Flat Roman shades look good when you want a clean-lined, no-fuss window treatment. 2. Learn how to make a stylish and tailored looking DIY roman shade with this simple sewing tutorial. Roman shade tape – enough length for both vertical edges of each shade Mini clear command hooks (with adhesive strips, not shown) Tools: iron, ironing board, scissors, ruler, level Start by trimming down the curtain/fabric to fit your window measurements. Tie a lift cord to a ring at the hem and run the cord up through the rings to the corresponding eye-screw on the board, through that eye-screw and all the other eye-screws on the board to one side. I won’t go into much detail as far as how we made these shades since Jen did does an excellent job on her website. I imagine they will need to be laundered regularly. First, we’ll sew the side and bottom edges of your Roman shade fabric. The dowels are not seen from the ends unless they are cut too long. There should be one ring placed about 1″ in from each side of the shade. Cord 4 goes through eye hook 4, then 3, then 2 and 1 etc. To make two Roman shades, I cut my 84”-long panel into two 42” squares. Divide the width of the shade between the side hems into equal sections no more than six inches apart to determine the number and placement of the vertical rows. 1. How to make your house look more expensive, http://www.impartinggrace.com/2011/05/faux-roman-shade-tutorial.html, fabric and lining (see the section below on measuring to find out how much you’ll need), thread in a coordinating color for your fabric, 1 1/2″ corner braces (for outside frame mount only). Make Dowel Pockets. You won’t notice it at all when the shade is down. This is a very informative blog, thanks for sharing about how to make roman shades. Linda Erlam started writing educational manuals in 1979. A Roman Shade is made from a flat fabric panel that, when raised, folds up accordion style via a simple ring and cord system. Staple one side of the velcro strip to the board and sew the corresponding velcro strip to the top of the shade. I usually plan to have a dowel every 8 inches and don’t worry too much if the top section is a little longer or shorter than the rest. Cut the cord into pieces. How to Make Roman Blinds. You would get less light from the sides with an inside mount installation. Note: The next time I make a roman shade, I’ll probably sew the fabric to the lining like a pillow case as done in this tutorial at about 3 min. Cut a 1-by-1 board to the finished width of the shade less 1/4 inch. Start at the top edge of the bottom hem with the first ring placement mark and make six more cross marks on the vertical lines, one every six inches. Erlam is a graduate of the Sheffield School of Interior Design and is a practicing interior decorator and drapery workroom operator. But sometimes you want a window treatment that is clean lined, doesn’t take up too much space around the window and doesn’t cost too much to make. For example, for a finished shade 24 inches wide and 40 inches long, cut the fabric 30 inches wide and 43 inches long. I would suggest that you make your shade without dowels to eradicate your concerns about gaps and pattern interruption. If you did not use dowels, you’ll need to draw lines across the width of the fabric using a pencil. Note: If you are making multiple shades for the same room, you’ll want to make them all the same length as the largest measurement across all the windows. I don’t know if the curtain would stay straight enough horizontally if it was threaded on a rod as opposed to stapled on to a board. With the right sides of the fabric and lining together (facing towards each other), line up the top edges so that they are even. NO SEW FAUX ROMAN SHADE. Sew along the line so that you have created a tube that the dowel will fit in. There’s lots of tutorials for this on the web if you do a search. Tie the ends of the lift cords together. Now, let me show you how I made this gorgeous Roman shade. Most of the roman shades I have made were sewn without dowels. And the goal is to inspire you to use your own creativity to transform your house into a home you love. Then subtract 1/8″. Cut the dowels slightly shorter than the width of the blind so that they won’t … Note: If your window frame is really out of square and there is a big difference between your measurements, you may want to consider doing an outside the window frame installation. Note: The next time I make a roman shade, I’ll probably sew the fabric to the lining like a pillow case as done in this tutorial at about 3 min. b. I have a couple of different sets of directions that I am looking at. Required fields are marked *. Pin the lining and fabric together randomly in between these two lines to hold the 2 fabrics in place. Thanks. Happy sewing! Hopefully, you were able to make yourself some homemade roman shades that go with your decor! Lift the shade off the front of the board, if necessary, and replace after the screw insertion. For example, if the finished width is 36″ and the finished length is 78″,  you cord will need to be 36″ + 78″ + 60″ = 174″ long. When it comes to roman shades, there are three basic styles: classic, casual, and formal. Fold Several Pleats in Floral Fabric. I have been dreading making Roman Shades with all the terrible posts out there with dowels, staying mechanisms, etc. Position cords 10 to 12 inches apart across the width of the shade. It is easier to get the eye hooks into the board if you pre-drill the hole with a small drill bit. The choice of fabric will influence the final effect (toile, for instance, tends to look more formal than gingham, regardless of the shade's shape).We installed the panels inside window frames; they can also be mounted to the front casing. 1. Don’t be deterred by all of the little details involved. It’s easier to do it that way when working with that much fabric. “How to Make Faux Roman Shades“. Haha! Crafts. How to Make No Sew Roman Shades using Tension Rods. DIY Roman Shades Tutorials For Your Home Decor Ideas 1. Sew fabric and liner. If you used dowels, the rings will be placed along the back edge of the dowel folds. Screw small eye hooks into the board so that they match the spacing of the rings on the shade. You may be using wooden dowels or the fibre glass, metal or plastic rods supplied with your Roman blind kit. I can hardly wait to get started on the roman shade for my new window. When you are installing the shade outside of your window frame, you have a little more leeway since the blind doesn’t have to fit exactly inside the frame.