2 Quick tips: The directions are rolled up in shade, and the black plastic pieces at the ends of the pipes are just for protection during shipping; you can throw them away. I bought two of these. Easy to put together. Did it sitting in my recliner. Started with the arched piece and worked my way down to the base. With the arched piece on the floor, I slowly turned the base for connection to the pipe. It took me two tries on each one to get it perfectly tight, but both are standing perfectly straight. Not really a fan of the clip-on shades, but they do look nice. Just keep the seam towards the back.