Decorative Solutions to Lamp Cords

Fabric Covers

• Use a piece of fabric that either coordinates with your décor or that blends with your background wall to cover an unattractive lamp cord. This is a simple and inexpensive way to camouflage a cord, and because of the low cost and ease of this project, you can easily update it as you update your décor. To make this cover, cut a piece of fabric about twice as long as your cord and about 1 inch wider than the circumference of your cord. Use a hot glue gun to glue down the two short raw ends of the fabric and wrap the fabric around the cord so the long edges touch. Use the glue gun to glue the long edges together. The fabric will bunch up and look like a long, ruffled tube.

Wire Ribbon Covers

• Decorative ribbon with wired edges can double as a decorative cover for your lamp cord. Purchase several yards of wired ribbon and wrap it loosely around your cord in a spiral motion, so that the edges overlap slightly. Glue the overlapped edges together with a hot glue gun as you wrap, and continue until the entire cord is covered in ribbon.

Fringe Covers

• Fringe adds a fun and coordinated look to your lamp cord, especially if your lamp shade or lamp itself is already adorned with it. Adding fringe that coordinates with existing fringe, or putting fringe on a lamp that doesn't have any, gives the lamp extra color and texture while hiding the cord.

  To cover your cord, purchase fringe trim no longer than 2 inches in length and wrap it around your cord so that it overlaps; the closer you space your fringe, the fuller look your cord will have. Glue the fringe directly to the cord until the entire cord is covered.

Raffia Covers

• Raffia is a wrinkled paper that is both strong and inexpensive. The crinkled look lends an antique, lived-in look to the paper and works well to cover cords. Covering the cord in a color that resembles that background allows the cord to blend in.

  To use raffia, which comes in long, rolled tubes, unroll a length equal to the length of your cord and cut it off. Wrap it around your cord several times and glue it into place with a hot glue gun.