A curtain is a piece of fabric or any other kind of material that gets suspended from the top of a window, an outer door or a bathroom door. It is attached to a curtain rod at the top using curtain hooks.
All kinds of curtains are made by straight sewing. This is an easy task even for beginner curtain makers with the right basic knowledge. You will have to make a choice of your curtain material as a first step to make your curtain. You have to know what to consider apart from the colors.
- Know what kind of curtain you would like to make: Unlined curtains-Consists of a single layer fabric that is hemmed at its sides and the bottom with a top finish of your choice Lined curtains- Just like the unlined curtains but have an extra- layer of fabric Interlined curtains- Same description as a lined curtain with an extra lining-between the curtain lining and the face fabric.
- Curtain size- The size of the curtain depends on the size of your window, outer door or the shower door. You can make the measurements before going out to search for the right material.
- Do the material calculation- In some instances, the material calculation will be very easy, especially if you are making a narrow and straight curtain. Other cases might be complicated such as those requiring patterns, lined, interlined and ruffled curtains.
Using sheets to make curtains
When making curtains out of sheets, the following materials will be required.
- Two-twin flat sheets.
- ½ inch ribbon.
- Straight pins.
- Sewing machine.
- Sewing thread
The following steps will be followed
- Out of the purchased material, you will need to carry out measurements to come up with the right dimensions for the finished product. The measurements will be based on the size of the window, outer door or the bathroom door. Make sure to take into account any folds, ruffles and special linings to come out with the final measurement. It is recommended that you use the top part of the sheet as the curtain bottom. It will produce a nice looking finished hem. The hem is placed at the bottom end of the sheet to be the top of the curtain.
- Carefully cut the ribbon into required lengths to be pinned on the curtain at the top back, at a suitable length apart.
- Proceed to do the sewing of the ribbon tabs. Stitch your tabs at a suitable length from the individual edges of your ribbon. It will just take you a short time per each panel or sheet
The above steps will ensure you a curtain made from sheets within a short time and at low costs.
Special considerations
The choice of sheets to make your curtains gives you the advantage of coordinating the window covering with other inner decorations. You do not have to use high expenses as with custom made curtains. You do not also require sewing expertise in order to make your curtains. When thinking of making no-sew curtains from sheets think about the following factors:
- Hanging the curtains wide and high- This requires a bit of creativity so that you make your curtains to have the right dimensions. The standard ceiling height found in an average business or home premises is in the range of 8 foot in height. In inches that comes to 96 inches-floors to ceiling height. To be able to hang your curtains high i.e. almost at the ceiling level, you require 90-94 inch of curtain material. You, therefore, require looking for the stores which sell curtains of 90+ inch- lengths.
- You will have to use curtain rods plus matching rings equipped with clips. The rings come with small and clips similar to clothespin used to do the fastening for the rod and the curtain edge.
- For the standard size curtain you need to use a sheet, at least one and half times wider as compared to the curtain rod length. If you are working on a double sheet it will be approximately 80 inches wide and will work well for the 45-55inch wide curtain-rod.
- You will need to do sheet measurement for the width and divide the results by six. Then add one to your result to know the number of rings with clips you are required to buy.
- You will realize that the sheet materials purchased are not always square and straight. Therefore ensure to lay your sheet flat and make proper measurements before you make the hems.