Make a real impact to any room by fashioning your own lined drapes.
Luxurious drapes, lined and suspended elegantly from their curtain rods, add that special touch of class to any room. If your interior design budget cannot stretch to purchase made-to-measure drapes, you can make them yourself for a fraction of the cost. With basic craft skills and a touch of patience you can hang drapes that make a real style statement in your home. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Measure the height of the window from the curtain rod to where you want the bottom of the curtains to fall; add 4 inches to the measurement. Measure the length of the curtain rod; add 12 inches to allow the drapes to be pleated even when drawn. Write down the measurements. Purchase the right amount of fabric for your curtains and curtain lining. Remember the fabric will be cut to make two curtains.
2. Lay out the drapery fabric and fold it in half across the width. Pull the fabric taut and press all the way along the fold with an iron. Cut along the fold with sharp scissors until you have cut the fabric in half. Repeat this process with the lining material.
3. Lay one piece of drapery fabric flat, with the good side facing down. Take one piece of lining material and lay this on top of the fabric. Pin the corners together. Insert pins along each side of the material 3 inches from the edge to tack the two pieces together, then remove the pins at the corners.
4. Make a 2-inch fold all the way along the bottom edge of the curtain and hold it in place with pins. Press along the fold using a hot iron to produce a sharp crease. Fold along the left and right edges of the drape in the same way and tack with pins before pressing with the hot iron.
5. Sew the material together along the bottom and each side on the outside of the rows of pins to create a hem. Stitch the lining to the curtain fabric along the top edge just above the row of pins. Using a sewing machine will make this part of the task go much more quickly although it can be done by hand. Remove all the pins from the top, bottom and sides of the drape.
6. Take the curtain rod and lay it just above the top hem. Loop the curtain material over the rod and pin it in place allowing enough room for the rod to slide freely through the fabric tunnel. Remove the rod and stitch along the row of pins before removing them.
7. Construct the drape for the other side of the window in the same manner. Feed both panels onto the curtain rod and hang the rod in its supports.
Tags: along fold, along bottom, along fold with, drapery fabric, each side, fold with, just above