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Dannells has helped hundreds of curtain makers worldwide to increase revenue and offer new services by offering a range of easy-assembly lampshade kits and accessories. These kits are specially designed for makers to get up to speed quickly and start creating professional lampshades in next to no time, at an extremely cost-effective starting point.
Our clients have found that introducing professional lampshades to their range has provided benefits such as:
- A lucrative, brand-new revenue stream
- Optimising remnant fabric use
- Offering exciting new services
- Learning new skills
Below are our responses to questions typically asked by Curtain and Blind makers who are considering adding lampshades to their product range. If you have any other questions please call us on the number at the top of this page or send an email to info@dannells.com - we will be happy to provide any information that you need.
How can I introduce professional lampshades into my service offering?
Lampshades fit neatly into a soft furnishing interior design solution by creating complementary products to match curtains and blinds, often using fabric remnants. For example, a customer may contact you for a quote for curtains and you could offer a matching lampshade. A standard 30cm lampshade can be created from the material remnant in approximately 10-15 minutes and sold for £30-80, at a cost of only around £5 for components.
Alternatively, there is an opportunity to help win contracts by offering the incentive of a free lampshade, at little cost to you.
How can I make professional lampshades?
Our kits are designed to make creating lampshades simple and straightforward for anyone, regardless of experience. For someone who is already experienced in working with fabrics and soft furnishings, it will be even easier!
To assist our clients, we have created a number of tutorial videos and step-by-step instructions to make the process as simple as possible.
An example of our written instructions can be downloaded from the link below.
An example of one of our comprehensive tutorials
What materials are the lampshades made from?
We have been supplying lampshade manufacturers worldwide with materials, components and services for 42 years. Our components are quality-made and specifically engineered for lampshade production.
The Stick-It® lampshade panel is not just a piece of "sticky back plastic." It has been specially manufactured for lampshades and has many essential properties, including Anti-Static and Anti-Yellowing, and most crucially, flame retardancy. The frame is made from top-quality heavy gauge wire and is painted white.
The double-sided tapes included in the pack are manufactured in Germany by Tesa, the world's leading manufacturer of self-adhesive products.
More about our lampshade kits
Where can the lampshades be used?
The finished lampshades can be used with Pendant (ceiling) lights or with suitable Table or Floor lamps.
What type of lamp holder will this lampshade fit?
The frame has been designed to fit any UK (Bayonet Cap B22) or European (Edison Screw E27) fitting. A clever adaptor piece is provided with the kit, which allows the lampshade to work with both fittings.
What about Product Testing and Safety?
The self-adhesive lampshade panel has been tested in the Lighting Association Laboratories and passed the glow wire test, the British Standard for Luminaries. Any fabrics, textiles or paper laminated to our panel will become fire-resistant.
How do I get started?
We have created a special start-up pack that puts you in business immediately, enabling you to make small, medium, and large lampshades with an additional 20% saving.
The Business start-up pack is our recommended starting point and is effectively a lampshade business in a box. This pack allows you to make 110 small, medium and large lampshades for your customers at an average cost of £4.39 each.
The Business Start-Up pack contains the components necessary to create the following:
- 50 x 20cm Drum Lampshades (Small)
- 30 x 30cm Drum Lampshades (Medium)
- 30 x 40cm Drum Lampshades (Large)
The price of the Start-Up Pack is £482.90 + VAT which represents a 20% (£120.72) saving when compared to our standard manufacturing pack price.
Add some branding to your lampshades, some "Hand Made in the UK" labels, and you have a premium additional product for your clients.
For more information about the Business Start-Up pack please take a look at the video below:
More about our Start-Up Pack
Where can I buy the Business Start-Up Pack?
To purchase the pack, please follow the link below to the product page:
Business Start-Up Pack Product Page
Are there any other ways to get started?
If the Start-Up Pack does not fit within your initial budget, you can get started by purchasing the individual lampshade kits or basic materials however, this will work out to be less economical and convenient. Investing in the Start-Up pack will make sure that you have a good initial stock to keep up with orders.
Can I make different shapes and sizes?
The Start-Up pack includes the best-selling sizes in the most popular “Drum” shape. Once you have got up to speed you can then apply your new skills to expand your range with other popular shapes and sizes such as Ovals, Squares, Hexagon, Coolie, Empire and Rectangle lampshades, as well as accessorising them with trimmings, metallic backings or double-sided panels. You will be able to cater to a huge range of styles and preferences and broaden your client base.
What is the market potential for professional lampshades?
The High Street contains neutral-coloured lampshades and lacks variety in styles and shapes because most are imported from overseas. Retailers can only take a chance on fashion colours if they need to place big orders with importers, so they play it safe with minimalist designs. The shapes have also been changed to fit into containers for shipping, which no longer makes them multifunctional. For instance, the most popular drum shape takes up too much space in container ships as it doesn't stack well. Therefore, there is a great demand for matching and bespoke lampshades and you will be insulated from competing against cheap, imported lampshades.
Do you have any examples of other Curtain Makers who are creating lampshades?
Still not convinced? Take a look at our blog to read about the experience of Ellen at Hillview Soft Furnishings and how she used our lampshade kits to expand her business.
A wealth of additional information, tips, advice and creative ideas can be found on our blog - Click on this link to find more advice for curtain and blind makers who wish to start creating professional lampshades.
Do you supply products to the USA and internationally?
We consistently supply our products to a diverse customer base worldwide including, USA, Canada, Middle East, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand. We have excellent relationships with a range of international couriers to ensure you receive a quick and reliable delivery service at highly competitive rates.
Where can I find advice and support for starting my lampshade business?
You can contact us with any queries, comments, or issues; we will gladly help and support you. We also have a lampshade forum on Facebook with nearly 5000 lampshade professionals who can offer an immense amount of help and advice.
Additional information about our range of products can be found in our brochure:
Contact Us
To get in touch with us directly or to arrange a free consultation please send us an email at info@dannells.com, or via any of the major social media channels.
We look forward to hearing from you!
Does Dannells offer any other resources for Curtain and Blind makers?
We’re glad you asked! We supply a wide range of fabrics, materials and tools at very competitive prices and our highly experienced production team also provides manufacturing services including Pleating, Laminating and Fabric Printing, so please do get in touch to see how we can assist you. For additional resources, Dannells highly recommends the software and services provided by CCM Ace. Please find further information and contact details below:
CCM Ace
Looking to increase your efficiency and save time in the soft furnishings industry? Look no further than ACE Online! This specialised software automates estimating and takes the headaches away from numerous calculations required to provide made-to-measure quotes. With ACE Online, you can focus more on your customers while the software provides an estimate, workroom documentation, fabric summaries, fitting sheets, and more for each job. Try ACE Online today and streamline your workflow!
Email: enquiries@ccmace.co.uk
Telephone: 0161 766 4686
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