Using the links below you can follow our easy, step by step instructions to make your own DIY curtains and blinds for your home. If you're looking for the perfect fabric for your project, make sure you check out our fabric collection for some truly gorgeous, upholstery and curtain fabrics.
Follow these simple DIY curtain guides to make your own no sew, unlined, lined or tab top curtains.
These guides are for more traditional, decorative curtains and as such are slightly more complex to make.
We've put together some simple, easy to follow tutorials for how to make your own roller or roman blinds.
Use the guides below to help your with your craft projects, many of these tutorials can be used for other crafts, not just curtain making!
Curtains that are sewn together in the traditional way are sturdier and last longer but serviceable, unlined lightweight curtains can be made with no sewing at all. A modern bonding web (Bondaweb is probably the best well known, but there are others) is applied with a hot iron and a damp cloth and takes the place of a needle and thread. If more than one width of fabric is required in each curtain a bonding strip can be used to join the widths together.
There are a number of curtain heading styles which are suitable for no sew curtains. These include, cased headed, eyelet, heading tape and curtain clips.
The instructions below are for no sew curtains using curtain clips.
This is the easiest way to hang curtains. A double hem is formed at the top of the curtains to which clips are applied and hung from a narrow pole or curtain wire. There are numerous designs and finishes of curtain clips available to blend in with your existing décor.
Lay the first cut length on a flat surface, right side up, and place 12mm (0.5") strip of bonding web along the selvedge edge that is to be joined.
Turn in a 12mm (0.5") seam allowance down the selvedge of the second cut length and press.
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Unlined curtains are the simplest form of window treatment and are the ideal project for the beginner. They can be made in all weights of fabric from fine voiles to heavyweight tapestries, fitted inside or outside the window recess from a pole or a curtain track.
Unlined curtains are ideal for a kitchen or bathroom where steam may be a problem and easy laundering is essential.
Always check that the fabric is washable when it is purchased.
The following instructions are for curtains with pencil pleat headings and a fullness ratio of 2 (double the width of the window).
We love to see your finished curtains. Share your photos with #LoveMyWindow.
Adding a lining to curtains not only enhances the look but also can extend the life of them by protecting the face fabric from sunlight. There are a number of linings to choose from depending on the location of the window. For example blackout lining for bedrooms and thermal lining for living rooms.
Most curtain headings are suitable for lined curtains including tapes and handmade headings.
Lined curtains should be dry cleaned as the face fabric and lining can shrink at different rates if they are washed.
The following instructions are for bag lined curtains (this is where the lining is attached at the top and sides of the face fabric, with the bottom hems worked separately) with pencil pleat heading tape and a fullness ratio of 2 (double the width of the window).
Make sure the free ends of the cord are at the outside edge of the curtain.We love to see your finished curtains. Share your photos with #LoveMyWindow.
If you want a less formal, modern look to your window treatments then tab tops are the answer. They can be made in any weight of fabric from the finest sheers to heavyweights such as velvet and brocade. 
These stylish curtains need to be made at least 1.5 times the width of the window. The stack back width is the combined width of all the tabs.
The tabs are positioned at approximately 20cm (8") intervals across the top of the curtain, with one at each end (6 or 7 tabs per width of fabric). The length and width of the tabs can be adjusted to suit your own preference, however to obtain the best effect, the top of the curtain should cover the top of the window frame.
There are a number of styles of tab top curtain including, button tabs (both lined and unlined), box pleated and gathered which are usually lined.
The instructions below are for simple unlined tab top curtains, this style has both ends of the tabs stitched into the top hem and needs a fullness ratio of at least 1.5. The tabs have a finished width of 3cm (1.25") but this width can be adjusted for your own preference.
Cut the required number of pieces of fabric, each measuring 7.5cm (3") wide. Cut the length to twice the length required plus 10cm (4”) seam allowance. Example: if the required finished length of the tabs is 7.5cm (3") the tabs need to be cut 25cm (10") long.
Cafe curtains are an economical way of screening the lower part of a window to give privacy. They can be used in any room of the home but are ideal in the kitchen.
Rods, decorative poles or curtain wires can be used to hang cafe curtains and they are positioned inside the window recess, either halfway down the window or at the height of a glazing bar. For a layered look, matching cafe curtains can be made with 1 positioned at the top of the window, to represent a valance, and 1 positioned halfway down the window. They can be made to overlap, giving total privacy or the top one can be made shorter to leave a gap in the centre to allow light into the room.
The instructions below are for an unlined style of cafe curtain which can be made in lace, sheer or lightweight fabric with a fullness ratio of between 1.5 and 2.5 depending on your own preference. For net curtain fabric visit our sister shop Net Curtains Direct.
The rod, pole or wire is slotted through a casing to gather the curtain. It is positioned 1" (2.5 cms) down from the top fold forming a frill along the top edge.
We'd love to see your finished curtains. Share your photos with #LoveMyWindow.
An hourglass curtain is one that is fitted to a door - flowing sheer curtains covering doors can be a nuisance as they tend to get caught when the door is used. An hourglass curtain solves this problem by adding a second rod at the lower edge and when it is tied in the centre with a bow of ribbon you can create a focal point from an ordinary door. Hourglass curtains are also ideal for covering French or patio doors and windows. However, if the door or window is very wide, we would suggest making more than one curtain across the width.
To achieve the best results allow 2 – 2.5 times the width of the rod and cut the top and bottom of the fabric on a curve. If using a lace fabric with shaped or scalloped selvedges, adjust the fullness ratio to accommodate the width of the fabric.
We love to see your finished curtains. Share your photos with #LoveMyWindow.
Attaching a valance to the top of curtains means that you can have the enhanced look of a double layer without the need for two tracks. This is especially useful where space is a premium.
There are a number of ways of adding a valance to the top of curtains. A separate valance can be added to the top of each curtain - this style is used when the curtains need to be opened and closed. When a single valance is attached across the top of a pair of curtains they will need to be held open with tie backs or hold backs as the heading is stationary. Both these styles of valance are usually unlined whether they are attached to lined or unlined curtains. This cuts down on the bulk of fabric along the top edge and can be used with most heading styles. They can be made to match, coordinate or contrast with the fabric of the curtains and to accentuate the edge of the valance, fringing or cord can be attached to the bottom edge. Another way is to make the curtains much longer than is necessary and turn the top over to represent a valance. Single or double layers of fabric are usually bound around the edges for this style.
The instructions below are for a single valance attached to a pair of curtains with fringing on the bottom edge.
Place the valance on a flat surface, wrong side up.We love to see your finished curtains. Share your photos with #LoveMyWindow.
Whatever you are making it is inevitable that sooner or later you will have to join widths of fabric together. This is simple until there is a pattern to contend with. All patterned fabrics have a repeated pattern down their lengths. This is called the "pattern repeat" and is measured from a point in one pattern to the same point in the next pattern.
Most patterned fabrics match horizontally across the width. All the cut lengths have to start at the same point in the pattern so that they match at the seams when they are joined. Therefore a cut length has to be a multiple of the pattern repeat.
For curtains, where large patterns are used it is better to have a full pattern at the hemline and a part pattern in the heading where it is less noticeable.
It is advisable to check the fabric for faults before it is cut because suppliers will not exchange cut lengths.
Please contact us for sizing information
For help selecting the correct product size please see our window measuring guide.
For guidance on selecting the best ready-made curtain size please see our curtain size guide.
How to measure and fit curtains poles and tracks... Guide to Curtain Poles and Tracks.
What is meant by "curtain drop"?
This is the length or height of the curtain. This is normally the height from the curtain pole to either to just above or just below the window sill, or to the floor.
What is "fullness" and "gather" in a curtain?
The gather and fullness refers to the width of material in each curtain. You may notice that most window curtains do not lie flat. Traditionally curtains are hung so that they fall into soft folds. The folds also known as "gather" or "fullness" are created by increasing your width 2x to 3x your flat window reveal size. There are many advantages of gathering your curtains, the most common is for greater privacy and insulation as well as for aesthetic reasons. However, it is becoming more popular to hang curtains as flat panels with latest sleek boutique fashion trends. This will impact the width of curtain you select.
