Roman blinds perfectly combine the comfort and softness of fabric curtains with the functionality and practicality of blinds. In the summer, when you want to avoid the rays of the scorching sun entering the room, you can lower such curtains by half, creating a pleasant twilight in the room. Depending on the choice of fabric, they can be combined with any interior style. They can be hung both in the window opening and on the cornice under the ceiling. So, how to sew roman blinds with your own hands.
What do you need to sew Roman curtains
You will need:
- fabric for curtains;
- hooks with a ring;
- fabric for lining;
- 2 wooden slats measuring 2.5x1.7 cm and 2.5x0.3 cm;
- round wooden sticks with a diameter of 0.3 cm (their number depends on how many folds you want to make);
- nylon lace (it should be about 5 times longer than the curtain);
- metal corners for attaching Roman blinds;
- small plastic rings;
- furniture stapler;
- fixing hook for attaching the cord;
- iron;
- ironing board;
- tape measure;
- pins;
- sewing machine;
- threads and a needle;
- scissors;
- chalk or a bar of soap;
- pencil.
If you want to hang roman shades in your bedroom, you can opt for a thick fabric. For the living room and nursery, it is advisable to choose a more transparent and thin material.
How to sew Roman shades with your own hands: step by step instructions
Having measured the window, determine the desired size of the future Roman shade. Add 21.5 cm in length and 10 cm in width. Then you will need to cut out the base fabric and lining material. Unfold the first one right-side down, then make 5cm folds on the sides and bottom, iron them and unfold them.
Next, wrap the corners and iron them with an iron too. Fold back the bottom and side edges. You should end up with a 45-degree bevel angle. Repeat the same with the lining, but make the folds 6, 25 cm wide.
Then lay the base fabric right side down on a flat surface. Place the backing material on it with the right side up, sliding it 5 cm higher. Secure both fabric with pins, sew at the seams (side and bottom).
Now you need to determine how many folds you want to make and at what distance they will be in relation to each other. To make the folds look nice and collected, place them at a distance of about 20-30 cm from each other. To determine where the bottom stick should be, decide how far apart the folds will be. Then divide the resulting number in half and add 1 to this value.
For example, if the distance between the folds is 30 cm, you need to divide 30 by 2 and add 1. You get the number 16. This means that the lower stick-rod should be at a distance of 16 cm from the bottom edge of the material. It is better to place the upper stick-rod at a distance of 25 cm (at least) from the upper edge. Use chalk or a bar of soap to mark where the sticks will be.
After that, you need to make "pockets" for the rods. For each of them, a tape of cotton fabric with a width of 7.5 cm should be cut. The length of this tape should be equal to the length of the lining. Fold it in half and iron the fold. Fold the lapel 1, 7 cm and iron it also.
Place the finished tapes on the backing fabric where you made the marks. At the same time, make sure that the 1, 7 cm lapel is adjacent to the lining. Then pin them and sew to the lining with a seam along the bottom edge.
Saw the sticks and the lower wooden lath to the required length and insert into the made "pockets". Place the strip in the pocket on the bottom edge of your shade. Sew 3 plastic rings to each rod - 1 in the middle and 2 at the edges (approximately 5 cm from the edge).
Cut the nylon cord into 3 equal pieces. Tie one end to the lower left ring and pull the cord up to the top of the Roman shade, passing it through the rings. Tie the other 2 cords to the center and bottom right rings, and pull them through the rest of the rings.
The length of the top wooden plank should be approximately 1.5 cm shorter than the length of the curtain. Wrap it with the remnants of lining or base fabric and secure with a furniture stapler. Lay the wrapped strip of the finished curtain and make pencil marks at the level of the plastic rings.
In the marked places, screw 3 hooks with a ring, attach the rail with metal corners to the wall above the window. Attach the finished curtain to the rail and see if the length suits you. If necessary, shorten it and hem the top edge. Use a stapler to attach the curtain to the rail.
Pass the cord through the hook rings screwed into the top rail. Pass the first cord through all 3 rings, the second through 2 and the third through 1. Then screw the fixing hook to the window frame, on which you will need to wind the cord to secure the Roman shade in the assembled position.
