Kitchen Curtains Tutorial

For the last few weeks of my pregnancy I’ve had The List full of things to get done. Fortunately, many of the sewing projects on that list were quick and easy ones. They were the type that got thought about frequently, but never got around to. But when you’re nesting…

I forgot to take a before picture of the old curtains, but they were just white cafe curtains made from a tablecloth (great source of lots of cheap fabric that washes wonderfully!). They were fine for the couple of year we had them, but I wanted the bottom part of the window open so I could see the backyard. And more light… I’m obsessed with getting natural sunlight into my house.

So I created a faux Roman shade look. I don’t have many pictures for this tutorial, but it’s mostly just hemming.

What you’ll need:
*curtain rod (I used a cafe rod so it was pretty skinny, which is where I got the 3″ measurement for the fabric. If your rod is fatter, add at least another inch of fabric to your length to create your pocket)
*fabric:  should be 2″ wider than your window and 3″ longer than your finished length
*coordinating ribbon

1.  On the bottom and both sides, press 1/2″ and then fold over another 1/2″ to create your hem. Sew.

2.  At the top, press 1/2″. Then fold over 1 1/2″ and press. Sew. This creates the pocket for your rod.
*If you have a fatter rod, still fold over the first 1/2″. Then fold over a flap large enough for your rod to fit through. Press and sew.

3.  Hang up your curtain. It should look like a long valence. Eyeball 1/3 of the curtain and loop your ribbon around the rod and bottom of the curtain. Pull up a little to create a crinkle. Tie your ribbon in a bow. Repeat on the other 1/3.

I actually found step 3 to be a little time consuming, because I couldn’t get the ribbons even or the crinkles looked weird. Just play with it. And leave it for awhile. And then play with it some more!