How to Make Tab Curtains With Scallop Heading
Sewing your own curtains allows you to use the patterns and colors you need for your room and to create a style that best suits you. Tab curtains feature flat tabs on the top through which the pole runs to hand the curtains. Instead of making your curtains straight across on the top, you can create scallops along the header of the curtains to create scalloped tab curtains to hang on your windows.
Instructions
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1
Measure the size of the window on which you will hang the curtains. Remember that curtains should extend beyond the sides, top and bottom of the window.
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2
Cut out the fabric to the right size for your windows, adding an extra 1/2 inch on each side for hemming.
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3
Fold over the bottom edge of the curtains by 1/2 inch and sew a hem to keep the raw edge from fraying.
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4
Fold the extra 1/2 inch on each side under and sew a hem on each side.
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5
Fold the curtain accordion-style so you can cut even scallops around the top edge of the curtain. Make an even number of folds -- at least seven.
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6
Cut the fabric starting from the edge opposite the curtain ends so the cut side only has folds, no edges. Start the cut about 1 to 1 1/2 inches from the top of the curtain. Curve the cut inward and up to the curtain top, leaving at least 1/2 inch of the top uncut.
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7
Unfold the curtain. The curtain should now feature at least four scallops on the top with 1-inch spaces between the scallops.
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8
Sew the raw scalloped edges with a decorative stitch on the sewing machine to keep the fabric from fraying.
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9
Cut 1 1/2-inch by 3 1/2-inch rectangles of the left-over curtain fabric. You need one piece for each tab. The end tabs will only be 1/2-inch, so you need to cut one of the rectangles in half.
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10
Hem the edges of the rectangles, folding the fabric over by 1/4 inch on each side.
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11
Fold each rectangle in half and position them one at a time along the 1-inch spaces between the scallops.
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12
Sew each tab in place along their bottoms.
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Tips & Warnings
If you want tabs on the end that are one full inch instead of 1/2 inch, Fold an extra 1/2 inch of fabric over each end when you do the accordion fold to make the scallops.
