Plastic Lamp Shades

137 Ideas by Vanessa Weber

Get away from the easily-breakable glass lampshades and give one of these plastic lamp shades a try. Versatile, hardened plastic is a smart and safe way to shade your lamps, of all sizes. In many styles and colors, there is sure to be a single shade, or set of plastic lamp shades, to meet your needs. Look in this collection and find one that is perfect for you.

Multi Colored Plastic Lamp Shades

Plastic Replacement Shades for Floor Lamps

Black Plastic Lamp Shade

Plastic Clip On Lamp Shade

Plastic Lamp Shades for Torchiere Floor Lamp

Set of Two Plastic Lamp Shades

Do not judge hastily plastic lampshades, they are often delicate and very useful, just like this basic white copy. Lampshades with a bulb holder can be the perfect complement to chandelier chandeliers.

Love the deep sapphire blue hue of this ribbed empire lamp shade. Could deliver a stunning pop of colour in an. e.g. all-white bedroom... Unfortunately, it's not glass, it's plastic, but good enough for me.

Plastic spoon pendant light -- kinda awesome.

Taryn McIntosh from Cape Town made this pendant lampshade by recycling plastic milk bottles

torchiere lamp shade plastic

Lamps from plastic milk cartons

Made of the plastic lampshade is an excellent way for attractive and inexpensive interior design. Unusual modern form, lightweight construction, and interesting details create a very effective whole.

Cheap Plastic Lamp Shades into...pretty and cheap plastic lamp shades ...

14" Yellow Plastic Cone Shade SL46614P-YELLOW

Puzzle Lights are our newest style of lighting for events. These lanterns/lights are made out of 100% recycled plastic. They are called puzzle lights because every light is made out of individual plastic pieces that have been pieced together. They come in

Reserved bespoke item daisy 12 plastic

Obviously, designers lamps must be expensive, but this stunning lamp shade was crafted of nothing more than colorful plastic bottles that now create a multilayer white and green composition. Marvellous!

studio cb : lamp shade made of fused plastic bags (recycled)

Plastic lamp shades are usually associated with low price and casual design, but apparently some plastic shades can rival with designer pieces. This high end bowl shaped ceiling lamp shade was composed of... plastic cups.

14" Taupe Plastic Cone Shade SL46614-TAUPE

Lamps from plastic bottles. via TreeHugger

Cone Lamp Shades Replacement Plastic Cone Lamp Shades ...

Floor Lamps : Awesome Replacement Plastic Cone Lamp Shades ...

2-Pack Replacement Plastic Lamp Shade for Torchiere Floor

More Ideas

Plastic Lamp Shades

Buying Guide

Vanessa Weber Interior Design Expert

Vanessa is a New York–based architectural lighting designer and interior designer who helps homeowners and design enthusiasts understand how light can transform everyday spaces. With many years of experience across residential, corporate, and hospitality projects, she combines technical precision with a practical, real-world perspective. Her guidance empowers readers to make confident lighting choices that enhance comfort, atmosphere, and function in every room and outdoor area.

Plastic lamp shades come with their own sets of advantages that are appealing to certain groups of people. For example, plastic lamp shades are more durable compared to paper-based or fabric lamp shades. Lamp shades made of plastic also come in more varieties in terms of color and design.

While the countless varieties mean you don't have to settle for something that is just "okay," your options can also be a source of confusion. Too many choices often lead to analysis paralysis. To make your shopping experience easier and more enjoyable, this article is going to help you by providing you with a buying guide for plastic lamp shades.

What types of plastics are used in lamp shades?

For many, the term plastic describes one type of plastic. In reality, there are plenty of plastic types and knowing the common ones will give you a better idea of the kind you want or need. The typical plastic types often used for lamp shades include:

Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) - Less durable compared to other types of plastics, but very economical.
High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) - Very durable and resistant to strong chemicals. It's also easy to recycle, which is something to take note if you want something eco-friendly.
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) - A very versatile plastic that can be very soft or very hard. The costs depend on how hard or soft it's made.
Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE) - A plastic that can resist temperatures nearing 100 degrees Celsius. It's an excellent plastic type if you're worried about the heat generated by the bulb or simply worried about fire hazards.
Polypropylene (PP) - A plastic that is also very durable and comes with very low toxicity levels. It's even considered as a "food safe" material.

What purpose will your plastic lamp shade serve?

The primary purpose of your lampshade will also have a significant impact on what kind you need to get. There are two major categories for lampshade use. There's ambient lighting and task lighting.

The primary purpose of an ambient light is for providing overall lighting to a room. On the other hand, task lighting's primary purpose is to give you illumination to help you with a certain task (i.e., reading, sketching, writing).

If you're buying plastic lamp shades for ambient lighting, then you want the light to go out from the sides and top. This means that you'd want the plastic to be more translucent so more light can pass through. Also, you'd want a shape that won't direct most of the light downwards like a drum-shape or reverse empire.
If you want a plastic lamp shade for task lighting, then you'd want to block the light from going out from the sides and top. Instead, you want it to be redirected downwards. To achieve this, you'd want a lampshade that is more opaque. A dark-colored plastic on the outside and light-colored on the inside works even better. You'd also want a shape to help you direct the light to the bottom like the coolie, empire, and bell.