How to Make Venetian Blind Lampshades

Cut and remove the pull-cords from the slats in the Venetian blinds. Separate the blinds from the cords and clean each blind slat as needed, using soap and water. Wipe the blinds dry with a clean cloth.

Wrap the first slat around the bottom of the lampshade. Wrap it so that the curve of the slat is convex, or curves outward. Position the slat along the bottom edge of the lampshade. Overlap the ends of the slat. Use a pair of tin snips to cut the slat where it overlaps itself 1 inch.

Apply hot glue to the backside of the cut end of the slat. The concave side is the backside or side that curves inward. Position the slat where it was aligned in the prior step and press the glued end against the existing shade. Wrap the slat around the shade, applying hot glue every 4 inches as you proceed. When you get to the end of the slat where it overlaps itself, apply a line of hot glue. Press the slat against itself and let the glue dry for three to five minutes.

Wrap the second slat around the existing lampshade. Position the slat so that it overlaps the first slat by 1/4 inch. Overlap the ends 1 inch and cut it using tin snips as you did before. Attach the slat to the lampshade using the same method you used for the first slat, applying hot glue every 4 inches.

Continue cutting and attaching venetian slats to the lampshade using the same method you used for the first two slats until you reach the top of the lampshade. Overlap each slat by 1/4 inch.