We use my old homestead (the house in which I was born - it is well over 100 years old), as our summer home. I found it very easy and inexpensive to make curtains for my old home by using pillow cases.
Make/sew a 1 - 2 inch "rod-pocket" at the top of the pillow case. Insert curtain rod and hang the curtain. This method, of course, makes a much lighter and fuller curtain and requires a bit more sewing.
By Doris from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
This page contains the following solutions.
Sewing curtains for your home is only as complicated as you want to make the project, and luckily there are several good books available in libraries all over the world to help you.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
I have bookcase from ceiling to floor. I want to make a curtain that covers this using two panels. The problem is my 3 year old gets up in middle of night and plays with the toys that are on these shelves. So I need the curtains to meet in the center of shelving that can open and close easily, but that a child cannot. I know how to do the sides permanently and also the top. But the center area has me stumped.
By Juia B
Could you put grommets down the middle edges, and then lace up and tie at the top? Or a zipper that zips up? That would work only if the child cannot reach the top of the shelves.
Have you thought about instead of using 2 panels that open in the middle using one of the window treatments (not mini blinds). Sorry, I don't know what they called, but the one where you pull the cord and they accordion up toward the top toward the top kind of in pleats. Put a valance at the top of you bookcase and it will look like a very pretty window treatment. Of course you would need to make sure to make the cord short enough so that your little one couldn't reach it
I'm making curtains for my kitchen, using 100% cotton fabric, the same weight you would find in a quilt shop. I'd like to line them to help prevent fading (even though there will be Venetian blinds behind them).
If I use a light drapery lining, will that be too heavy? Or would I be better off using muslin? Any ideas?Take a piece of the fabric with you when you go to buy the liner fabric. The liner should be a lighter weight than the main fabric.
I think muslin might be too light. You want it the same or slightly lighter than the curtain fabric.
Remember to pre-wash both fabrics first. You don't want them to shrink at different rates the first time you wash them.
Use the light drapery lining. Or do not line them at all because you may want to replace the curtains at some time in the near future. Pull the venetian blinds at the time of day when the sun enters in that window so you will protect the curtains from fading.
Looking at muslin - it appears to be too loosely woven to keep out the sunlight.
Have you thought of using a polyester? It is light weight, fade resistant and there are many color choices.
I recently made myself a ew set of 100percent cotton curtains and while I was searching for the material to ok line it came across a slightly strange idea. Although it may seem a bit unconventional I found that it saved money on the electric bill. I actually decided to use a light weight shower curtain. Yes, the plastic type that repels water. Ive used this idea in the past to cover leaky windows to keep out winter cold and it worked wonders. So I decided to try this with my new curtains. When u go looking for the shower curtain make sure not to use one that is too thin as it will tear easily and wont last. You also dont want it to be too heavy and weigh them down. You will also need to decide on a color. They come in many different colors and depending on what you want the curtains to do will depend on the color. If you want a lot of light to come into a room you will want to get the clear ones, for black out curtains youd want the solid white ones.
This is a nice project for sewing simple curtains. The author includes helpful tips and step by step photos. It's a simple project and making your own curtains gives you tons of options to match your curtains to your decor.
Link: http://thecraftysisters.com/2011/08/25/upgrade-your-sewing-basic-curtains/
Tablecloths can often be found on sale, particularly after holidays. They can be used to make beautiful curtains. This is a page about making curtains from tablecloths.
This page is about making curtains from sheets. Fashioning bed sheets into curtains can save you money and give you the window covering you want.
Cafe curtains can help dress up a kitchen window. Making your own allows you to choose the fabric and style. This is a page about making cafe curtains.
A nice casual look can be achieved in your bathroom by decorating with homemade curtains using towels, in your choice of color or pattern. This is a page about making curtains from towels.
