I love good DIY projects that are both fun and functional.  This project involves faux flowers, which are lovely but always make me hesitate because of their maintenance.  Every spring, I'd see beautiful executions of silk flowers on curtains, lamp shades, and tablecloths but always walked away, wondering how they'd be washed or properly dusted. 

This project from Martha Stewart takes all these concerns away, making faux flowers removable in a snap!  Each flower is fitted with a magnet and its mate, making the flowers removable for cleaning, or for switching up your palette or style for the season.  Now, I can have my cake and eat it too.

I rate this project:  Easy. 

How to:

1. Gather these supplies:  faux flowers, fabric glue, mini magnets and scissors.
2. Cut off the stems of the flowers.
3. Use fabric glue to adhere magnets just above the raised center of the flowers.  The larger the flower, the farther off-center you should glue the magnet so that the flower will sit flat.
4. "Stick" the flowers to any thin surface, like curtains, lamp shades and tablecloths, by placing a second magnet on the reverse side, thereby "sticking" the magnets together. 

This project would look great on lamp shades.  For the best effect, regardless of the project you choose (tablecloth, curtain or lamp shade), make sure the surface is simple.  A patterned surface could look too busy with faux flowers.  Here are some simple lamp shades from Lamps Plus for this project:

1. Cream Fabric Drum with Brown Trim Shade.  $64.91
2. Platinum Grey Dupioni Silk Lamp Shade.  $39.99
3. Taupe Fabric Drum Lamp Shade.  $29.99
4. Off White Fabric Drum Shade.  $24.99

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Gerbera daisies are an easy option because they lie flat and come in a variety of colors.  These are from Afloral.

Happy crafting!

(Images:  Lamps Plus, Afloral, Martha Stewart)