Many people choose to buy ready-made curtains, but there’s a lot to be said for making your own. When you make your own curtains, you have a much wider range of fabrics available to you, you can custom-design your curtains for a unique aesthetic, and you’re likely to save yourself money too. If you’re thinking of making curtains, and you’re looking for tips to find the right fabrics and achieve incredible results, you’ve come to the right place.
Making your own curtains: considerations to bear in mind and Choosing Curtain Fabrics
Prints and colours: if you plan to make curtains, you’ll need to order fabric. The first thing to do is think about how you want your curtains to look. What kinds of colours, prints, and patterns are you looking for? If you’re not quite sure what you want, have a look around at what’s out there, get some ideas, and try and create an image of the room in your head. You may find that browsing online galleries or flicking through magazines gives you some inspiration.
Measurements: the most important thing to get right when making curtains is the measurements. If your curtains are too long, too narrow or too short, you’ll have to live with an imperfect aesthetic or start all over again. Take your time to measure your windows, note down the numbers, and work out how much fabric you’re going to need. This will depend on the type of curtain you want, as well as the size of the window. When you are ordering fabric, always order extra, as it’s better to have material left over than to run out.
The type of curtain: there are myriad types of curtain. The style you choose may affect the type of material you use, as well as the quantity of fabric required. Popular options include pleated panels and box pleats.
Prep work: making curtains isn’t always a walk in the park, and it’s beneficial to plan in advance, make sure you’ve got your fabric measured out, and ensure you have all the tools you need to complete the job.
Choosing the right fabrics
When you’re making curtains, you need to ensure that you choose the right fabric. Think about the style of the room you’re decorating, but also how you use that space. Some materials are better suited to certain rooms in the house than others. Polyester is a really versatile, durable option, which is great for bedrooms and living rooms, but not always ideal for kitchens. This is because the material can absorb odours, and polyester is flammable. Cotton is a great choice for every room in the house, and you can choose from lightweight cotton for living rooms and kitchens or denser fabric to block light out in the bedroom. Silk oozes luxury, and it’s perfect for romantic boudoirs, while linen works well in kitchens and garden rooms. Velvet is ideal for creating a boutique hotel vibe in the bedroom or lounge.
If you’re on a mission to make your own curtains, start thinking about the kind of look you want to achieve, and the type of materials you plan to use. Measure your windows, calculate how much material you need, and explore different prints and patterns before you make a decision. Get everything ready before you start, and try not to be too ambitious if this is your first foray into curtain making.