Store bought window treatments can be a little fortune especially when you start multiplying that amount across every window in your home. That’s exactly why so many homeowners are choosing to go the DIY route with Roman blinds. With a little fabric, some simple equipment, and an afternoon of your time, you can make unique window coverings that appear far more expensive than they are. This guide takes you through every step of the process of making roman blinds, from choosing your materials to hanging your finished result.
Why Choose a DIY Roman Shade Over Store Bought Options
There are some obvious reasons individuals choose to create a roman shade themselves rather than buying one off the shelf. “First is cost. A homemade roman shade will generally cost a fraction of what a merchant will charge for custom window treatments, which may easily be over a hundred dollars per window.
The second thing is customisation. Making your own roman shades gives you the opportunity to pick the specific fabric, pattern, and fold style that will fit your room. You don’t have to stick with a small color catalog that could not go with your environment.
And finally the sheer pleasure of doing something with your own hands. You have a finished roman shade hanging in your window that you just can’t get with store purchased blinds and there is something that you can point to and say you built it yourself.
What You Need Before You Start
Before you begin your roman blinds diy project, gather your resources. You will need enough fabric to cover your window with an extra allowance on both sides, a lining fabric for structure and light control, wooden dowels or rings depending on your fold style, a mounting board, cord, screw eyes and a cleat to hold the cord in place once the shade is lifted.
If sewing from scratch seems daunting, a roman shade kit is a terrific shortcut. Usually, you’ll need to buy the rings, string, mounting hardware and sometimes the interior fabric, so all you need to do is provide your choice of exterior fabric and follow the directions given. A kit is especially useful for beginners who want professional results without having to figure out spacing and hardware placement on their own.
Measuring Your Window Correctly
Accurate measurements are the foundation of any successful roman shade project. First, measure the width and height of your window opening and then determine if you want your shade to attach inside the window frame or outside on the surrounding wall. Inside mounts offer a sleek, built-in look, but outside mounts can make a window appear larger and are often easier for beginners, as they allow more opportunity for slight measuring errors.
Add a few inches to your fabric measurements above the finished size for hems, seam allowances and the fabric that wraps around the mounting board. It’s generally better to cut your fabric a bit bigger than too tiny.
Step by Step: How to Make Roman Shades
Once your materials are ready, the actual construction process follows a fairly consistent order across most patterns.
- First cut your outer fabric and lining fabric to your measured size. Make sure to keep them squared up with your ruler and fabric marker. Place the outside fabric right side down and the lining on top, sew along the borders and leave one side open so that you can turn the fabric right side out.
- Then lay the cloth flat and mark horizontal lines across the back where your rings or dowel pockets will be. It’s the even spacing here that will give you the clean, structured folds you see in finished roman blinds. If you’re using dowels, sew pockets along these lines. If you’re using a ring and cord system, attach rings directly to the lining fabric at even intervals.
- Using a staple gun or hook and loop tape, attach the top of the cloth to the mounting board. Thread your cords through the rings, bringing each line up to one side where they will all come together. Screwed eyes on the underside of the mounting board will neatly guide the wires upward.
- Finally, hang your finished shade above the window, thread the cords through the screw eyes, and tie off at a uniform length. To coil the cable neatly when the shade is up, attach a cleat to the wall.
Choosing the Right Fabric for Your Project
Fabric selection is more important than most people think. A medium weight blend of cotton or linen will keep its shape well and fold cleanly, just what you want in a structured roman shade. Very lightweight or very stretchy fabrics might sag with time and lose the crisp aspect that makes roman blinds so desirable in the first place.
If you need privacy or light blocking in the room, choose a heavier lining fabric, or add a layer of blackout lining between your outer fabric and the back lining. In kitchens and bathrooms, fabrics that are easy to wipe down work well, while bedrooms sometimes require heavier, light blocking solutions.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
There are a few problems that seem to keep coming up in first time roman shade projects. The most prevalent is uneven ring or dowel spacing that causes the folds to look crooked when the shade is raised. Mark these lines carefully and be sure to check your spacing before you sew.
Another popular shortcut that can cause difficulties later is skipping the pushing stage. A well pressed panel folds more predictably and appears much more polished in the completed product. Also, be sure you don’t mount your shade until you’ve checked that all of the cords pass smoothly through the rings, because mending a tangled cord after mounting is much harder than correcting it before.
Final Thoughts
One of the most exciting home projects you can do yourself is to make your own roman shades, which gives you genuine financial savings and ultimate creative control over your area. Either way, you’ll end up with a unique window treatment that is exactly suited to your home, whether you create it from scratch using raw materials or you use a roman shade kit to make the process easier. Once you’ve done your first shade, you’ll probably be planning the following shade for another room in the house.
