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Jul 8, 2021

#memadeshade June winner


As we surpass the 4,000 entries mark, our #memadeshade Instagram competition goes from strength to strength and we'd like to say a huge THANK YOU for all the amazing entries, as well as the inspiration you all provide for newbie lampshade makers.


Our June #memadeshade winner, @daniel.k.embleton has brought a sense of natural wonder and luxury, with this stunning tiered shade. Using his own intricate botanical catcus design, printed onto a rich velvet, Daniel has cleverly continues his background design from the top tier to the bottom tier of the shade, to create a seamless feel.


Originally made for his Textile and Surface Design final degree show we catch up with Daniel to find out more about his lampshade making and inspiration...


Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and the creative things you do?

My name is Daniel, an artist and designer maker based in the North East of England. I'm a recent graduate from The Northern School of Art with a Textiles and Surface Design degree. As part of my third year project I took part in the university's degree show where I made a range of home furnishing products including a range of different lampshades.


The concept behind my designs is based on Victorian exploration of tropical environments, botany and scientific discoveries within the natural world. This concept was initially thought of while visiting Kew Gardens and The Natural History Museum London, which are places that I find fascinating and inspiring. After graduating I've started my own business, combining my love of nature with my passion for drawing and manufacturing home furnishing products. My ultimate goal is to create bold designs which bring a bit of the outdoors inside and make people's houses more homely.


Are you a newbie lampshade maker or have you made up a Needcraft Lampshade making kit before?

I have made a range of Needcraft Lampshade kits as part of my degree show preparation, which was not only exciting to see my printed fabrics as a three dimensional product, but also see if my work was commercial and had longevity as a design business after graduation. My lampshades got a good response and sold several lampshades at the show which will help me to set up my Etsy shop and fund buying more lampshade kits.


What do you love about the shade you entered for the #memadeshade competition?

When creating my lampshades I try to make them as unique and interesting as possible. I printed my design onto soft velvet to make the shades have a textural quality, especially when the velvet is ruffled. The use of this thicker fabric means that the light only comes down the side of the larger 40cm tier and through the diffuser making ambient lighting.


I love the way that the light penetrates through parts of the shade making the pattern come to life! The winning shade is a visual representation of some of my favorite hobbies such as botanical gardens and collecting sea washed pottery, which inspired the geometric pattern seen on the bottom tier. This makes the lampshade, like all my products, personal to me as well as my customers.


What do you like most about the Needcraft lampshade making kits?

I love how these kits come in a range of different sizes, shapes and styles and all come with easy to follow instructions to create professional lampshades. The wide range of kits available makes lampshade making much more fun and gives you the chance to try something new. It is amazing that I am able to offer bespoke lampshades in different shapes and sizes to suit customer's needs and homes.


Any plans to make more lampshades?

I definitely will carry on creating lampshades, I have loved making them and seeing my prints materialise into something new and exciting. I have been creating a range of new designs that I intended to print onto fabric for a new lampshade collection for my etsy site later in the year.


June's most liked shades


We're loving the mix of shades in this month's most liked - from natural, outdoor influences to Hotel chic. Here's what their makers said on their Instagram posts:


Another 6 lampshades ready to be posted to their new homes :)


Playing today with something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. 18 months ago I went on a lampshade making course, 12 months ago we started linoprinting and now finally managed to find a wee bit of time to combine the two with some fabric printing.

What do you think?


Another new handmade shade for the chandelier. Suitable for any table or floor stand. Height 21cm, diamter 30cm. Like it ? Comment below and this original lampshade could be yours.


We love this shade and so do you! Thanks to all the wonderful photos and reviews that our customers share with us. We love seeing our lampshades in their forever homes. Available now in a variety of sizes, ceiling or table from our #etsyshopuk …. And currently as a thank you it’s on special offer. Link to our shop can be found on my profile page. x


Give all of our June's Most Liked shades a friendly follow! 😁


Enter our #memadeshade competition


It's super simple to enter our #memadeshade Instagram competition. Just make a lampshade from any of our lampshade making kits and follow the steps below. And if you want to check out the hashtag #memadeshade for inspiration in advance, we've had over 3500 shades enter since we started!


Here's a reminder of what to do...

  1. Simply take a picture of your proudest lampshade from one of our kits and enter on Instagram following the steps below:

  2. Follow @needcraft if you haven’t already

  3. Post an image of a lampshade you’ve made from an @needcraft lampshade making kit and tag with #memadeshade and the type of kit you used i.e 30cm Drum shade kits, Square kit etc.

  4. And any size and shape can be entered so display those drums shades, exhibit your empires and reveal your rectangles – any lampshade from one of our kits counts!

For full terms and conditions click here.



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