Making Roman Shades Yourself

Making Roman Shades Yourself

Roman Blinds or Shades are elegance personified and add beauty to your home decor. Whatever may be the purpose of blinds on your windows, Roman Blinds offer the perfect window covering option for many windows.

Available in different colors and design, Roman Blinds are one of the cheapest modes of decorating the windows of the room. If you purchase Roman Blinds from a reputed blinds company, chance are that you will spend considerable money on your purchase.

However, just making the Roman Blinds yourself can easily save on expenses. It’s not too much of an effort as it seems, yet you must clearly follow each and every instruction to come up with a beautifully crafted blind.

1. First things first! Measure the windows for which you want your Roman Blinds. The height and width of the window must be measured from inside the window frame if you just want to cover the windows. However, you might like the look of some extra covering. Make suitable measurements as you like your Roman Blinds to be.
2. Now, cut the blinds material 2½-inches wider and 4 inches longer than the actual measurements. Similarly, cut the curtain lining fabric the same width as the blinds fabric and 2 inches longer.
3. And now, the mathematical part! Generally, a roman blind has 6 inches pleats. So divide the length of your fabric – 4 inches by 12 since 6-inches pleats would have the channels spaced 12 inches apart. Therefore, for a window of height, say 60 inches, cut the fabric to 64 inches. Now, just divide the original 60 inches by 12, i.e., the size of each channel, which gives you a total of 5. This figure is the number of pleats that are required in your Roman Blinds.
4. Now, mark the lining 1¼-inch up from the bottom edge with a hemline and 2 inches down from the top-edge. Now, mark the channels for your Roman Blinds by making 2 lines spaced 2½-inches apart starting 6 inches above the hemline.
5. After making first set of line, measure up another 12 inches and make another set, again spaced 2½-inches apart. Now, form the channels by bringing the 2 lines together, pinning them and then sewing them to form the channel for the lath.
6. Now, put the fabric and lining with right sides facing each other and matching lower edges. Remember to stitch the lower edges together. Now, turn the right side out and sew across the blind at the hemline.
7. Then, pin the lining and Roman Blind fabric together along the channels and stitch them together. Baste and stitch the sides together making sure not to stitch up the channels.
8. Finally, slip the laths into the channels and proceed to stitch the openings. Sew the plastic rings on the lining 4 inches in from the ends of the laths on each side. Now, cut the 2 pieces of nylon cord twice the length of the blind plus the width.
9. Tie a cord onto each of the bottom rings and thread up through the rest of the rings to the top of the Roman Blinds. Just let hang loose. And you are done with the pleats!
10. You’re DONE! And ready to install your own Roman Blinds!

Roman Shades