Living room curtains
I am a curtain person as you can see in my mini home tour at my old apartment. My sister...hates curtains. She is a shutters person. Those shutters she has, although really nice, are just too expensive for me. Besides, I love me a colorful curtain. But they can be expensive, too. I hate when they sell one panel for $50. One panel? Come on, curtain makers!
So years ago I embarked on my own curtain making. And let me assure you...I am not skilled with a needle and thread -- and I sew by hand. If I can do it, anyone can. All you need is patience. And supplies of course.
-- Measure your windows to decide how much fabric you need and how long you want your curtains.
-- You can purchase fabric from any fabric store or order online. I love the tapestries and coverlets from Urban Outfitters (especially when they are on sale) and Full Moon Loom. You can even make curtains from sheets.
Babies room -- room in progress
-- A basic window often needs just one full size tapestry or 7 by 9 feet.
-- For that basic window, you can measure how you want fabric to hang, then cut in half. Sew hem on edges.
-- Larger windows will of course require more, but remember to measure and allow extra fabric so curtain has that curtainly wave and doesn't just look like a sheet pinned to the window like I used to have in college.
-- I hem the top of the curtain with a loop, so the curtain rod slips through.
-- For the bedroom, I double layered two different fabrics to shield out the most light. I just sewed fabric together and it's not only thicker, but reversible!
Bedroom window
Double layer reversible curtain
If I purchased pre-made curtains, I would have had to spend at least three times the amount I did. Sure, it was a little blood (from needle pricks) and sweat (and annoyance at times on re-threading that little needle), but it was all worth it.
Would you try this? Do you make your own curtains? Have any other tips to share?
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Comments 6
you know ... another tip i'm going to give a try to! our new home does not have curtains (for the moment) and hubby just put black plastic bags that not only help a little but they make me drepressed and i can't wait to go out and get fabric and fix my home =-( yay. thank you!!!
ps. love the curtain on the babies room =-D
thats awesome! im currently in the process of making curtains and i have been having an issue with attaching the little round thingies to slip on the rod but ill skip em and do what your doing (hemming as a loop as opposed to attaching them, cuts back on half the time!)
My husband hates the cheap looking blinds, so I'm going to have to curtain our new house and I think I'll definitely try making them!
awesooome!!! we just moved too and we have NO curtains on any of our windows! i love the bright and colorful tapestries!
i do have a sheet covering the window in my bedroom tho lol
I know what you mean hon. We found a beautiful circus colored set of curtains for our living room a few years ago from Jc Penny...$30.00 a panel...it was the cheapest set but very pretty. I am terrible when it comes to changing my house decor. I love to change it to fit the seasons..but my husband recently got laid off and it appears he won't be working any time soon, so I began crocheting my curtains. Because we already have blinds on each one I wanted to make valances...Still I am thinking about making some "autumn" curtains for my living room this year...that window doesn't have blinds so it needs to be double backed. I know I can find good heavy fabric and make one. *S*
I love making my own curtains, it's the finding the material I like that is hard.
I cringe at spending $20/panel, let alone $50/panel, so I don't mind making my own.
I did find some really good deals on curtains at Kmart a couple of weeks ago. Martha Stewart is leaving Kmart, so all her curtains and everything else is marked down.