• 60 designs
  • Checked October 2026

Painted Lampshade Ideas

Press for three lampshade designs, each with its colors, where it sits on the shade and the brush or tool.

Painted Lampshade Ideas

Show all 60
  1. Fingerprints in level rings, a new color on every ringWhite shade, six colors. One print per finger-width, rows from the bottom rim up. Fingers.
  2. Key-pattern border just above the bottom rimWhite shade, black. A squared running border two fingers tall, joined at the back seam. Paint pen.
  3. Castle turrets along the bottom rim with flags flyingLilac shade, gray, pink. Battlements all the way around; flags reach half way up. Flat brush.

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All 60 designs

Bands around the drum 12

  • Back seam hidden under a painted ribbon tied in a bow Any shade, pink, white. A ribbon line runs down the seam; a flat bow sits at the top rim. Round brush.
  • Band along the bottom rim that rises to one peak opposite the seam White shade, slate blue. A band two fingers deep that climbs to a hand-high point at the front. Tape.
  • Both rims trimmed with a finger-wide painted line Any shade, black. One line just inside the top rim and one just inside the bottom rim. Liner brush.
  • Dipped look: the bottom quarter solid with a soft upper edge White shade, coral. Solid color at the rim, dabbed out to nothing a quarter of the way up. Sponge.
  • Key-pattern border just above the bottom rim White shade, black. A squared running border two fingers tall, joined at the back seam. Paint pen.
  • One wide band around the middle of a drum shade White shade, navy. A hand-wide band masked at both edges, level all the way around. Tape.
  • Pinstripe rings a finger apart, drawn on a turning shade Cream shade, gray. Fine level rings a finger apart; the shade is turned, not the brush. Liner brush.
  • Scalloped edge painted along the bottom rim Any shade, gold. Half circles sit on the rim like a trim, one size all the way around. Round brush.
  • Stripes from rim to rim that narrow with a cone shade White shade, mustard. Each stripe is wide at the bottom rim and tapers toward the top rim. Tape.
  • Three blues in equal bands, the palest at the top rim Pale blue, mid blue, navy. Equal bands, the palest at the top, soft where they meet. Flat brush.
  • Triangles hanging from the top rim and standing on the bottom rim White shade, teal. One row points down from the top rim, one points up from the bottom; tips a hand apart. Tape.
  • Zigzag of even points riding the bottom rim Cream shade, terracotta. One row two fingers tall all the way around, joined at the back seam. Tape.

Silhouettes painted inside 12

  • Bare winter branches inside, reaching up from the bottom rim Pale shade, black. Branching lines on the inner face that stop short of the top rim. Liner brush.
  • Bats flying up the inside from the bottom rim for October Orange shade, black. A dozen bats on the inner face, small near the top rim. Stencil.
  • Birds crossing the inside, the largest near the seam Pale shade, black. Simple wing shapes on the inner face, shrinking as they circle. Liner brush.
  • Cat walking along the bottom rim on the inside Pale shade, black. One solid cat on the inner face, tail up, paws on the rim. Round brush.
  • City skyline painted inside, standing on the bottom rim Pale shade, black. Solid roof shapes on the inner face, tallest opposite the seam. Flat brush.
  • Crescent and stars painted inside a plain white shade White shade, black. Solid shapes on the inner face, the crescent opposite the seam. Stencil.
  • Cyclists in single file around the inside, wheels on the rim Pale shade, black. Five riders on the inner face, all heading the same way. Liner brush.
  • Fern fronds painted inside, tips toward the top rim Pale shade, dark green. Five fronds on the inner face, stems starting at the bottom rim. Liner brush.
  • Four kites painted inside, their strings running down to the bottom rim Pale shade, black. Solid diamond kites near the top rim on the inner face; fine string lines below. Liner brush.
  • Row of pines painted inside, rising from the bottom rim Pale shade, black. Solid trees of mixed heights on the inner face, all the way around. Flat brush.
  • Sailing ships on a wave line around the inside Pale shade, navy. Three ships on the inner face, a wavy line under them near the rim. Liner brush.
  • Two mountain ridges ringing the inside, one fainter Pale shade, gray, black. A gray ridge behind a lower black one on the inner face. Flat brush.

Florals and vines 12

  • Cobalt scrollwork of stems, leaves and berries on white White shade, cobalt blue. Scrolling stems, leaves and berries in one blue, all over the drum. Liner brush.
  • Eucalyptus garland looped under the top rim White shade, gray-green. Round leaves in pairs along a swag that dips four times. Round brush.
  • Foxgloves standing at four points around the drum White shade, green, pink, purple. Four tall spires from rim to rim; bells dotted inside. Round brush.
  • Honeysuckle twining up the back seam and along the top rim White shade, green, cream, coral. The stem follows the seam, then runs around under the rim. Liner brush.
  • Lavender in a windblown row, every stem slanting toward the seam Cream shade, purple, green. Stems rise from the bottom rim at the same slant. Liner brush.
  • Magnolia buds on two bare branches that meet at the front Pale gray shade, brown, pink, white. One branch from each side of the seam; buds at the tips. Round brush.
  • One oversized peony wrapped around the drum Blush shade, pink, deep pink, green. The center sits opposite the seam; petals run around the sides. Flat brush.
  • Rings of leaf pairs that shrink toward the top rim of a cone shade White shade, olive. Level rings of paired leaves; each ring up the cone is smaller and closer. Round brush.
  • Rosebud trellis: crossed green lines, a bud in every diamond White shade, green, pink. The lines slant from rim to rim; a pink bud sits mid-diamond. Liner brush.
  • Scattered daisies, crowded toward the bottom rim Sage shade, white, yellow. A few flowers near the top rim, many overlapping lower down. Round brush.
  • Sweet peas climbing painted strings that join the two rims Cream shade, green, pink, lilac. Fine upright lines from rim to rim; tendrils and flowers along them. Liner brush.
  • Water lilies floating in a level ring, a hand above the bottom rim Pale green shade, white, pink, dark green. Pads and open flowers around the drum, one bud at the seam. Round brush.

A child's room 12

  • Alphabet marching once around the bottom rim White shade, six brights. Capitals a thumb tall, A at the seam, colors in turn. Stencil.
  • Balloons floating toward the top rim, strings to the bottom White shade, five brights, gray. Round balloons at mixed heights; gray strings to the rim. Round brush.
  • Big-top stripes from rim to rim with a scalloped hem Red, white, yellow. Wide stripes down a cone shade; yellow scallops along the bottom rim. Tape.
  • Carousel horses on poles that run from rim to rim Cream shade, gold, pink, blue. Six gold poles; a horse on each, alternately high and low. Liner brush.
  • Castle turrets along the bottom rim with flags flying Lilac shade, gray, pink. Battlements all the way around; flags reach half way up. Flat brush.
  • Dinosaurs walking nose to tail along the bottom rim Cream shade, greens, orange. Five solid shapes with feet on the rim, a volcano at the seam. Flat brush.
  • Elephant parade circling the drum, the smallest at the back seam White shade, gray, pink. Six elephants in a ring, each holding the tail ahead; pink ears. Round brush.
  • Planets in a ring around the drum, a rocket between two Navy shade, orange, yellow, white. Eight planets level around the middle; white star dots. Round brush.
  • Sheep jumping one fence, around and around the shade Pale blue shade, white, black, brown. One brown fence at the front; sheep before and after it. Sponge.
  • Shoal circling the shade, a whale covering the back seam Pale blue shade, orange, yellow, navy. Small fish in a loose line, all heading the same way. Round brush.
  • Train running around the bottom rim, steam puffs above it White shade, red, blue, black. Engine at the seam; cars follow around; puffs rise to mid-drum. Round brush.
  • Zebras grazing along the bottom rim, stripes left white White shade, black. Five zebras drawn in black stripes only, heads down at the rim. Liner brush.

Dots, dabs and sponge 12

  • Cork-stamped rings overlapping around the middle White shade, teal, mustard. Rings in two colors linked like a chain, one band wide. Cork.
  • Dot rows that swell from specks at the top rim to buttons at the bottom White shade, black. Rows of dots; each row down is a size larger. Dotting tool.
  • Dry-brush grass flicked up from the bottom rim, a hand tall at most Cream shade, olive. Upward flicks of mixed heights all the way around, thinning at the back seam. Dry brush.
  • Fingerprints in level rings, a new color on every ring White shade, six colors. One print per finger-width, rows from the bottom rim up. Fingers.
  • Flicked white specks with a few larger drops on navy Navy shade, white. Fine specks over the whole drum, a few larger drops among them. Toothbrush.
  • Gold dots set out in a diamond grid over the drum Navy shade, gold. Evenly spaced dots, each row offset from the last. Dotting tool.
  • Sponge mottling that darkens toward both rims, palest at mid-drum Cream shade, ocher, rust. Rust dabbed along each rim, ocher between, blended wet so no edge shows. Sponge.
  • Sponged clouds of one color, heavier near the bottom rim White shade, soft gray. Open dabs that overlap low down and fade out toward the top rim. Sponge.
  • Stipple that is dense at the bottom rim and gone by the top White shade, charcoal. Dots tapped close together low down, spacing out as they climb. Round brush.
  • Swab dots in loose bunches like berries, three reds Cream shade, red, crimson, pink. Bunches of seven to ten dots spread over the drum. Cotton swab.
  • Terrazzo chips: uneven flat dabs in four colors White shade, pink, ocher, green, black. Small angular chips scattered evenly, none touching. Flat brush.
  • Your own word in swab dots around the drum, a hand tall White shade, navy. Capitals built from dots, starting and ending at the back seam. Cotton swab.

How it works

A lampshade is often a cone or a cylinder of paper or fabric, and a drum shade has upright sides. These 60 designs follow its two rims, wrap the drum or sit on the inside.

Read the full guide

Two rims and a seam

A band stays level because the rims are level: One wide band around the middle of a drum shade is masked at both edges. If your shade has a back seam, Back seam hidden under a painted ribbon tied in a bow turns it into the design.

Lampshade painting ideas for the inside

Twelve designs go on the inner face, most on a pale shade. They are planned as dark shapes that show through an unlined shade when the lamp is on: City skyline painted inside, standing on the bottom rim. A shade with an opaque lining will not show them. Some are solid shapes for a stencil or a flat brush; six are lines for a liner brush.

Questions and answers

What paint do you use on a lampshade?

We do not test paints. Whether a paint suits a fabric or paper shade, and a shade that sits near a warm bulb, is on the paint's label and in the lamp maker's instructions.

Do these lamp shade painting ideas fit a cone shade?

Most do. Stripes from rim to rim that narrow with a cone shade and Big-top stripes from rim to rim with a scalloped hem are drawn for a cone. Level bands and rings are easier on a drum, where both rims are the same size.

Which designs suit a child's room?

The twelve in the group A child's room, such as Carousel horses on poles that run from rim to rim and Sheep jumping one fence, around and around the shade. Most run all the way around the shade.

Which lampshade designs need no drawing?

The dots and sponge group. Sponge mottling that darkens toward both rims, palest at mid-drum is dabbed, Flicked white specks with a few larger drops on navy is flicked from a toothbrush, and Fingerprints in level rings, a new color on every ring uses fingers.

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