How to Make a New Shower Curtain Look Vintage

More design focus is being put on everything in home decor including the bathroom. Since people spend a great deal of time in the bathroom, many are putting a lot of effort into creating the perfect room. Today, lush fabric shower curtains have become far more popular than yesterday's plastic options but designer show curtains can cost anywhere between $50 and $100. Instead of spending your hard earned money on these vintage look designer shower curtains, it's possible to make your own. Follow the steps below to prepare a beautiful vintage-inspired shower curtain.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Color scheme for your bathroom
• Design for your shower curtain
• A budget
• Fabric shower curtain of your choice (within color scheme)
• Decorative lace, braid, roping, and/or beading
• Fabric glue
• Sewing machine
• Needle and thread (the color of the trim)
• Straight pins

How to Make a New Shower Curtain Look Vintage

1. Decide how you want your shower curtain to ultimately look. Lace can add a bit of Victorian or Edwardian influence. Braiding and/or roping can add a classic look without making the final product too feminine in style. Beading alone or in combination with lace, braid, or roping can take the curtain to that upscale designer look. Choose a one or two-piece style depending on your overall bathroom theme. The steps below work equally well whether you are using a one-piece curtain or one done in the fancier "Priscilla" style. Map out your plan with regard to where you want to place the trim.

2. Purchase a fabric shower curtain that you like but which needs some additional work to give it today's popular vintage "feel."

3. Measure your shower curtain to determine how much trim to purchase. This will depend on your chosen style as well as whether you are using a one- or two-piece curtain and if you are doing more than a single row of trim.

4. Decide on the colors of trim (lace, braid, rope, and/or beads) that you want to use on the shower curtain. Be sure to have alternative colors in mind in the off chance that you cannot find your first choice(s) easily.

5. Purchase the trim (lace, braid, rope, beads) that you want to use to give your shower curtain a vintage flair. Be sure to keep your budget in mind in making your puchases.

6. Purchase fabric glue to use to adhere your trim to the shower curtain unless you intend to sew the trim on via a sewing machine or by hand.

7. Measure out the trim according to your decorating plan. Cut and prepare each item for adherence to the show curtain.

8. Decide if you want to glue or sew the trim on to the shower curtain. Keep in mind that glue is permanent while sewing, particularly if it is done by hand, can be easily removed in the future if you want to keep the curtain but streamline it from its original form.

9. Pin your trim on the shower curtain as you had mapped it out. It is important to make certain that the final design is what you want before adhering it to the curtain. If you aren't happy with the way it looks, rethink your design and re-pin accordingly. Once you have the look you really want, then move on to Step 10.

10. Begin gluing or sewing your trim (lace, braid, rope, and/or beads) onto the shower curtain according to your design. Remember, if you use glue, you probably won't be able to change your design mid-stream. If you are not certain that your outlined designed is perfect, then choose a sewing option that will allow you to remove and retack the trim in another way, if needed. Remove all of the pins as you adhere the trim to the curtain.

11. Hang your shower curtain, once it is complete, to make certain that it meets your design and expectations. If not, determine the changes that you want to remake before taking it down to redo.

12. Continue Step 11 until you are satisfied with the end result.

Tips & Warnings

• If you want your shower curtain to be totally washable, make certain that the trims your choose are equally so. You might want to wash the shower curtain before you adhere the trim just to make certain that it washes properly. Use the sewing option if you want to be able to change your design in the future. Have the shower curtain dry cleaned if you don't want to risk washing it. Be sure to remove all of the straight pins you used to pin the trim on the curtain before gluing or sewing.
• Don't go over the budget you have set or you will defeat the purpose of saving money. Don't use standard or hot glue to adhere trim to the shower curtain because you won't be able to clean the curtain if you use these products. Don't use dry clean only trim on a washable shower curtain or vice versa.