The following recycled items will be needed:

• An old pair of leather pants or an old leather jacket (if you do not have leather clothes to upcycle, you can get leather pieces from a Leather smith)
• Plastic mesh
• Plastic bottle or tin (to form the lampshade mould)

The following items will also be required:

• Fabric glue and paintbrush
• Fabric scissor
• Binder clips
• Bulb, plug and light fitting
• Awl
• Wire cutter
• Rubber bands

Method

1. Place the mesh around the mould in order to measure its size. Once you are happy that you have the correct measurement, cut the mesh to size with the wire cutter. Put the mesh to one side while you cut the leather.
2. Cut the leather in long thin strips, making sure its thin enough to weave through the mesh.
3. Begin weaving the leather strips from one corner of the mesh. You can either weave in a horizontal, vertical or slanting direction.
4. To cover the edge of the mesh, fold the leather strips over to give it a neat and finished appearance. Glue the leather strips and use a binder clip to help the glue set properly.
5. Proceed as above until the entire mesh is weaved with leather strips.
6. Set the mesh aside for the glue to dry. Either push a hole through the bottom of the mould or drill a hole. This will be the opening for the electrical wire to go through.
7. Once the glue has dried on the mesh, you can start to fold the weaved leather mesh, which now looks like a leather rug, around the mould. Secure the mesh to the mould by using fabric glue and rubber bands, leave it to dry.
8. Push the electrical wires into the hole of the mould.
9. Fit a plug into the end of the electrical wire, ensure that the wire is long enough to reach a plug point. Fit a bulb to the light fitting.
10. Your new designer lampshade is ready for use.