How to Make Sidelight Curtains
Sidelights, the panel windows on either side of a door, can brighten up a hallway and add a classic designer touch to a room. Unfortunately, they also allow outsiders to peer into your house and they can look a bit bare without window dressing.
Sidelight curtains provide needed privacy and a light filter, and can also add a decorative appeal to the door. You can make simple sidelight curtains that shirr on a pair of sash rods and can be dressed up with a pretty bow or tailored ribbon at the center.
Things You Will Need
- Fabric
- Measuring tape
- Scissors
- Iron
- Pins
- Sewing machine and thread
- 2 sash rods
- Ribbon
Tip
If you have to mount the curtain outside the sidelight, be sure to add 4 to 6 inches to the length of the fabric to account for the extra length. For an added touch, gather the curtain together at the middle and wrap a ribbon around the center to secure it. A wide, plain ribbon gives a tailored effect, while a ribbon tied with a bow fits in nicely with a romantic, feminine room.
Making the Curtains
-
Cut a fabric panel that measures 1 1/2 to 2 times the width and 6 inches more than the height of the sidelight. The extra width creates fullness to gather along the sash rods when the curtain is mounted. The extra length is for the top and bottom hems and rod pockets.
-
Make a narrow hem along both long edges of the fabric panel. Press up 1/2 inch of fabric along the sides, pin and stitch on a sewing machine. Use a narrow zigzag stitch to reduce fraying.
-
Fold under 1 1/2 inches at the top edge of the panel and press. Fold under another 1 1/2 inches with the cut edge inside the fold. Press the folds. Stitch a 1/8-inch hem at the second folded edge.
-
Run a row of stitches 1/4 inch from the top edge of the curtain. Run a second row of stitches 1 inch from the first row to make a rod pocket.
-
Fold and stitch the bottom edge of the panel to make a hem and rod pocket in the same manner as for the top edge.
Mounting the Curtains
-
If the window frame is at least 1/2 inch deep, you can use spring tension rods to hang your curtains, or mount sash brackets inside the window frame at the top and bottom. Otherwise, mount the brackets 2 to 3 inches above and below the window.
-
Insert the sash rod through the top and bottom rod pockets on the curtain panel. Mount the sash rods or tension rods following the directions given for the rod.
-
Arrange the fullness across the window glass evenly at the top and bottom of the curtain.
The Drip Cap
- Sidelights, the panel windows on either side of a door, can brighten up a hallway and add a classic designer touch to a room.
- Use a narrow zigzag stitch to reduce fraying.
- Fold under another 1 1/2 inches with the cut edge inside the fold.
- Fold and stitch the bottom edge of the panel to make a hem and rod pocket in the same manner as for the top edge.
- If the window frame is at least 1/2 inch deep, you can use spring tension rods to hang your curtains, or mount sash brackets inside the window frame at the top and bottom.
References
Resources
Writer Bio
Deb Powers is an avid urban gardener who works with a community collective to promote sustainable urban agriculture and build partnerships between local business owners and community organizations. Powers serves as a social media and marketing consultant for local non-profits and businesses, and is collaborating with a coffee roaster to publish a cookbook highlighting coffee as a culinary ingredient.
Photo Credits
- Siri Stafford/Photodisc/Getty Images
- Siri Stafford/Photodisc/Getty Images
More Articles
