And no I won’t make them for you.
Just kidding. I’m a sucker so I probably will.
But you don’t need me to- they are so easy to make, or should I say SEW EASY!?
That’s why I’m giving you DIY deets here.
There is even a no-sew way to do these.
Knowing how to create your own curtains is such a blessing because sometimes you just can’t find what you are looking for and also, it’s usually much cheaper to make your own. My go-to website for finding unique fabric is fabric.com. They have tons of stuff and the prices are really good. Both fabrics you see in this post are from that site.
Another trend is to make curtains from bedsheets, I have never done that but this method would apply.
Anywhoo…
Here are the directions if you can sew or know someone who does (besides me….hahaha):
1. Measure the length and width of the curtains. Write those numbers down. You’re going to forget them. (cough, Kate Flaherty Walsh, cough)
Also-Think about how you want them to look when shut. If you want them to still have a little waviness to them when shut (rather than flat when pulled across) make sure you allow for that. If you have a set of curtains hanging somewhere in your house that you like you could measure those and apply those measurements to the project (plus seam allowance).
Cut the curtains allowing for a thicker hem at the top and bottom. I like around three to five inches at the top and bottom, especially the bottom for added weight. So add about eight inches to your overall height. I’d then do three inch inch hem for the top and five inch hem for the bottom.
If you have enough fabric I like a thick finished edge on the sides too because sometimes the back of the curtain peeks out when they are pushed open.
(I pulled this a little with my hand but you can see how a thicker hem on the sides would look better than a skinny hem.)
2. After you cut the panels, iron them completely. For large panels I just sew on the carpeted floor, but make sure your iron setting isn’t too high.
(Disclaimer: sometimes I skip this step. But as you can see from the second panel behind the iron, I don’t go out of my way to keep them wrinkle free to begin with)
3. Iron a small seam all the way around. This will allow for a finished edge.
4.Fold and iron the thicker seam now. That smaller seam will get tucked in.
You can see above what I mean about sewing small seam and then a bigger one as shown by the crease. When you fold that crease, the small hem will be tucked in, creating a nice finished edge for sewing, see below:
That yucky edge is now tucked in!
(I’m using images from several curtain projects, that’s why the fabric is different)
Do this around all four sides.
I cannot remember why I have one fat side and one skinny side but I’m sure I had a reason…
5. Sew all four sides. It’s a simple straight stitch.
Important: If you want to slide a curtain rod through the top, sew the sides first, then top and bottom.
I’m not a slide through the rod type of gal, I prefer these beauties:
Ring Clips!
I think I got this set at Kohl’s but you can get them just about anywhere that has home decor stuff.
I prefer the way the curtains hang with clips rather than through the rod, much less scrunchy.
If you don’t sew, all you need is some Iron on Adhesive (sometimes called seam binding). Heat and Bond is a popular brand. Here is a link to the product at Michael’s, so you can see what you should be searching for…
I’d suggest the ultra hold since you are not going to stitch at all.
If you use an adhesive I would say you would have to sacrifice that finished edge. Simply iron the strip of adhesive between the edge and where you want the fold. I’d also say you can’t have that thick of a seam because you don’t want the space to bubble between the seam edge and the edge of that fabric.
The now dormant (sniff, sniff) Young House Love blog has two great tutorials for using this process to create curtains. Check out this link to see their curtains they made using adhesive. You should also watch their video tutorial before you start.
Sew, there you have it!
Get to work!
