (because the fabric will also be cut in an arc shape). Email me for a quote. 

Yes! Please email me with your business name and ABN and I will set you up with a login to my wholesale section. Minimum orders required.

Yes! 3Chooks DIY Lampshade Kits are retail ready and beautifully presented in eco-friendly packaging. Please email me for further details.

The diameter is the longest distance inside the circle. The height is the distance between the top and bottom ring. The fitting height is the vertical distance from the base of the lampshade to the fitted washer ring. 3Chooks standard measurements are diameters of 8”, 12”, 16” and 20” with a 2” fitting height. The height of your lampshade is entirely up to you. The 3Chooks DIY Kits will make lampshades with a 23cm height.

I would love to! Visit my workshops page for upcoming dates or contact me for a private class.

Yes, these instructions will show you how to make cylinder shaped lampshades and you can adjust them to make tapered lampshades too. However, they will not show you how to make old-fashioned pleated shades or bell shaped shades or tiffany shades. Here is a good tutorial I found online that may be helpful if that is what you’re looking for.

I’m happy to answer your questions, please email me ;-)