Let’s just get this out of the way: I don’t know whether to call these “curtains” or “drapes.” Or “drapery panels.” Or “window dressings.” Skivvies for your wall orifices? I also never know whether to say “armoire” or “armuaaaaahh.” Or “vase” or “vahhhze.”
Also unfortunately, my sewing skills are about on-par with my decor-pronunciation (in)abilities. Sorry about that. Hopefully I can still explain this clearly enough for you to go forth and sew your own curtains drapes window pants.
This process is not hard. It’s just long, with lots of steps. Best completed accompanied by wine and a mom who can sew. This is the method I used to make the drapes in my master bedroom…
And in the nursery.
I leaned pretty heavily on this great tutorial at Midwest Magnolia, but I improvised my own back-tab system because I love how the back-tabs look hanging up:
So here’s how it all goes down!
Materials Needed:
- Curtain Fabric (I used this in the nursery and “Premier Prints Avery” in the master bedroom.)
- Lining Fabric (I used this brand.)
- Thread (my fabrics are THICK but regular thread seamed to work okay.)
- Bias tape (I think this is the one I used) or ribbon for back tabs
- Patience. A helpful mother or friend recommended.
1. Cut Your Drapery Fabric
Measure the finished length you want your panels to be. TIP: Plan to hang your curtains high and wide!
Add 10 inches your finished panel length: that’s how long you should cut the fabric for each panel. (My finished panels are 96 inches long, so I cut my fabric to 106 inches long.)
2. Cut Your Lining Fabric
It’s all about the lining isn’t it? No flimsy, transparent curtains for us! We’re using blackout lining and sleeping til noon! In an alternate life.
Okay, remember how long you wanted your finished panels to be? Add 2.5 inches to that, and that’s how long you should cut your lining. (My panels are 96 inches long, so I cut my lining 98.5 inches long.)
Now, cut the width of your lining to six inches less than the width of your curtain fabric. (For me, this was 49 inches.)
Here’s a pretty little picture for ya:
3. Hem the Bottom of the Curtain Fabric
Fold your fabric up four inches from the bottom and iron the fold. Then fold it up another four inches, iron it, and pin it in place.
Sew the hem. No fancy stitches here. Just a plain-vanilla straight stitch or whatevs. Make sure you back-stitch at the beginning and end.
(I like to say things like “make sure you back-stitch,” as if that’s something I was totally familiar with before attempting this project.)
4. Hem the Bottom of the Lining Fabric
Fold the bottom of the lining 2 inches up and iron the fold. Fold another 2 inches up, iron the fold and pin it in place. Sew the hem, doing your back-stitch thang.
I’d like to draw your attention to the relatively straight hem you see before you. This was unprecedented for me. Hold your applause, please.
5. Sew the lining to the Curtain Fabric
Lay your curtain fabric on the floor, right side up. Now lay your lining on top of it, right side down. (The right sides are facing each other, because in a minute you’re going to sew the sides together, then turn it inside out like a pillow. It’ll be magical. Hang in there with me.)
Please no one ask my mom how many times I accidentally didn’t lay the right sides together and had to go back and redo this step. I was embarrassed for myself.
The bottom of the lining should be 1.5 inches from the bottom of the curtain fabric, and one of the sides should be lined up. Like this:
Now, pin down the side where the two fabrics are lined up.
And sew that side together. Straight stitch. Nothing crazy. You should probably backstitch here too, but what do I know?
Now that one side of the lining is sewn to one side of the fabric, lay them back on the floor again, and line up the other side. Because your fabric is wider than the lining, it’ll be bunched up and kind of awkward. Just do the best you can to make the second side lined up, then pin it in place.
Now sew that side too.
NOW. Stand up and pat yourself on the back! (Necessary step.) Because here is fun part #1: Turn the panels inside out, and you (almost) have a lined panel! All you have to do is finish the top and bottom! LOOK AT YOU GO!
6. Straighten out the sides and iron
Lay your curtains on the floor, lining side up. Now, kind of maneuver the curtains until you have equal curtain fabric on each side of the lining.
Iron the side edges so it stays in place. Extra credit if you starch it.
7. Finish the bottom
Right now, the bottom corners of your panels look like this:
Fold the corners of the curtain fabric in so it looks like this:
Now, “just” blind-stitch the corners in place. I say “just” because I still don’t really know what that means. Basically, you’re hand-sewing the corner in place. The truth is, you can really skip this step if you want. If you don’t do it, the curtain police will not even know about it. If you do it, it will look something like this:
Tres professional, no?
8. Make Your Back Tabs
Warning: I completely made up this entire process. Maybe there is a “right” way to do this? I’m not sure. But this way will get you there.
For the tabs on my master bedroom curtains, I used bias tape:
First, decide how many tabs you want per panel. I have ten on each of mine. If your panels are less than 55 inches wide, you’ll probably want fewer tabs. My nursery curtains are 44 inches wide and I have 9 back tabs on each of those. I think about five inches between each tab turns out pretty well.
Cut your tabs about 2.5 inches long.
Because I was using bias tape, I hemmed the top and bottom of each tab to reinforce them, since they will be holding the weight of the curtains.
After I went through that INCREDIBLY TEDIOUS process with the master bedroom curtains, I changed things around when I sewed the nursery curtains, and I just used satin ribbon like this:
I cut a bunch of 2.5-inch long tabs out of the ribbon and I didn’t even hem the edges because the ribbon seemed sturdy enough.
(The tabs are not as crooked as they look in this picture, pinky promise.) So far the ribbon is holding well enough for me. I won’t tell if you won’t.
Now that you have a nice pile of back tabs ready, it’s time to pin them to your curtains.
9. Prepare the Top
Fold the top edge down 1 inch and iron the fold. Fold it down 1 inch again and iron it. Don’t sew it yet though, you overachiever. Just hang on one second.
Now place your back tabs evenly spaced along the back of the panel, tucking them about 1/2 inch underneath the folded top edge you just made.
You definitely need a tab at each end of the panel. Then evenly space the rest in between. Pin them in place. Make sure you’ve tucked about 1/2 inch of each tab underneath the edge of the curtain fabric.
Now just sew along that fold. You’ll be simultaneously sewing the top edge down AND sewing the tops of the tabs in place.
Once you’ve sewn one straight stitch along the top of the curtains, go back and sew the bottom of each tab in place. I sewed over the bottom, backstitched, sewed over it again, backstitched, a bunch of times to make sure the tabs were on there really good.
AND YOU’RE FINISHED!
Hang those “curtain drapery panel window clothes” high and wide, then sleep til noon. You (and your mom) deserve it.
Don’t forget to pin this so you have the info when ya need it!
P.S.: Looking for other easy DIY curtain options? Check out my no-sew DIY striped curtains:
And my no-sew Greek key curtains (low-budget, high-impact!)
Here are some other great tutorials to check out too!
This post contains affiliate links.
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Hi, I'm Kelly. Glad you're here! This little blog is where I chronicle our efforts to fix up our beaten-down home on a tiny budget. We're not there yet, but here's a peek at the view along the way...
When I first looked at the tabs on your curtains, I thought it was going to be one of those tutorials that I nod my head at but secretly know that I would never be able to accomplish it but this not only looks super professional, you made it look easy peasy! I’m particularly excited about this because I can never find curtains in a fabric I love, also, I think curtains are really expensive – can I ask you more or less how much this project cost?
Thanks Meghan!
Oops! I meant to post the cost info. So it definitely depends on how expensive your curtain fabric is. I bought on sale with a coupon, so mine was $6.50/yard. I think the lining on sale with coupon was something like $5? The thread and tabs were negligible, maybe $2 each? I think it ended up costing me something like $30 per panel, which is not cheap if you’re looking at simple curtain panels, but it’s a great price for wide-width black-out lined panels. You could bring the cost down by not using black-out lining, or by using cheaper fabric.
I think you did one of THE best tutorials i have ever seen!!!!!! Can’t believe you are a beginner. the back tab curtains are on my to-do list. Thank you.
Maybe because my wife is the one that spots these things but i was blissfully unaware at the differences in your Don’t and Do diagram. i was looking at it for a good 5minutes thinking i cant spot the difference
Hahaha. This might be my favorite comment ever.
Now I want to go test my husband and see if he is also curtain-blind.
Hey, you did it! I would recommend that the bottom hem on the face fabric (not the lining fabric) be blind stitched, especially on a solid, but you did good! Congrats!
Oh, and it’s draperies if you want to be fancy. A drape is a verb.
Ellen
Thanks! I’m going to update it to say that blindstitching is a good idea on the face fabric. (Face fabric: wish I’d known that term while writing this!) BTW, so good to hear from you! I was thinking of you while I was sewing these!
man that is a lot of work, but they do look awesome!
I am exhausted, and I didn’t even make them. They came out great, I’m totally pinning.
Can’t wait to see you next week!!
Wow. This is a great tutorial, but I am sad to say I will never, ever use it.
(and I saw that first image on hyphen interiors –
Thanks! Just emailed Kristy and got the original source!
I’m tired just reading that, but WOW was it worth it! They look great!
Whaaatttt?! First of all, you made those?! You are SO talented. Second you made me feel like I might be able to make these! How in the world did you do that?! Oh my goodness these look AMAZING….!!!!! You are making me want to sew my own curtains…. but I seriously have about 16 windows that need treatments… that could either end up great or end up really really bad!
Totally pinning!
Jaime
Thank you SO much! Trust me, if *I* can do it, YOU can do it. I’m ridiculously unskilled at this stuff!
ARE YOU KIDDING?? THIS ROCKS, KELLY! Even this no-sew girl is now thinking I could do this. And to get that look, I’d be willing to try. Kudos!! Sharing!! Pinning!! Shouting from the roof-tops!!
xo heidi
Rocking IT! Lady
You make it look so easy! I’ll have to pin this to refer back to! Great job. Thanks for sharing.
I SO can’t sew, but I love your entertaining tutorial! Maybe your mom can come over and I can “help” her to sew some curtains for my room:)
Jessica
stayathomeista.com
girl. this is an AMAZING project!! I love it. IT is so polished. Bookmarking. Sharing with clients. Pinning.
Of course for me, the title could have just been: “Tutorial: How to Sew”
How much will you charge me????
Oh, and you had me at, “Skivvies for your wall orifices”
Wowza … I know what you mean about writing a tutorial. Painful, right? It might take a few weeks for me to write my painted chest tutorial … I’m freaked just thinking of it!
But I love your tutorial. I love the professional lining. I’m going to follow your tutorial when I make draperies for my very own master …
… or are they window pants …
Linda
Fabulous, fabulous, fabulous!!!
this is quite the impressive tutorial! As a diy’er i know how much of a pain writing these things can be! they look fantastic
Oh my goodness!! My jaw is on the floor!!! These are absolutely gorgeous!! You cracked me up too! I’d love to know your sources for the fabrics- both are lovely! Do you have a nursery tour on here somewhere? I’d love to see an up-close of the one wall. Great job!
Thanks SO much! The master bedroom curtains are Premier Prints Avery in Deep Blue, and the nursery curtains are Anna Maria Horner Summer Totem in Tart.
And here’s my nursery tour: http://www.viewalongtheway.com/2012/04/the-nursery-reveal/
Love your curtains! They are gorgeous! My husband wont let me hang my curtains at ceiling height, for some reason he absolutely hates the space between the rod and the top of the window.
Your window pants look so good! I am going to do back-tabs next time I sew curtains–I never realized that was what made the difference in the bunch at the top, but obviously it looks a lot better that way…
This is awesome!
That was some tutorial.. You made it super easy for us but it must have been exhausting for you. Nice work and your house looks amazing!
Your awesome Kelly! Thank you for putting together this amazing tutorial : )
The timing on this is perfect! I just bought some too-short curtains for our room, which Junior will now inherit and I reeeeally wanted them to be darkened! Plus, I’ve got to figure out how to sew my own goddanged curtains for our room now. Thanks!!
They also make a tape referred to Serpentine tape that is translucent that is continuous that can be applied to the drape to create same effect. Great job by the way!
This is a marvellous tutorial and I give credit to the one who sewed and the one who took pictures of every single step. Thank you for this, Kelly! Now all I need is a sewing machine
although I have been tempted to consider sewing by hand!
Wine – check.
Mom in law who can sew – check.
But I’m afraid I’d still be committed to a padded cell if I tried this! I’m not the most patient gal – but your instructions are so fabulous (love the visuals) that even I might be able to accomplish this.
Kelly
You go girl
This is an amazing tutorial. You need to turn this into an e-book now and earn millions and hire a seamstress to make curtains for the rest of your rooms 
blessings,
karianne
Such a fantastic tutorial. Your drapes are gorgeous!!!! Love your blog.
Wow, Kelly! That’s all I can say – wow. You are awesome and so is your mom. Can’t believe you made all those drapes for 2 rooms – you are impressive, Lady!
Omg, these are awesome. I totally agree with you about the back tabs. They make the drapes hang so much better. Great tutorial, Kelly!
Holy wow, that is a serious tutorial! They turned out amazingly and I love the step by step – that must have taken forever to write, so thank you!
These are so pretty! I love the way they hang. I’m definitely pinning this for the next set of curtains I make!
These look amazing. I am bookmarking this post! I just did my first accomplished sewing project that I posted on my blog for my sons room. I would love for you to swing by and check it out. I am also due to have a little girl in October and will be attempting to use your tutorial to sew the window panels for her room. Thanks for the tips! Hope I don’t screw them up!
Ok, love this . . .looks reasonably easy. Couple of questions . . .
1. What was/is the diameter of your curtain rod?
2. How far from the edge of the window did you extend your curtains? (How far is the outer edge of the curtains from your window frame?
Thanks!
Hi Madge! It is reasonably easy.
1. My curtain rods are pretty dinky, maybe 1/2″. I prefer thicker, wider ones but I already had these on hand and new ones weren’t in the budget. If yours are wider, you can just make the tabs longer.
2. I like to go as far out as I can, depending on the length of the rod, but I’d say at least about 4 inches on each side. If your curtains are wide enough and your rod doesn’t sag in the middle, you almost can’t go too wide.
Good luck!
This is probably the BEST tutorial for sewing curtains I’ve ever come across because you haven’t scared me with lots of terminology and skipped showing me EXACTLY EVERYTHING you did (I totally need that). You have actually given me a little bit of faith that I could actually attempt this project!!
I’m applauding now, standing up and the whole shebang. Fantastic. Totally pinning.
xxx
Can I just give you a hug? I bought some fabric for curtains and have been searching and searching for a good tut. I am so linking the heck out of this when I post my curtains on my blog! Love your window skivvies btw.
I love this tutorial. I’ve not been able to find curtains I liked for our spare room and your tutorial has given me the confidence to make my own – thank you so much!
For a novice your results are quite simply beautiful and professional looking. I love them! Think I will be trying this one. Thanks for sharing.
I am so tired of tabbed curtains, but love the deep folds. I have never ever thought to put the tabs on the inside of the drape.
Your visual on why you should have them wider and longer is pretty convincing. Thank-you for all your work. It has saved me tons of time wondering what to do next.
How did you get your deep folds….how wide did you cut your fabric? Twice the width of the finished product?
My fabric is 55″ wide, and I just left it that wide. The fabric I used for my nursery curtains is 46″ wide, and I also left it that wide. I didn’t cut any of my curtains any more narrow than the fabric. I hope this helps! Good luck!
I have been working on my curtains for about 8 hours. Just finished sewing up the sides of one panel. I have the other panel ready to sew up tomorrow.
I decided to go with the width of my sun block material. I had to add about 16 inches to the width of the main fabric. My window is 58″ wide and only 33 “long. Each curtain panel, finished is 47″ long (there is a wall heater under it) and 60″ wide.
They are looking pretty good. It was hard to get the sun block material square. I used the middle of my folding table and one side as my guide. It is also hard to sew with it on the feeder foot. Ugh! It is best to have the main fabric on the feeder foot….other wise it drags.
So glad to find you. Thanks for all your help!
Thanks for the update! I can’t remember how we had it set up on the feeder foot. It is a LOT of fabric to work with at once, isn’t it? I’d love to hear how they turn out!
Gorgeous! I’m realizing that if I want amazing curtains in the price range, i’ll have to make them. Phew. Where did you get your material?
And how much do you think it cost you per panel (or per two panels)?
Thanks! Hoping to get on it (along with a move and 3 small children).
Thanks so much for this tutorial. I just finished making a pair of these and they came out great. Your instructions were really clear and they made the process very easy.
Came across your tutorial on pinterest a few weeks ago and have been drooling over it daily ever since. Found my fabric online, patiently tracked the shipping every hour or so until it arrived this past Thursday, then finally made my panels today. They came out BEAUTIFUL!!! Even my husband loves them
thank you so much for posting this awesome step-by-step sprinkled with witty side notes to grab us all. I so appreciate it!
Dear Kelly,
Three months ago I finished all 4 bedroom blackout curtains.
I folded them tight and stored them in a box while preparing the moving to my new house.
Now, that I want to hang them I found them with deep marks due to bending.
I need your advice on how I can remove these deep marks.
Thank you very much
Mary Feldman
Unfortunately I’m not much of a pro when it comes to this stuff. This is my first time sewing curtains like this. I would try a steamer if you have one, but I know I have ironed my curtains (carefully) and it worked well for them. Good luck!
Hi Kelly
Thanks so much for this tutorial. It is amazing and so helpful. I do have one question. I am doing bathroom curtains for inside the window box in a bathroom that gets killer afternoon sun. Weight is an issue as the round bars for that application are not very strong. So why do I have to ad the extra weight of a hem in the lining fabric? It doesn’t fray at all.
Thanks.
Cheryl
You probably could skip the hem in the lining and shorten the hem in the facing fabric. I’m sure they’d still look great. If you take pictures, I’d love to see!
They make the ceilings look really high. Well done!
Wish I’d had you around when I made my draperies! You did such a great job. Stylish, funny and well-written. One of the best tutorials I’ve ever read.
Loved your tutorial!!
I’ve made lots of drapes and curtains over the years – I’d be the mom in your scenario
I’ve generally just figured it out as i went along, like you did. I decided to look on-line for some instructions; just so i could look at the pictures and get an idea of how it’s supposed to go. I wouldn’t want to read all the boring details… I have to tell you, i read the whole thing and it was great fun and very clear. I love the comments saying that people who didn’t think they could ever do this are now willing to try! Great Job!
This was so helpful and clear!! I couldn’t find premade curtains that I liked for our nursery, and knew it couldn’t be THAT difficult, but this tutorial made it super simple! Love the step by step photos and hilarious comments! Our nursery curtains turned out so professional looking (and better yet, they were cheap!!). Definitely agree on the high and wide! Thanks so much!!
Thanks for this tutorial! I laughed out loud at your commentary, which I really needed before embarking on my own curtain project.
When sewing the bottom of each back tab… are you going through the lining AND the face fabric? Or just the lining? If it is the former… don’t you see the stitches/backstitches through the front of the face fabric? If it is the latter… how do you sew this AFTER doing the hem along the whole top? I am confused by that part, but I really like the results (bravo!) so I am hoping for some clarification!
Yes you sew through the lining and the face fabric. I was worried about this, but I can’t see the stitching at all once the curtains are hung.
I had that same question, so I’m glad you asked and got an answer. It occurred to me that if you match the bobbin thread as closely as you can to the curtain fabric, it’ll improve the chance of those stitches remaining invisible. I need to try this!
I found this post while researching how to make my own window treatments. I’ve never sewn curtains, and have actually done only a minimal amount of sewing ever! I used your instructions for my master bedroom curtains, and your step-by-step was superb! I completed lined curtains that match the fabric of my bedding beautifully! These would have been very expensive to have done professionally, which is why I decided to try it on my own. My husband loves them as much as I do! Thanks for your very detailed and effective instructions and photos! After the holidays, I am going to do the rest of the house! And BTW, love your blog
Thanks so much for your wonderful instructions for the lined tabbed drapes. I started at 10 a.m. And was completely thru by 4:30!!! I found two twin comforters on sale for ten bucks each for my guest room. Then needed curtains. Went back and got a matching queen comforter for ten bucks, took the batting out and wha-lah….beautiful looking matching drapes!!! Thank you so much for your time and effort in sharing this great project. You go girl!!!
Wonderful tutorial! Big question for me though is….. how well do they glide compare to the grommet style? I’d love to know, thank you.
I’d say they glide about as smoothly as a pair of grommeted curtains I have, but it depends on how big you make your tabs and how big around your curtain rod is. If you want them to be very loose, make your tabs longer and looser.
Your ideas and instructions are great, but even better is your humor. Keep up the good work! I am enjoying reading your blog. Wish computers were around when I was your age (well, they were, but they were named Commodore 64 and Atari. We had Radio Shack TRS 80′s at work. Google it.). Bravo!
Thank you for such detailed instructions. I found this on pintrest and thought it would work perfect for my husband who works 3rd shift. I have one window done and they look wonderful. I used the ribbon tabs and have had no issues. Thank you for posting this.
What a great tutorial! I can’t wait to make a pair of these for our nursery. Can I use a regular cotton fabric or does it need to be home decor or curtain fabric in particular?
I actually just used regular old fabric. Home decor fabric will be wider so it’ll make for wider curtains, but I think the fabric I used in my nursery was only about 40-something inches wide, and it works great with those windows. Obviously the wider your windows are, the wider you’ll want your fabric to be. Other than that, I’d say go with whatever you like! Since you’re lining it, thickness isn’t really important. Good luck! I’d love to see pics once you finish!
Thanks Kelly! I was hoping regular would work too since it gives me more options.
Our window is like 54″ wide, so I was thinking 40″ wide panels would work.
THIS IS THE BEST TUTORIAL I HAVE EVER SEEN ON THIS SUBJECT!!! GREAT JOB. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
Great tutorial – thanks for sharing Kelly! I wish you could see my first attempt at curtains when I first was sewing – NOWHERE near this nice looking when complete! (which is why I am now sich of them after only 3 yrs. and now searching for a great tutorial like this one instead of just “wing-ing it” this time around). While my curtain making ability lacks a little something, I am better with other craftiness (including projects with bias and hem tape). total side note and doesn’t effect the tutorial itself: you used bias tape (which just means a piece of fabric that has been folded and pressed in a certain way – fold each side down 1/4 so the unfinished edges meet in the middle – used to finish off edging of projects such as bags or quilts). Hem tape is a bit different (used when hemming to cover the finished stitching on the wrong side of the hemmed pants – helps conceal the ugly hem + helps prevent a heal from catching on the inside seam (generally hem tape is made out of a thin piece of lace or I’ve used grosgrain ribbon as it generally does not have a fold).
Hello!
In step 6 or so, why is the fabric wider than the lining? Do they end up being “even”? I am so ready to head to the store and by the materials to do this, but I need to clarify that step before I start….I’m afraid to be frustrated in the middle of the process. thank you soooooo much =)
If you look at the picture just under step 6, you’ll see how the back of the curtain ends up looking. You want the fabric to be wider than the lining so the fabric wraps around the backside of the curtain and the lining doesn’t show from the side of the curtain. When you straighten it all out, the backside of the panel will have a stripe of fabric going down each side. Kind of hard to explain, but you definitely need it that way.
I’ve been sewing for over 40 years and I must say that you, my dear, are a total genius! I have never seen a better explained/diagrammed set of instructions for making simple drapes. My only suggestion, since someone else already mentioned the blind hem stitch, would be to add buckram at the top so that your drapes will maintain their beautiful folds and not end up sagging from the weight of the fabric. In all, this is a A++, 5-star tutorial.
Thanks for the tutorial! I used it to make curtains for our nursery over the weekend. I followed your steps exactly and they turned out great. I keep walking in there just to look at them! Love your blog.
I am getting ready to make these drapes that you have on your web site. You talked about the length of your drapes but not much about the width. I realize that is a variable depending on the It is a great tutorial. Thanks so much.
Thank you! I just made mine the width of the facing fabric. In my master bedroom, they are 54″. In my nursery, they are 45″.
Good luck! I’d love to see pics when you finish!
Hi! I’m looking at using your tutorial to sew curtains for my dining room. Typically I always wash my fabric before use but I’m being a little lazy and wondered if I should skip that step or not. I’m using home decorator’s fabric also. Did you wash yours before you sewed them?
Thanks!
Lisa
IF I could sew, I would totally make gorgeous curtains like yours … love the length and your fabric choices!
I’m always intimidated by sewing window treatments! I love your step by step guide. I have a mother in law that can sew, well, like a mother! ha She usually does all of mine. Just in case she can’t help next time, I’m pinning this for future!! thanks!
Once I discovered back tabs it was all over! These look the best, in my opinion. It’s like a hybrid between a rod pocket and nice pleats. I’ve even purchased tab tops (which I despise) an pinned them down in the rear to make back tabs. Great tutorial for lined drapes!
In your tutorial you never said anything about the top. How far from the top does the lining come up?
After you line up the sides and the bottom, assuming you’ve cut the pieces the right length, the top will fall into place. I don’t remember what that number ends up being, but if you follow the instructions in the tutorial, it’s a number you won’t actually need.
Hello, question… All th tutorials talk about the length of the starting fabric. What about the width? How many inches should I add to my starting out fabric?
I left my facing fabric the width it came in; I didn’t cut down the width or add to it at all. I addressed the width of the lining fabric in the post. I hope that helps!
Ok, so I pinned this month’s ago and now I’m ready to get started. Just re-reading the tutorial and was so entertained and could sooooo relate to you. Sure wish you were my neighbor…lol! Can’t wait to get started
Oh Kelly!
#youmakelearningfun!!!
After what seemed like hours! of searching for a tutorial for sewing black-out curtains, I stumbled across your site. I swear… not only was the tutorial wonderfully detailed, but I don’t think I’ve ever had that much fun learning how to do something!! (and I’m OLD! – so that says a lot!) Your sense of humor is out of this world! I laughed out loud at the end of every step. You’re a riot! Thanks for such a great tutorial – and for making my day
~Cheley
I have just emailed this article to a Landlord who needs to put some curtains up in a property in Crawley. I hope their ability is greater than there desire to try and refurbish the apartment.
I’m planning on starting curtains this weekend and still didn’t know how much fabric to buy, now I do. Thanks!
I’m trying out these curtains and I can’t figure out how wide you cut your face fabric
I didn’t cut my face fabric. I just used it the width it came in. I addressed the width of the lining in the post.
Have a great weekend!
This is a great tutorial! I’m not sure I’m brave enough to undertake it, but I have to tell you that it’s one of the more entertaining “how to’s” I’ve ever read. “Window Pants” truly made me laugh out loud! Will pin it and then maybe someday…
Hey! Love them! I am an experienced sewer and love this plan! I also wanted to ask if they open and shut easily? Or do you ever open and shut yours? Thanks for the inspiration and tutorial!
Yes! They are SO SO SO easy to open and close. I think if you made the tabs too small, they might not slide easily, but ours are no problem at all. Good luck!
Thanks for posting this awesome tutorial. It was super easy to follow along and I finished three sets of drapes this afternoon! Since our house is horribly insulated and faces west, we desperately needed a solution (plus, we’re expecting our first baby this fall, so I wanted an excuse to practice these for our nursery curtains, too!). Thanks again for sharing!
P.S. Your baby’s nursery is fabulous. How lucky she is to have such a crafty mommy!
Hey Kelly! I love this tutorial! I’m in the process of making these drapes for my grandsons nursery. I’m using a premeir zig zag fabric in blue. I’m concerned about the top stitching showing through on the front when you attach your tabs. Can you see this top stiching?
You can see it if you get up close, but you have to get really really close on my curtains to tell it’s there. I don’t think anyone would ever see it if they didn’t know to look. Definitely get a thread that’s close in color!
Love your tutorial! I acutally bought cheap curtains and plan on adding the lining to the back, But does the lining make it a “blackout” curtain? Thanks for you help!
It depends on which lining you buy. You can buy “blackout” lining that will completely block the sun, or just regular lining that will add some extra weight and make the curtains look better from the outside. Good luck!
Beautiful curtains! one question…does the black out lining smell when the sun heats it up? I purchased already made black out curtains and I can’t stand the smell of them when the sun is out!
…So if the black out lining you used doesn’t smell, I may have to make my own as well!
I’ve never noticed any smell at all. Ours don’t really bake in the sun much – mostly indirect sunlight – but they don’t have much of a scent at all. Hope that helps!
Hey Kelly! I’m almost through with my panels! Yay! Thanks to your inspirational tutorial! Just one quick question. When you sewed your tabs down, did you leave a little slack or sew them straight? It’s hard to tell with them on the curtain rod.
Yay! That’s exciting! I actually did just sew them straight down. Make sure your tabs are long enough to allow enough space for your curtain rod, because if you have an extra chunky curtain rod, it could be an issue, but they worked great for me just sewed down flat. Good luck with finishing yours!
Hey Kelly! I just finished making my curtains, and followed your tutorial, which helped a bunch. I did, however, take 3 months to make mine hahah….worst part was trying to get the material cut square! I ended up taping the floor to use as a straight line
Unfortunately, I decided I was going to make my curtain rods from electrical conduit, so I can’t even hang them yet…why do I do these things to myself?? Anyway, Thanks for the tutorial!!