If you are bored with your old Roman shades, or if some of their pieces are broken, you can turn them into new and interesting shades by yourself. The following instructions will help you to transform your basic blinds into beautiful Roman shades. Instead of throwing your old shades away and buying new ones, you should try these easy and simple steps for making inexpensive and appealing window shades on your own.
Tools Required for Making a Roman Shade
In order to make a Roman shade, you need the following tools:
- Tape measure
- Pencil
- White faux wood blinds
- Thick upholstery fabric
- Iron
- Clothespins
- Scissors
- Decoupage and bowl
- Foam brush
Instructions for Making a Roman Shade
If you want to make a new shade, first you need to measure your window and to determine the length and the width of the fabric. After figuring out how long the shade needs to be, lay the blinds on the floor and cut the ladder strings, the strings which hold the blinds together and which keep them evenly spaced. While doing so, don’t cut the thicker string, the one which moves the blinds up and down.
Next, you need to determine the number of blinds. The blinds should be 7 inches apart. Divide the length of your window in 7 inches to see how many blinds you need. Then, you need to remove the remaining blinds and, you should discard them. Once you have determined how many blinds you need, you should lay the fabric on the floor. Place the blinds on the fabric and divide them evenly, with each of them being 7 inches apart from the other. Use a pencil to mark their placement. Make sure that the fabric extends about 2 inches from the blinds. Use these 2 inches of the fabric to curve it around the blinds. Iron the fabric around the edges of the blinds to form a clean hem.
Then, you should fold the fabric at the bottom over the bar and glue it on.
Afterward, glue the fabric on the top base. Keep in mind that the fabric should be glued on the front of the base so that the blinds can be hanged up. Use clothespins to secure the fabric on the top base while the glue dries. Glue the fabric on the curved part of the marked areas for the blinds. Before placing the blinds on the fabric, glue their edges on the both sides of each blind. Place clothespins on the edges of the blinds and, allow the glue to dry. When the glue is completely dried, you can place your new Roman shade on your window.
