Empire Sunburst Lampshade Free Crochet Pattern: Tunisian Knit Stitch Deco Drum

Empire Sunburst Lampshade: A Beginner-Friendly Art Deco Drum

If you have ever looked at a lampshade and thought "I could make that," this is the project for you. The Empire Sunburst Lampshade is a straight-sided drum shade worked in Tunisian knit stitch, which gives you a dense, slightly ribbed fabric that looks knitted but is made with a single hook. Alternating vertical panels of terracotta and mustard create crisp Art Deco geometry, and a band of little sunburst motifs with tipped rays adds a warm, handmade glow when the lamp is switched on. It is perfect for a total beginner who wants a real, usable home decor piece without a huge time commitment. The finished shade feels firm and matte, measures about 10 inches across and 8 inches tall, and slips right over a standard drum frame.

Materials Needed

• Yarn: Recycled cotton worsted weight (approx. 180–200 yds / 165–183 m per 100 g skein). You need 1 skein terracotta (approx. 95 yds) and 1 skein mustard (approx. 95 yds). The sample uses a smooth, matte recycled cotton with a firm twist.
• Tunisian crochet hook: 6.0 mm (J-10) with a cable, 24 in / 60 cm or longer. The cable holds all 128 loops, so a long cable is essential.
• Standard crochet hook: 5.5 mm (I-9) for the sunburst band, edgings, and seaming.
• Stitch markers: at least 8, to mark panel color changes.
• Tapestry needle: for weaving in ends and attaching motifs.
• Scissors.
• Frame: a 10 in / 25.4 cm diameter drum lampshade ring set (top and bottom rings with spider fittings) or a 10 in diameter cylindrical shade frame.
• Finished size: approx. 10 in / 25.4 cm diameter x 8 in / 20.3 cm tall. The flat panel is 32 in / 81.3 cm wide x 8 in / 20.3 cm tall, seamed into a tube of approx. 31.5 in / 80 cm circumference.

Abbreviations and Beginner Glossary

• ch – chain: yarn over the hook and pull it through the loop on your hook to make one chain.
• st / sts – stitch / stitches: one completed unit of crochet work.
• yo – yarn over: wrap the yarn from back to front over your hook.
• Tks – Tunisian knit stitch: a stitch that looks like a little "V." You insert the hook under the front vertical bar of the next stitch, yarn over, and pull up a loop.
• Forward pass – the row where you pick up loops onto the hook, working right to left. Do not turn your work.
• Return pass – the row where you work the loops off the hook, left to right: yarn over, pull through 1 loop, then yarn over and pull through 2 loops repeatedly until 1 loop remains.
• RS / WS – right side (the front, public face) / wrong side (the back, hidden face).
• sc – single crochet: insert hook into stitch, yarn over, pull up a loop, yarn over, pull through both loops on hook.
• dc – double crochet: yarn over, insert hook into stitch, yarn over, pull up a loop, yarn over, pull through 2 loops, yarn over, pull through last 2 loops.
• sl st – slip stitch: insert hook into stitch, yarn over, pull the loop straight through the loop on your hook.
• magic ring – an adjustable loop you make with yarn, then crochet into, so you can pull the center closed tight.
• Rnd – round: a row worked in a circle, joined at the end.
• Fasten off – cut the yarn and pull the tail through the last loop to lock it.
• Whipstitch – a simple over-and-over sewing stitch used to join two edges.

Gauge

16 sts and 15 rows = 4 in / 10 cm in Tunisian knit stitch with the 6.0 mm hook.

Gauge matters because this shade must fit a 10 in frame exactly. If your stitches are too loose, the tube will be too big and sag; too tight, and it will not slide over the rings. To make a swatch, chain 20, work a forward and return pass, then work 15 rows of Tks. Lay it flat without stretching and measure the middle 4 inches. If you have more than 16 sts, go up a hook size; if fewer, go down. Always swatch before starting the real panel.

Beginner Tips Before You Start

• Count your loops every forward pass. You must always have 128 loops on the cable before the return pass. If you lose one, the panel will be lopsided.
• Use stitch markers at every color change. Place a marker every 16 sts so you know exactly where each panel begins and ends.
• Do not pull the yarn too tight. Tunisian fabric curls and stiffens if you tug. Keep your loops relaxed and even.
• Carry the unused color loosely up the side edge. If you pull the carried strand tight, the edge will pucker and the seam will not lie flat.
• Change color on the last loop of the forward pass. Complete the final loop of the old panel with the new color, then continue. This keeps the color line crisp.
• Steam, do not press. Tunisian knit stitch has beautiful texture; ironing flattens it. Hold a steamer an inch above the fabric.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Set-Up

With terracotta and the 6.0 mm Tunisian hook, ch 128.

Row 1 (set-up row): Forward pass: insert hook in 2nd ch from hook, yo, pull up a loop; pull up a loop in each ch across = 128 loops on hook. Return pass: yo, pull through 1 loop; *yo, pull through 2 loops; repeat from * across until 1 loop remains. (128 sts)

Body

Panels 1, 3, 5, 7 = terracotta; Panels 2, 4, 6, 8 = mustard. Each panel is 16 sts. Change color at the end of the forward pass when starting a new panel, carrying the old color loosely up the side edge.

Rows 2–30: Work in Tks across, following the panel color sequence. Each row = (128 sts). Work 30 rows total (approx. 8 in / 20.3 cm). Fasten off, leaving a 24 in / 60 cm tail.

Seaming Into a Tube

Block the panel lightly to 32 in x 8 in. With RS facing, fold the panel in half widthwise to bring the first and last rows together into a tube. Using the 5.5 mm hook and terracotta, work a slip-stitch seam through both edge stitches from bottom to top (or whipstitch with the tapestry needle). Seam allowance approx. 0.5 in. Turn the tube RS out. The tube now measures approx. 31.5 in circumference x 8 in tall.

Sunburst Appliqué Band (make 8 motifs)

Work mustard motifs for terracotta panels and terracotta motifs for mustard panels, using the 5.5 mm hook.

Rnd 1: Make a magic ring. Ch 3 (counts as first dc), work 11 dc into ring, join with sl st to top of ch-3. (12 dc) Fasten off, leaving a 10 in tail.

Rnd 2 (sunburst rays): Join same color with sl st in any dc. *Ch 4, sl st in 2nd ch from hook, sc in next ch, dc in next ch, skip 1 dc on Rnd 1, sl st in next dc; repeat from * 5 more times. (6 rays) Fasten off, leaving a 10 in tail.

Tip each ray: with the tapestry needle and the opposite panel color, make 1 small straight stitch at the tip of each ray to create the tipped sunburst effect.

Attaching Motifs

Pin one motif centered on each of the 8 panels, positioning the center of each motif approx. 1.25 in / 3.2 cm above the lower edge of the shade. Using matching thread or split yarn and the tapestry needle, whipstitch around Rnd 1 of each motif only, leaving the rays free-standing. Remove pins.

Lower Edge Finish

With the 5.5 mm hook and terracotta, join yarn at the seam on the lower edge.

Rnd 1: Ch 1, sc evenly around lower edge, working 1 sc in each row-end and 1 sc in each stitch along the bottom edge, approx. (128 sc); join with sl st to first sc.

Rnd 2: Ch 1, sc in each sc around; join with sl st. (128 sc) Fasten off. Weave in ends.

Upper Edge Finish

With the 5.5 mm hook and mustard, join yarn at the seam on the upper edge.

Rnd 1: Ch 1, sc evenly around upper edge, approx. (128 sc); join with sl st. Fasten off. Weave in ends.

Mounting

Slip the finished tube over the drum frame. Fold approx. 0.5 in of the upper edge to the inside and whipstitch it to the top ring. Repeat at the lower edge, folding to the inside and stitching to the bottom ring. Ensure the sunburst band sits just above the lower ring.

Assembly and Finishing

Weave in all remaining ends on the wrong side of the fabric, threading each tail through several stitches and trimming close. Lightly steam the seams and edges: hold a steamer or a steam iron an inch above the fabric and let the steam relax the stitches — never rest the iron on the Tunisian knit stitch, or you will flatten its texture. Steam the motifs only briefly. Let the shade dry completely before placing it on the frame. Check that the tube sits smoothly over both rings and that the sunburst band is level all the way around.

Pro Tips and Variations

• Change the palette: Swap terracotta and mustard for teal and cream, or blush and charcoal, for a different Art Deco mood. Keep one color light and one dark so the panels read clearly.
• Adjust the size: For a 12 in frame, add 8 sts (one more panel) and work 2 extra rows; for an 8 in frame, remove 8 sts and 2 rows. Always re-check your gauge first.
• Substitute yarn: Any smooth worsted cotton or cotton-blend works well. Avoid fuzzy or highly textured yarns, which hide the crisp panel lines and the sunburst detail.
• Simplify the motifs: Skip the tipped ray stitches for a cleaner, more minimal look, or use a single contrasting color for all 8 motifs.