The Handy Dandy Helper: DIY bedroom curtains

Friday, September 6, 2013

DIY Bedroom Curtains

When the Ricardo's moved to our "new big house", I opted to change Livy's bedroom decor (Beatrix Potter) which Baby M will be inheriting...

...Livy spied this bold, drapery fabric on a clearance table for $4/yard and loved it...

...so I originally planned to make a pillow pallet/nap mat with it and then realized it would make the perfect starting point for Livy's bedroom redo...

...starting with a DIY coverlet (details coming)...

...and then DIY bedroom curtains- since this fabric was drapery weight I didn't need to line them:)

I won't bother with dimensions since every window is different but I did measure a couple of times to ensure I was on track, this being my first DIY curtain adventure:)

Begin by pre-washing & ironing- this 100% cotton drapery material said "dry clean only" but I did a 'color stay' treatment in my machine with vinegar & salt and it came out fine!

Next I hemmed the sides- iron over 1/2 inch and then 1/2-1 inch more to produce an enclosed seam.

Then I hemmed the tops- iron over 1 inch & then 3 inches for an enclosed hem...

and the bottoms I hemmed by ironing over 1 inch & then 4 more for an enclosed hem- don't skimp on the hems! I would have done an additional inch but ran out of fabric:/

I stitched just inside the 4 inch mark (upper seam) & then added a row approx 1 inch from the bottom- I did the same for the top, adjusting to the 3 inch mark, respectively.

I planned to attach ribbon loops on the back of the upper hem for the curtain rod, resulting in a more pleated look but pooped out and fortunately realized that my 'pocket' perfectly fit the curtain rod, thus going with the 'bunchy' look, which Livy doesn't mind:)

Next were the tiebacks which I initially forgot about...

...so using the scraps, I simply stitched around my rectangles, leaving a hole for turning right side out, ironed and top stitched, enclosing the hole.

I cheated by using fabric glue, attaching velcro to keep the ties closed and it's working like a charm- way easier than sewing & I glued ribbon loops on the back to attach to the wall!