How to Make Cheap Curtains

Drop-cloth curtains don't look like they're purchased at the hardware store.

Dressing up your rooms with curtains does not have to cost a lot of money. Painter's drop cloths can be turned into curtains, as the cloths are available in 6- by 9-foot sections. Prehemmed on all sides and made of canvas, they're palettes for adding stencils, trim and color. If Scarlett O'Hara could turn curtains into a beautiful gown, you can surely turn a painter's drop cloth into curtains.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Painter's drop cloths
• Fabric softener
• Measuring tape
• Scissors
• Hem tape
• Iron

1. Measure the window opening, including the width and length of the window. The width is measured from outside the molding. The curtain should be 2 1/2 times this measurement. For instance, if the window's width is 2 feet, the curtain should be 5 feet wide. The length is measured from the rod to the floor, or to wherever the curtain will fall.

2. Wash the drop cloths in the washing machine, with fabric softener added. Dry them in the dryer.

3. Cut the drop cloth to the correct size. If the cloth is too long, cut it along one edge. Measure to the desired length. Add an additional 4 inches for the casing, to slip the rod in. Mark the measurement across the top of the cloth four or five times to ensure you cut straight. Cut the fabric at the marks.

   If the fabric is too wide, measure, mark and cut for the new measurement plus 2 inches for a new hem.

   If the curtain does not need to be adjusted for length or width, you may skip this step.

4. Turn the iron on a high setting for the best results. Zedcor Wholly Owned/PhotoObjects.net/Getty Images

   Use fusion hem tape to make the casing at the top of the cloth or the hem at the width. Cut the tape to the length needed for the width or the height. For the height of the curtain, make a casing for the rod. First, fold 1 inch of the raw edge of the cloth toward the wrong side of the cloth. Place the fusion tape between the fold, and iron until the tape bonds. Next, fold the cloth at the top 3 inches, toward the wrong side of the fabric. Leave a 2-inch casing for the rod by placing the fusion tape 2 inches from the top, between the two sides of the fold. Use the iron to activate the fusion tape.

   Finish the raw edge of the width with fusion tape. Turn in 1 inch, and apply the fusion tape with the iron.

5. Place the curtain rod through the casing. If you have not altered the drop cloth, undo the stitches at each edge to get the rod through. Use a seam ripper or a safety pin to rip out 2 inches of the seam on each side. The rod should go through the casing at this point. Hang your curtains and enjoy.

Tips & Warnings

• Add trim with the fusion tape.

• Splatter paint on the curtains.

• Stencil your favorite image, such as a large leaf, on one of the curtains.

• The fusion tape can be eliminated if the casing and raw edges are sewn with the sewing machine.

• The fabric may shrink when washed.

References

• Window Treatments Center: How to Measure Your Window for Curtains
• Sew Sewing: Making Curtains
• The Lettered Cottage; Dropcloth Drapes; Layla Palmer; April 2009