Project by WhatKimberleyMakes
Add character to you home with your own home-made curtain. It is the focal point for any room and is a great way to coordinate your décor. This curtain can be adapted to fit your window perfectly. Why not try adding a trim to really personalise your curtain? This tutorial will show you need to how to make your own and a matching curtain tie.
To work out how much fabric you will need for your curtain, start by measuring your window.
Mine is a small window so I’m making one curtain using eyelets. My window measures 20” across and 50” deep including the frame. You will ideally need DOUBLE the width of your window in fabric, this will ensure that when your curtain is pulled back, it will form pretty pleats. If you are making 2 curtains, both curtains will need to measure the width of the window.
The drop of the curtain will depend on how long you would like it to be! I think a curtain looks best when it drops lower than the window, so I’d like my curtain to be approximately 57” long. Consider the seam allowance when working out your measurements. (I’ve use ½”)
Cutting your fabric –
If you’re using a border at the top and bottom, allow 10” in length for each border and twice the width of the window.
Take the measurement of the drop you require, deduct 19” to allow for the borders and cut your centre fabric to this measurement.
Cut the lining 2” shorter than the length of the curtain and 4” narrower to allow 2” return of the outer fabric. This basically means the outer fabric will wrap around to the lining so that the seams sit on the lining side.
TIP- use a blackout lining if you’d like your curtain to block out light coming in from the window.
1. Sew the top and bottom border panels right sides together to the centre fabric. Press the seams open.
2. Hem the bottom of both the outer and lining fabrics by folding over by 1.5” twice and sewing.
3. Sew the lining and outer pieces right sides together along the sides. Turn the right sides out and press, now you’ll see why the lining is slightly shorter than the outer fabric!
4. Sew across the top of the curtain to hold the two layers in place. Fold over by ½” and press. Sew the eyelet tape across the top of the curtain, folding the ends inwards to make neat. Cut out the holes, a pair of curved scissors helps here!
TIP- use an even amount of eyelets if possible so the curtain pleats evenly.
5. Push the eyelet rings into the holes until they clip.
6. That's the curtain finished!
Curtain tie
What you’ll need:
· 20” x 10” outer fabric
· 20” x 10” lining fabric
· 2 x 1” D rings
· 22” Pompom trim (optional)
1. Fold your outer fabric in half width ways.
2. Mark 5” on the fold and 1.5 inches on the opposite side, slightly higher. Draw a curved line from the top and bottom on the 5 inches across the fabric curved upwards to 1.5” Cut out this shape.
3. Fold your lining fabric in half and place the tie, also in half, on top. Cut out the same shape.
4. Place outer and lining right sides together and sew all the way around the edge with a small seam allowance. Leave a gap of about 4” to turn the tie out.
5. Turn out and press.
6. Top stitch along the top and bottom of the tie, making sure to close the gap in the bottom with this stitch.
7. Wrap the small end around a d ring and sew in place. Repeat with the opposite end.
8. If you are adding a trim, glue that to the bottom of the tie with textile glue.
And that's the curtain tie finished too!
To see more from Kym, visit her blog WhatKimberleyMakes and on Instagram @whatkimberleymakes