Sew Roman blinds with your own hands - is it real? More than! In addition, the creation of such beauty will take very little time and effort. Why buy them when you can make your own?!
Roman blinds are almost the same as blinds. They are just made from fabric. A significant advantage of curtains lies in their versatility: they are perfect for almost all interior styles, do not clutter up the territory and do not make the space visually “heavy”. For sewing, a small piece of material is required. Subsequently, it is quite easy to take care of the curtains, as they are easily removed and mounted back. In general, there are advantages all around. Now let's move on to the most important questions.
Varieties of Roman blinds
To understand what such a curtain looks like, just look at the example in the photo. When unfolded, it is an ordinary canvas, and when assembled, it is almost like horizontal blinds. Do-it-yourself Roman blinds are easy to sew, you just need to determine which ones are best.
There are 2 varieties - withframe and without. Also, Roman blinds differ in the method of fastening. Depending on the location, they can be hung:
- on the sash, if it is a balcony turn-sliding system or a panoramic window;
- in front of the opening, if only a Roman blind will participate in the design of the window;
- in the opening, if it is supposed to use tulle or other thick curtains with it;
- with side rails if it is a roof window.
Regardless of the option chosen, sewing Roman blinds with your own hands is carried out according to the same principle.
About the lifting mechanism of Roman blinds
Like blinds, these window curtains are raised, and therefore it is necessary to take care of this system. The most common cord can act as a lifting mechanism, as well as various tapes and even chains from old blinds. Any of these materials is threaded into rings, previously sewn along the line of folds, which can be as many as you like. For example, if the height of the opening is less than 2.2 m, then 7 folds are sufficient. If more, then it is better to do 8.
You also need to think about how the Roman blind will look when lowered. It can be not only smooth, but also with light waves. In this case, it will be necessary to fix the distance between the rings with additional threads. They will hold the canvas, not allowing it to crack completely.
What do you need to buy?
Before you start sewing Roman blinds on the windows, you mustmake sure you have all the items. During the manufacturing process you will need:
- sewing machine;
- thread, needle, pins;
- scissors;
- fabric;
- 3 eyelets;
- bars of wood, equal in width to the finished curtain;
- thin slats for the frame: as many as there will be folds + one down (for weighting);
- buttons or Velcro tape;
- drawstring material;
- cord, tape or chain for the curtain up and down system.
When there is only fabric left to buy, a logical question will arise: which one to choose? It all depends on personal preference. Let's dwell on this issue to study it in more detail.
Sewing Roman blinds with your own hands: what fabric to choose?
In principle, you can take any material that you like best or, as it seems, goes best with the interior of the room, decorative and textile elements. The main thing is to properly fix the canvas so that it does not collapse under its own weight. You can also choose according to your preferences. So, for light shading fit:
- tulle;
- organza;
- lace.
Or you can use another lightweight curtain material. This option is well suited for those who need to hide the room from the prying eyes of passers-by or neighbors. From what fabric to sew Roman blinds, if you want the best protection from the eyes and the sun? Suitable options for medium density:
- muslin;
- linen;
- cotton;
- satin.
They form a penumbra, and also protect interior items from the negative effects of sunlight. To create twilight in a room, you should look at fabrics such as satin, blackout, velvet, jacquard tapestries and other dense materials. They prevent the penetration of sunlight by 100% and completely exclude visibility from the outside.
How to make a cornice for Roman blinds with your own hands? Step by step instructions
Cornice is very easy to make at home - from a wooden bar. Depending on the type of material, you must first choose the type of fastening: Velcro or a loop made in the canvas into which the cornice is placed. The last option should be chosen for heavy fabric. The first one is suitable for light fabrics.
The bar is installed in the opening or above it, and Velcro is attached to the bottom. To do this, you can use a furniture stapler, adhesive tape, screws or glue. Rings are attached to the side part, which will subsequently participate in the web lifting mechanism. It is convenient to use bolts in which the cap is made in the form of a ring. They screw right into the beam. It is recommended to first make holes in it so that the rings are, as it were, inside the beam and do not interfere with the fabric to fit snugly. These holes can be made with eyelets. It is important not to forget that the rings on the cornice and on the canvas should be at the same level, so that the curtain hangs evenly.
If you don't want to mess with the cornice, Velcro can beattach directly to the window. In some cases, this option will be more beautiful and practical.
How to take measurements from a window?
Success in sewing Roman curtains from fabric with your own hands depends on how correctly the measurement is carried out. It is necessary to pay attention to the location of the canvas:
- if the curtain will be attached to the sash, add 1 cm for the seams to the resulting length and width;
- if the canvas will be placed in the opening, add 3 cm to the width;
- if in front of the opening, the length is measured to the window sill, and 10 cm is added to the width.
When the length of the canvas is known, it is necessary to add another 10 cm to this figure. They are necessary in order to be able to sew a pocket for the weighting bar.
Cut fabrics
Now - step by step instructions. Do-it-yourself Roman blinds begin to be created by cutting the fabric. It is recommended to decatenate the material beforehand so that it does not sit down later. The processing of most artificial and natural fabrics is done by immersion in hot water. There the canvas lies for several minutes, after which it is dried in a horizontal position. There is no need to press hard and twist the fabric. When it dries, iron it from the wrong side. After that, you can start cutting.
Sometimes decant in a solution of vinegar, which is mixed with water at a ratio of 1 tablespoon to 1 liter of water. Then the fabric needs to be starched and ironed while still damp until it is completely dry.
Ifsewing requires a lining (this applies to patterned single-sided materials), soak it in warm water, then wring it out lightly, let it dry a little, and iron it while it is still damp.
The prepared material must be laid out on a flat surface and smoothed out. Mark the places of folds and folds, as well as the location of the rings. The first fold is made from below, the distance from the edge is half of the interval that will be applied on the curtain.
Further, depending on the measurements obtained, a rectangle of the desired length and width is cut. The fabric is cut along the share, which helps to prevent the occurrence of skew. If the curtain is made double-sided, then it is necessary to cut two identical rectangles.
Sewing Roman blinds
So, how to make Roman blinds? Consider the example of sewing a canvas from a one-sided fabric. You will need 2 identical rectangles. On one of them, lines are made with soap or chalk, which will later show the location of the folds. Here it will be necessary to sew on the drawstrings for inserting the slats. Next, you need to draw 3 vertical lines: one of them in the center, and the others on the sides, at a distance of 10 cm from the edge. Rings will be placed on these bands. They are sewn in manually or by a machine in the “Buttons” mode.
Next, you need to put one canvas on top of the other so that both of them lie face down. Sew along the sides and top, then turn inside out. Stepping back literally 1 mm from the edges, stitch the outline, thereby securing the seam. Recommendeddo it with a double needle, or go through twice, leaving a gap of 5 mm. This will make a beautiful seam.
After that, it remains to sew on the braid on the marked lines of the folds and insert the strips, and then sew on the rings.
This sewing option is also suitable if you plan to create Roman curtains from velvet. You can use rectangles with the same pattern or the same color, or different ones. The main thing is that the sides are combined with each other.
Decoration of the top of the Roman shade
The bar is applied to the top edge and wrapped in cloth. On the canvas, the location of the Velcro tape is determined. Then it is sewn to the curtain, after which you can safely fasten it. The upper edge does not have to be molded with tape; you can bend and wrap the beam with a cloth. Only in this case, you need to leave more material on top. And, if a pipe is used as a cornice, this is an even better option, since it will be possible to sew a “pocket” and then simply insert it into the hole.
Decoration of the lower part of the Roman shade
It makes more sense to make sure that the weight bar is hidden. To do this, the bottom edge must be folded inside out a couple of centimeters and ironed. Make a turn as much as necessary for the bar. It should be tightly wrapped in material. Then stitch, securing the "pocket".
How to strengthen the lifting and lowering mechanism?
Every housewife will understand that you should not worry about how to sew Roman blinds from tulle, or from any othermaterial. The whole process will take approximately half an hour. The finished canvas with sewn-in strips and rings remains only to be fixed in the chosen place and to prepare the mechanism for raising and lowering the curtains. But this is also quite easy to do.
Rings can be sewn right away, or you can leave this task for the last moment when you have to hang the curtain. The main condition is that the rings on the curtain and on the bar should not be placed randomly, but evenly. Otherwise, it will not be possible to hang the canvas normally.
A ribbon or cord is inserted into each ring so that one row is fastened with one thread (not horizontal, but vertical). Then the curtain is attached to the timber. Next, you need to insert ribbons or cords into the upper rings that were made in the eaves. The threads are threaded in the following order:
- first cord - through 1 ring;
- second - through the ring of its row, and then through the one into which the first cord is threaded;
- third - through all the upper rings.
Next, it remains to adjust all the cords so that they are the same length. This is the only way to completely and evenly raise the bottom edge. To secure, you can braid the cords, glue them, or tightly tie them with material.
To fix the tape in the desired position next to the window opening, it is necessary to screw in the bolt with the ring. Subsequently, it can be wrapped around or threaded inward. This will allow the tape to hold the Roman blinds in their preferred position.
Thanks to the video, it is much easier to understand the process of sewing Roman blinds with your own hands. The master class describes each stage in detail,revealing answers to all important and frequently asked questions.
