Fabric Window Shades

How to Make Your Own Fabric Window Shades

When you want to make beautiful fabric window shades on your own, you will have to start with measuring the windows that will be wearing them. Measuring your windows for these shades depends on where you will want these shades to be situated, if inside the window frame or outside it. Measurements should be according to your preference.

Once you have the measurements you need, add a foot of allowance to the length of the cloth and a couple of inches to its width for hemming needs. When you buy your cloth, buy the interfacing as well. Choose the iron on type of interfacing for easier work. You will also need to buy the roller for your shades which can be found in home improvement stores in roller kits made for just such a purpose.

Cut both your fabric of choice and your iron-on-interfacing according to the measurements with allowances you just made. Iron the interfacing onto the backside of the fabric you will be using for your fabric window shades and then turn it over on its right side and iron again.

Before you can attach the fabric with its ironed on interfacing to the roller kit, you will need to trim your fabric to fit the size of the rollers you bought. Your rollers should be approximately the same width as your windows and to make sure that it is, when you buy your roller kit, bring your width measurement less the two inch allowance with you to the store.

Once you’ve finished trimming your fabric for your window shades and you’ve finished the attachment of the interfacing on your fabric, you can then attach this to your roller. Mark the sides of the cloth where the roller ends and begins and fold the allowance on the cloth to make seams and to protect the cloth edges from fraying.

You can either use a fabric sealant to do this or stitch up the edges if you are handy with a needle and thread. Fold the bottom part of your fabric to create a fold big enough for a wooden slat to be inserted in it and stitch this up or use iron-on tape to hold it in place. You can now hang your home-made fabric window shades.