The Unique Lampshade Upcycle That'll Have You Rummaging Through Your Jewelry Box

If a valuable earring goes missing, holding onto it in the hope its companion might eventually turn up seems reasonable. After all hope is gone, the earring can be sold for its precious gem or metal. A lot of times, though, costume earrings are kept around, too. When it comes to all those adrift singletons, there's a unique lampshade upcycle that'll have you rummaging through your jewelry box — turning the earrings into tassels for a light fixture.

This is a genius way to reuse old jewelry to breathe new life into your tired home decor. It's also a handy way to repurpose old lampshades around the house. If there aren't enough earrings for this lampshade upcycle, you can buy more at thrift shops, where they are often bagged together in bulk and sold for cheap. They can also sometimes be found for pennies at estate sales, garage sales, and flea markets. Adding more earrings to ones you already own broadens the design possibilities with color, pattern, and size. 

Both pierced and clip-on earrings can be used for this repurpose, as can both earrings in a pair. To use this upcycle for pierced earrings, decide on a vision for the tassel, and punch each earring through the fabric at the base of a lampshade. You can add just a few earrings spread around the base or many. With some skills working with metal, you can even create a more structured way to hang the earrings by making a fancy wire trim that can be attached to the bottom of the shade. Earrings can also be used to cover entire lampshades. Clip-on earrings, in particular, attach securely on pinch pleats found on vintage Hollywood Regency-style lampshades. 

If none of our favorite jewelry organizers fit your space or aesthetic, you can go beyond just decor by turning your lampshades into earring holders for those you keep in regular rotation. Since this method won't work with many contemporary shades, there are ways to remove the material from the shade's frame and replace it with fabric or lace. Alternatively, holes can be punched into the lampshade where the earrings can hang. The perforations can even be made in a pattern that will reveal itself when the light is turned on