How to Make a Roman Shade (using everyday materials)

I don't know why it is, but for some reason, roman shades seem super intimidating to make, don't they? I thought so for a long time, until several years ago I bit the bullet and just made one. Then two. Then a few more. Now I don't know why I ever made curtains. Roman shades are, honestly truly and sincerely, very DIY-able.

 

I hope to convince you in this post. Ready? Let's get to it.

 

 

This post is super photo-heavy, so you'll want to click through for the full tutorial.

Pin It Now!

Living Room Drapes

I don't know if you saw it, but my living room used to look like this. Then I did some stuff and turned it into looking like this.

Overall, I like the new look...except for how the living room drapes are still the same. I think we can all agree they're no good here, what with the new color palette, larger more colorful rug, and outright eclecticity (the lesser-known cousin of Thomas Edison's invention) (just kidding...but it's a good word I may have just made up, no?).

So. Living room windows need living room drapes. Here are some photos of colorful living room spaces with drapes that are, to me, inspiring:

 

BHG

 



House Beautiful



 



Rue



House Beautiful



source unknown...anyone?



I like the very faint print in the space below; a wall o' solid fabric over my living room windows doesn't appeal to me, if I'm being honest. I need a little bit of pattern!

source

I think I'm leaning toward something white/light with maybe just a hint of a pattern in it.
What do you guys think?

Pin It Now!

Bedroom Makeover: Curtains

Guest Bedroom Makeover

Day 6: Anthropologie-Inspired Curtains

**Note: This is part of a 12-step bedroom makeover series. Find the previous steps at the bottom of this post.**

K, not a ton to say here, so I'll be brief...and if that concept isn't jaw-dropping, I don't know what to say. Which should make me even more brief, which would cause your jaw to drop even closer to the floor... Isn't this a fun never-ending cycle of brevity opposition.

 

So. I really like these curtains from Anthropologie. They're friendly, fun, and bee-boppy. (Nope, not an adjective. But if "bee-bop" could be used more often and in more grammatical functions in the world, communication as we know it would be enhanced. Just sayin'.)

 

 But, no shocker here, the $100ish pricetag for the curtains was a little too steep for me. So I recreated them using 10 yards of pom trim (ebay) and a white flat sheet I had on-hand, cut in half vertically.

 

 

Then I hung the two panels from a rope just for something playful.

 

I happen to love it, what can I say. It's all unexpected and maybe awesome.

 

Speaking of awesome, you should totes come back for Day 7: Nightstands. Yep. Totes.

Check out the previous steps to this bedroom makeover:

Day 1: Inspiration Board

Day 2: Paint Walls

Day 3: Ikea Malm Dresser Makeover

Day 4: How to Make a Pallet Headboard

Day 5: Beautifying Large Bookshelves

 

{shared Coastal Charm, DIY by Design, DIY Dreamer, GingerSnap Crafts, Kurtz Corner, Ladybug Blessings, Lil Luna, Mercy Ink, My Girlish Whims, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, New Nostalgia, Sew Can Do, Shades of Amber, Sugar Bee, The Rustic Pig, Winthrop Chronicles} 

 

Pin It Now!

Greek Key Trim on Dining Room Curtains

Happy new year's eve! What a blessed year 2012 has been for me; I hope you feel the same in your lives.

 

I finished up the greek key trim from this post. Crazy how such a teensy thing makes such a big difference. I love projects like this!

 

 

I took some $20 white Ikea tab curtains, trimmed them out, and sewed down the tabs in the back so the curtains would mimic a pinch pleat. I like the way it turned out. Subtle detail. Anyway, it's an improvement from what was here previously.

 

 

I took these photos before I ironed the drapes. That's right, you read it right. Me. Ironed. Something I never ever do, but, hey, since the Mayan end-of-worldness was wrong, who knows WHAT's going to happen at this point. Everything* changes now, am I right?

 

*And by "everything" I of course mean "nothing." Except for ironing. This one time.

 

 

{shared A Diamond in the Stuff, A Jennuine Life, A Round Tuit, Adorned from Above, Beyond the Picket Fence, Boogieboard Cottage, Brassy Apple, Carolyn's Homework, Cedar Hill Ranch, Craft-O-Maniac, DIY by Design, DIY Dreamer, GingerSnap Crafts, I Should be Mopping the Floor, Keeping It Simple, Kurtz Corner, Ladybug Blessings, Making the World Cuter, Mandatory Mooch, Mercy Ink, My Girlish Whims, Pinkapotamus, Polka Dots on Parade, Rustic Pig, Sew Can Do, Sew Much Ado, Shabby Creek Cottage, Southern Lovely, Sugar and Dots, Sugar Bee Crafts, Sumo's Sweet Stuff, Sweet Little Gals, The 36th Avenue, The Girl Creative, The Life of Jennifer Dawn, Winthrop Chronicles}



Pin It Now!

Window Blinds & their Merits

So, I kind of think the 80s and 90s gave window blinds a bad rap. A little bit. I know that my family, at least, went overboard on the vinyl-slats-for-every-window mantra. (I think our family motto was something like, "Ask not what blinds are right for your windows, but ask instead how many windows you can cover with blinds." We may or may not have recited that at dinnertime.)

 

Fortunately, the past few decades have been good for us all in the blinds department. Because there are some great (read: super stylish, pragmatic, and downright awesome) options out there.

 

In my home now, we love a good window covering. Especially ones that have a let-it-be-pitch-black-in-here-even-at-noon option. Because maybe some of us take naps at noon. Or maybe some of us don't have time to take naps but really really wish we could, and we like to keep the option open in case the stars ever align. The noon-time stars, of course.

 

But I digress.

 

So. Blinds. And/or shades. I'd recommend them for the following reasons:

 

1) They're visually practical. They block or soften (or anywhere in between...technically referred to as "bloften") the harsh sunlight when you want them to and give you privacy, particularly at night. If you can budget for it, custom blinds (such as these) are the way to go for quality and aesthetic longevity.

 

2) They're thermostatically (don't worry, I have an English degree. I can combine letters into groups that may or may not be words and use them with confidence and authority) practical, keeping the "greenhouse effect" at bay. Who doesn't love that during the scorching months? 

 

3) They're style-enhancing. Or, at least, they can be (ahem, I'm looking at you, dusty-rose-colored vinyl blinds of my childhood). Window blinds can add a contemporary flair, a critical textural element, or any other vibe (depending on the blinds) to a room. And, bonus, it costs no floor or wall space to do so.
 

 

source
 

source
 

source
 

source
 

source

 

 What do you think about blinds, shades, or window coverings in general? Any memorable ones from your childhood?

 

 

This post is sponsored by Melbourne Blind Company, an Australian owned, family business with an emphasis on quality at affordable prices. All opinions expressed are my own.

Pin It Now!

Master Bedroom Makeover: Window Coverings

Master Bedroom Makeover

Day 6: Window Coverings

** Note: This post is part of a 12-step series in my master bedroom makeover. Links to the other (previous) steps are listed at the end of this post.

(By the way, in case you're wondering, I'm not doing each of these things one day at a time in real life. In real life I'm eating cake and voting and playing and exercising and making meals and dreaming. This "12-day" business is happening over the course of more days than that on my end. Just being, y'know, honest.)

(And "cake" might be code for "many sugary and/or fattening things." Stinking honesty.)

Roman shades are awesome window coverings. I made these polka dotted numbers a few years ago, custom fitted to our windows and lined with blackout fabric (bonus!), and they've been great.

 

But. They're so dark! Had to go.

 

 

Initially I wanted roll-up bamboo blinds. I know, I know...they're not sexy or hip. But they're so earthy and textural, and with such a variety of hues available, I thought this would be a great option. However, having custom ones made just wasn't in the budget. I thought I could DIY some that *almost* fit into being custom and had them in my cart ready to purchase. Several times.

 

But...several times...I couldn't do it. Not when I had perfectly functioning roman shades at home. What a waste! Rats. Instead, I brainstormed ways I could make my existing shades work.

 

Enter (after a lot of failed ideas): Burlap. I've sung its praises before, and I'll do it again. If I just cut out the polka dottiness and replaced it with burlap, I'd have my earthy texture AND be recycling... at a fraction of the cost. B to the INGO!

 

So. $15 and an hour or two later, I had my "new" rustic burlap shades, and they're still blackout-lined. They do the job.

 

 

Now. Originally, I had planned on adding two panels of white ceiling-to-floor ringed curtains to add some vertical lines in the space. It would've looked exactly like this: (Yep. Exactly. My future as a graphic designer is super bright. Exhibit A.)

 

 

However, then I got to thinking (uh-oh), what with the headboard and nightstands in front of one window and a bench seat at the other, maybe I should think of a subtle way to keep the drapes off the floor. Our baseboard heating sits directly under our windows, and to block the heat with a bunch of excess fabric just didn't seem practical. Or warm. 

 

But I still wanted to raise the eye upward, and I found this drapery fabric (Premier Prints Chelsea Printed Cotton Drapery Fabric in Storm) on closeout for a ridonculously low price.

 

So I ordered some and did this:

 

I'm going to be a rogue blogger here and be brutally honest: I'm not sure I like it. The swathed look, I mean. It's not what I'd originally envisioned. Love the knobs and how they tie the burlap and drapes print together. But this one's not a sure-fire W. Good thing about drapes: they're modifiable, and I cut and sewed these specifically with that in mind. Maybe I'll change them in a bit. Who knows.

Once again, a Before & After shot of the same window:

 



Thoughts? Thumbs-up? Or tomatoes to throw?

 

Regardless, come back tomorrow for Day 7: Vanity. I have a cute, easy DIY tray to share with you!

Check out previous steps during the 12 Days of Master Bedroom Makeover:

Day 1: Inspiration Board

Day 2: Paint Walls
Day 3: Floor
Day 4: Headboard
Day 5: Furniture Arrangement

{shared Adorned from Above, Coastal Charm, DIY by Design, Fireflies & Jellybeans, House of Hepworths, Not Just a Housewife}

Pin It Now!