I Like My Coffee Light...Burlap Lampshade

If you’re fornunate to live close to a coffee roaster, ask them for some burlap coffee bags...they usually have tons of them and don’t mind giving them away. If you don’t, you can easily find them on the internet for as little as $2 -$3 a piece.

Recycle a lampshade frame by removing the fabric or buy yourself a wire frame. Wire frames can easily be found on the internet. If you are recycling one, try to be extra careful when removing the old shade...you could use it as a template.

If you are starting from scratch, you should make a paper template first. If it’s a simple drum shade, just measure the circumference, if it has panels, trace one of the panels on to a piece of paper and duplicate for each side. Tape them together and wrap around shade to check size. Remember the template will be curved. 

Depending on the size of your lampshade frame, you might have to open the bag to get the most yardage out of it. Set your template on the burlap and cut your shade about a 1/2” larger on all sides.


Start wrapping the fabric around your shade. I used some glue to adhere it around the wire frame and then “sewed” it on the frame with Jute (burlap-like thread, found in hardware stores) and a large needle.

Please use a low-wattage bulb with your burlap lampshade.