How to Make Swedish Shades

Choose a floral pattern that coordinates with your decor.

A Swedish shade is a blind constructed of fabric. It provides full coverage of a window and uses cording and glass rings to lower and raise the shade. A homemade Swedish shade can be made to match your décor. They are relatively inexpensive and easy to make. You can quickly make several shades to cover multiple windows in a room.

Things You'll Need

• Floral fabric
• Checked fabric
• Scissors
• Iron
• Needle
• Thread
• Sewing machine
• Wood dowel
• Wood batten
• Webbing
• 2 glass rings
• Staple gun
• Cord
• Strong tape
• 2 screws
• Screwdriver

Instructions

1. Measure the width and height of the window with a tape measure. Add one inch to the width measurement and three inches to the height measurement.

2. Cut a piece of floral fabric and a piece of checked fabric to the measured sizes. Lay the piece of floral fabric on a flat surface with the right side facing downward. Turn 1/4 inch of each side of the fabric inward and use a hot iron to make creases along the sides. Baste all four edges. Repeat with the checked fabric.

3. Place the pieces of fabric together with the wrong sides in the middle. Align the edges and baste all four sides. Use a sewing machine to stitch the top and sides.

4. Place a wood dowel in the bottom of the blind. Stitch above and below the dowel with a sewing machine.

5. Cut a piece of wood batten the size of the width of the blind. Cover the batten with coordinating fabric. Use a staple gun to secure the fabric.

6. Cut webbing into two pieces that are 13-1/3 inches in length. Fold the webbing in half and place a glass ring in the folded webbing. Pin the ends of the webbing to the top of the fabric blind. Place the webbing ¼ of the width of the blind from the outer edges. Use a staple gun to attach the fabric blind and webbing to the batten.

7. Tie a knot in one end of a cord. Tape the knot to the back of the batten near the webbing. Loosely drape the cord over the bottom of the fabric blind beginning at the top of the back and running the length of the blind. Bring the cord over the bottom and bring it up to the glass ring. Bring the cord through the back of the ring and bring it out the front. Allow the cord to drop down about one inch and loop the cord through the back of the second ring and bring it out the front. Wrap the cord around the ring once. Cut the cord so that it hangs at least 3/4 of the length of the blind.

8. Tie a knot in one end of a cord and tape it to the opposite side of the batten. Drape the cord down the length of the fabric and over the front. Thread it through the back of the loop and out the front. Wrap the cord around the glass ring and allow the cord to hang down over the front. Cut the cord so that it is the same length as the first cord.

9. Screw the blind to the window frame. Place a screw on the webbing and screw it through the batten. Place the end of the screw through the cord and screw it into the frame. Repeat to secure the othe side of the blind. Your Swedish shade is now ready for use.

References

• Housetohome: Make Swedish Blinds
• Decanter: How to Make Swedish Blinds