It's easy to make your lampshade as unique as the light fixture it accompanies; just use a stencil as a guide for painting an ornamental design. For the look shown on page 122 of the April issue of Southern Living, select a shade made of translucent, light-colored fabric, and paint the design using dark-colored, opaque fabric paint. The shapes will be silhouetted when the lamp is illuminated. You can also experiment with painted designs applied to shades made of parchment or cardboard.

Purchase a stencil from a crafts- or art-supply store. Look for a design that complements both the style of your lamp base and the room where you'll place it. You could pick up an element such as a leaf or flower from floral wallpaper, or paint simple vegetable shapes on a shade for the kitchen. Stencil the ABCs or a child's name on one for the nursery. Choose a paint color that coordinates with the shade, base, and palette of your room, and you're well on your way to creating a unique, hand-painted accessory.

Step 1: Determine the best placement of the stencil motif on the lampshade. (The wire frame on the one shown on page 122 of the April issue of Southern Living creates six equal segments that each contain a painted design.) Tape the stencil in place.

Step 2: Pour a small amount of fabric paint into a paper cup or other container. Dip a small brush into the paint, and then stroke the brush onto a paper towel to remove most of the paint. Next, dab the paint through the stencil openings onto the shade. (Be careful not to move the stencil or get paint under it.) Continue until the entire design has been painted on the surface.

Step 3: Remove the stencil, and clean off the excess paint with a damp rag. Allow the painted area to dry. Repeat the previous steps for all areas to be stenciled. Place the shade on the lamp, and turn it on. If any uneven or unpainted areas become evident in the light, simply retouch them.

Materials lampshade stencil fabric paint paper cup or paint container paintbrushes paper towel damp rag