If you are tired of plain old table lamps but don't like the commercial alternatives, here's an easy way to dress up one of those plain white ones you probably already have. We'll transform not only the lamp, but the shade, too. Particularly if your walls are white or beige, there's nothing less interesting than white lampshades!

The lamp I'm using is a plain white ceramic one in the typical urn shape, just the right size for placement on a bedside table or end table. Use either one like this, or any lamp with a plain surface in a color that will work for you as a background.

Then, it's simply a case of finding some decorative paper that you like. Make a visit to your neighborhood card shop, gift boutique or art supply store and you will be astonished at the beautiful papers that are out there. Look at paper that is sold by the single sheet, either for wrapping or for creating other paper projects. You'll find paper printed with a variety of motifs, from antique cars to all over patterns to geometric shapes. Peruse the wrapping paper section, as well. These papers are fabulous, particularly if a feminine and/or floral theme is right for you.

To decorate the lamp itself, cut out some of the motifs from the paper in such a way that there is no background. Try arranging them in various patterns on the lamp base. You may, if your motifs are fairly small, want to simply space them regularly, like polka dots, all over the lamp. If the images are of various sizes, try making a single larger grouping of them in the center of the rounded part of the lamp, and finish the whole thing off with complimentary borders of smaller elements all around the top and bottom edges of the lamp base.

Whatever arrangement you choose, affixing the motifs to the lamp is super easy. Use Modge Podge, the decoupage medium. First, slather a sloppy layer on the area ion which you will place a motif. Next, press it in place, and go over it with more Modge Podge. Remember that this material will dry clear so there's no need to worry about that. Continue arranging and gluing your motifs in this way until you are pleased with the result. Set lamp aside to dry.

Next, to decorate the shade, you'll need a large sheet of newspaper or other paper to use to trace a pattern. Simply lay the plain lampshade on the paper and as you roll it across the paper, trace the edges of the shade. You will end up with a shape that looks sort of like a half of a doughnut. Be sure to allow some room for overlapping, about an inch, to be safe, on the sides when you cut the pattern out. Next, lay it over the lampshade to make sure it will fit. Don't worry that the top and bottom edges are a little bigger than the shade: you will trim these to fit after the final paper shade cover is glued in place.

Now, use the pattern, placed on your paper that you want to cover the shade with and use a light pencil to trace around the pattern onto the paper. Cut out.

To glue the paper to the shade, there is no need to slather glue allover the entire lampshade surface. Simply run a thin line of craft glue along the shade's seam. Lay the paper in place, and as you roll the shade across the paper, add a dot or two of glue occasionally. When you reach the seam, make sure there is enough paper to over lap. Cut seam allowance to about 1/2." Glue edge in place. Let dry.

Then use scissors to carefully trim the edges of the paper even with the edges of the lampshade. You may want to glue a border of trim, such as rick-rack or gimp, all around the top and bottom of the edges of the shade to give it a more finished look.