How to Sew a Curtain for a Shelving Unit

Use curtains to hide unsightly shelves.

Shelving units don't always look pretty when crowded with items. Hide the items on the shelf with curtains you make yourself. When making your own curtains, you can fit them perfectly and coordinate them with your home decor. You can purchase fabric inexpensively from the store and sew it quickly and easily into curtains. If you don't sew, simply use fabric glue to make the curtains.

Things You'll Need

• Measuring tape
• Fabric
• Scissors
• Pins
• Iron
• Sewing machine
• Thread
• Tension curtain rod

Instructions

1. Measure the opening in the shelves you want to cover. You need the height and width.

2. Cut a piece of fabric 2 1/2 inches longer than your height measurement. If you want a gathered curtain, the width or the fabric should be double the width measurement; if you want it straight and sleek, make the fabric only one inch wider. For example, if your measurements are 36 inches tall by 50 inches wide, your fabric needs to be 38 1/2 inches tall by 100 inches wide for a gathered curtain.

3. Fold the sides of the fabric back 1/2 inch. In the example above, these are the two 38 1/2-inch sides. Press the fold and pin it in place. Sew the hem in place with a 1/4-inch seam.

4. Fold the bottom hem up 1/2 inch. This is the bottom 100-inch side. Press, pin and sew with a 1/4-inch seam.

5. Fold the top, unsewn side of the fabric down 2 inches. Press the fold and pin. Sew 1/4 inch from the rough edge. This is 1 3/4 inches from the fold, making the curtain casing.

6. Slide the tension rod into the curtain casing. Adjust the rod to the length needed for the shelving unit and secure it in place. Distribute the curtain evenly along the curtain rod.