How to Make Roman Curtains
Roman curtains fit a window exactly when pulled down, and when pulled up the fabric bunches up evenly at the top of the window. This method describes how to make lined Roman curtains at home from fabric and a few hardware items. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Fabric for curtain
- Lining fabric
- A 1 inch by 2 inch wooden board, cut to the width of the window
- Ring tape
- Three screw-in eyelets
- Cleat
- Narrow cord
- Staple gun and staples
- Sewing machine
- Thread
Instructions
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Making Roman Curtains
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1
Measure the height and width of the window. Cut a piece of curtain fabric 2 inches longer and 4 inches wider than you want the finished curtain, and a piece of lining fabric 2 inches longer and 2 inches wider than the finished curtain.
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2
On the right side of the curtain fabric, sew the ring tape 1 inch from the side edges, starting and ending 1½ inches from the top and bottom by straight-stitching along both side edges of the tape. Make sure the rings are perfectly level with each other on each side. Trim the top and bottom tape that is not sewn down.
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3
Take the lining piece and fold it in half vertically to find the center line. Place it over the curtain fabric piece and pin ring tape down the center line, matching up the position of the rings exactly with those on the tape sewn to the curtain fabric. Trim the ends. Sew the ring tape to the lining.
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4
With the right sides (those with the tape sewn on them) together, sew the side edges of the curtain and lining together, leaving a 7/8 inch margin. You will have to adjust the curtain fabric to sew the second side as the curtain piece is wider than the lining.
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5
Press on the wrong side so that the lining is perfectly centered with a 1 inch margin of curtain fabric (with the ring tape on the other side) at each side, then sew a hem 1 inch from the bottom. Trim the two bottom corners diagonally, turn the piece the right way out and press.
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6
Staple the top of the curtain to the narrow top of the wooden board. Screw in the eyelets to the back of the wooden board in line with the center of the rings on the three strips of ring tape on the back of the curtain.
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7
Attach three separate lengths of cord for each row of rings. On the cord-pulling side, tie the end of the cord to the bottom ring, thread it up through that vertical row of rings and through the eyelet at the top, leave another arm's length of cord and cut. Repeat this for the middle, taking the cord from its top eyelet along the board and through the first eyelet before leaving the arm's length and cutting. For the third row, take the cord through the middle and first eyelet before leaving the length and cutting it.
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8
Mount the curtain and adjust the three lengths of cord so that the curtain hangs evenly, and tie a knot just to the outside of the eyelet to prevent the cords from slacking when the curtain is down. Braid the cords and tie a secure knot at the end, and mount a cleat at the edge of the window frame for holding the cord when the curtain is up.
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Tips & Warnings
Stiffer fabrics work best for Roman curtains, giving a crisper look when the curtains are down. A weight bar can be sewn into the bottom hem to keep the curtain more taut when it is lowered. The wooden bar at the top can be painted or covered with fabric if it is visible when the curtain is mounted. If you can't find ring tape, hand-tack vertical rows of individual plastic rings at equal intervals on the back of the curtain.
The dangling cord should always be kept wrapped around the cleat to prevent it from being a hazard.
Resources
Comments
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a video of how to as you go along step by step would be better. Not sure if I am doing this correctly.
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A picture of what we are talking about would be helpful in sewing such curtains.
