If you want your home to look good, you don't want to fill it with cheap lamp shades but what do you do if designer lamp shades are out of your reach? Here are 4 ways to get great looking lamp shades and save money

1. Browse for Bargains

Online stores have some great deals on lamp shades. Just take a little time to browse around a few sites and you'll see what a huge selection of lamp shades you can order from the comfort of your own sofa at very reasonable prices. Compare different sites to get the very best deals.

Online auction sites such as eBay offer great deals too. Be sure to check out the selection of lamp shades available at various prices and see if they have just what you are looking for. If buying there, do a bit of research on the seller by checking out feedback scores to make sure you're happy with their reputation.

2. Keep Your Eyes Open for the Best Deals

Sales seem to happen all year round these days so make sure you keep an eye on those stores which sell lamp shades if you are looking for a good deal. If you find a designer lamp shade you love on sale just make sure that it is right for your lamp before you buy, otherwise it is no bargain!

Discount stores often have great deals on lamp shades too. You'll find the cheaper plain lamp shades here, of course, but you often find that the discount stores follow trends in interior design and they will have the most popular looks of the season at great prices.

3. Designer Trimming

You can buy plain lamp shades quite cheaply online and in discount stores but they just don't have the designer look. You can upgrade them quite dramatically however with the magic of trimming. Take a look at all the trimmings available in the haberdashery department of a large store for inspiration. You'll find beautiful braiding, fringing and beaded edging among the ribbons and elastic.

Designer shades are often in plain shapes and it's the trimming which gives the lamp shade the designer look. If you see a shade you love look out for similar trimming in your local store and copy the look for your own home.

4. Time to Recycle

If you're replacing an old shade that is just the right size and shape for your lamp base you can save money by recovering it. Just choose fabric or paper (wall paper is good) in a design to match your decor. Look for instructions online for recovering lamp shades.

It may even be worth recovering a new plain lamp shade if you don't have an old shade (though you can often pick them up in garage sales for a song.) Just get the right shape and size for the base when looking at lamp shades and you can choose the finished look yourself by completely recovering your shade.