DIY Necktie Curtain

Capture the look of a man's suit in a curtain window treatment.

A necktie curtain can add whimsy, color and movement to a window treatment and the room decor. A necktie is masculine so this treatment can be paired with modern low and tailored furniture as well as for more playful rooms. Creating the curtains can be a fun way to recycle interesting and peculiar older neckties that are still in good condition. Ask your friends and families for donations, before you start your project, as you will need a lot of ties for the best result.

Things You'll Need

• Tape measure
• Shirt fabric
• Suit fabric
• Scissors
• Pins
• Sewing machine
• Iron and ironing board
• Grommet punch and grommets
• Shirt buttons
• Needle and thread
• Ties
• Jump rings
• Needle-nose pliers

Instructions

1. Measure the height of the window from the bottom of the curtain rod to the floor. Add 4 inches for the hem. Measure the width of the window and add 2 inches. Cut white dress shirt fabric with the grain to these measurements. Make two for each window.

2. Cut suit fabric to the same width measurement and 14 inches in height. Cut strips of shirt fabric with the grain, 8 inches long by 3 inches wide, one for every approximately 4 inches of your width measurement.

3. Fold back 1/2-inch of the top edge of the suit fabric and iron it. The top edge is a long side. Fold back this edge 1/2-inch and iron it. Repeat for the bottom edge. Sew two parallel seams 1/8- and 3/8-inch from the folded edges of both the top and bottom. Set the pieces aside.

4. Fold the top long side of the shirt fabric's 8-inch strip 3/4-inch to the back. Fold the bottom long side of the same strip 3/4-inch to the back so that the raw edges touch. Iron the folds. Fold the top over to align with the bottom fold so that the raw edges are inside. Iron the fold. Repeat for all of the strips. Sew two parallel seams 1/8-inch from each side along the length of the strips.

5. Fold the top, bottom and side edges of the large curtain panel 1/2-inch to the back and iron the fold. Fold these edges to the back 1/2-inch and iron the fold. Sew a seam 3/8-inch from the fold on the top and each side.

6. Measure to find the center of the suit fabric. Mark the center bottom edge with tailor's chalk. Measure away from the center 1-1/2 inches and mark. Measure and mark every 1-1/2 inches until you are within 1-1/2 inches from the side of the fabric. Repeat on the other side. Punch a grommet hole 1/4-inch above the bottom edge of the fabric, inside the double seam hem at each mark. Install small grommets in each hole.

7. Place the curtain fabric face-down. Measure the width of the fabric and divide it into even amounts that are 4 to 6 inches apart. Mark the top back edge of the curtain with tailor's chalk once the spacing is determined. Fold a strip in half and align the raw edges. Position the strip with the raw edges 1 inch below the top edge of the curtain. Pin perpendicular to the strip close to the top edge of the curtain with a second perpendicular pin close to the raw edges. Leave a 3/4-inch space for the sewing machine to stitch in the middle. Repeat this for all of the strips.

8. Position the curtain face-up in the sewing machine with the machine set to sewing a buttonhole. Sew a vertical buttonhole to attach the center of the strips to the top of the curtain. These are faux buttonholes. Repeat for each strip. Hand-sew a shirt button over the center of each faux buttonhole with a needle and thread. Measure 2 inches from the top edge of the curtain and pin the suit fabric centered horizontally across the width of the panel. Sew the top edge of the suit fabric to the curtain panel.

9. Place the curtain face-down. Fold the side edges of the suit fabric to the back 3/8-inch and iron them. Fold the edges over the side of the suit and curtain fabrics combined. Iron the crease and pin it. Sew the folded edge to the back of the curtain panel by hand with a hem stitch.

10. Iron your ties flat. Punch a grommet hole 1/4- to 3/8-inch from the point or end of the narrow underside part of each tie. Install a small grommet in the hole. Use needle-nose pliers to connect the ties to the curtain with jump rings. Arrange the ties so that the ends are uneven and random and the colors play well together. Hang the curtain from the rod. Pin the hem. Sew the hem with needle and thread and a blind hem stitch.

Tips & Warnings

• If your sewing machine doesn't sew buttonholes, you can sew a fake buttonhole by hand to create the look. The finished appearance of this curtain evokes a man's suit, shirt and tie. Use men's leather-style belts as a tie-back.

References

• Alternative Windows: Making Unlined Curtains Instructions
• Sew Mama Sew: How to Make a Buttonhole
• Craft Stylish: How to Hand Sew a Buttonhole
• The Sewing Divas: Cool Tools Grommet Setter
• Coats and Clark: Hand Sewing