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Curtains are lovely when they’re colorful, designed with intricate patterns, and hung creatively. They basically add life to the entirety of a room and even to the whole house. Aside from being an aesthetic addition to a room’s interior, they also functions to block light, sound, heat, and dust. There are more to curtains than just adding character to a place.
That is why most curtains on the market these days are manufactured such that they have all the properties to make them both functional and aesthetically pleasing. This is what blackout curtains are for.
Since blackout curtains have more functions than ordinary curtains, which are usually thin and used only for aesthetic purposes, they tend to be more expensive. Online product review sites discuss quality as well as the price of some of the bestselling blackout curtains available.
Reading through the comments and reviews from people who have tried some of the products can definitely help in choosing the best product. But for those who are a little tight on the budget and have the extra time to sew their own blackout curtains, here’s a DIY list of steps and tips that can help.
One doesn’t have to be an expert in sewing to make this blackout curtain. The steps are very easy to follow and it doesn’t take a lot of materials to complete it.
Materials to use
- Inexpensive pre-made window panels
- Scissors
- Pins
- Thread
- Needles
Steps
- Get the measurements of the window: width and drop. Pattern the measurement for the pre-made window panel that will be used. Make sure to leave allowances for hems and headings.
- Measure and cut the blackout fabric accordingly. There are very cheap blackout fabrics available on the market. Other thick unused fabrics lying around the house can be used as a substitute as well. After the blackout fabric has been cut, lay it on top of the curtain panel such that the right sides of the panel and the fabric are adjacent.
- Position the blackout fabric in the center such that the length of allowances on the sides are the same, a 1.5 inch allowance for each fabric should do. Line the sides of the fabric and the curtain and pin them up.
- Sew both sides up. Trick: In order to avoid ripping seams, be sure to put the seam just inside the curtain panel’s side-hem so the original stitching will be hidden once it’s flipped right-side out.
- Iron the seams open. Iron the sides of the curtains as well.
- Now for the curtain heading, fold the top of the curtain and pin it. It would be better to put in some allowance on top of the casing so the curtain will have a ruffle effect on the top. Sew two lines over the newly folded cloth to create the casing. Trick: Don’t like ruffles? Move the lines closer to the top before sewing them.
- Hem the curtain. Hang the curtain and measure the exact drop length. Even though measurements were done prior to sewing, it would still be better to hang the curtains first before doing the hem to make sure that you has the correct length. Make sure there’s a little space between the floor and the edge of the curtain in order to avoid drag.
That’s it! These are very easy to follow steps on how to make blackout curtains out of cheap pre-made panel curtains and blackout fabric. It’s better to choose patterned panel curtains just to add a little character to the room.
See? It’s not necessary to spend a lot just to have blackout curtains at home. However, for those who don’t have the time to go through all these steps, there are blackout curtains on the market that are available at very reasonable prices. Check out our list to get started.