Happy Monday everyone, The last few week have been busy ones. I am finally about finished up with my clients living room/dining room which you may remember from an earlier post. The photo above will give you a little sneak peek of what has been going on but first I wanted to share with you a quick DIY project we did to upgrade the curtains.
For this project I loved the look of the Pottery Barn Morgan Drape (left) but at over $100 a panel they were just too far out of the budget, especially considering the project required eight panels. The budget option was to go with the Ikea Merete Curtains (right) which are only $30 a pair and are easily acquired here in Germany. These curtains are made from a nice weight twill and can be hemmed to any length only one draw back, they are a bit “Plain Jane.”
My solution, add trim myself!
For only a few extra dollars per panel I could turn these budget Ikea panels into custom curtains, and here is all you need.
*Twill tape (any size/color your wish) I used 30mm black cotton twill tape. Each edge will need enough twill tape to run the length of the panel plus 4″-6.”
*Ruler – I use a 24″ quilting ruler which works great since you can see through it.
*Straight pins
*Scissors
*Sewing machine
Start by deciding how far from the edge you want to place your trim, I chose 2″ so the trim would be centered on the first grommet, but this distance is completely up to you. You then need to fold the top raw edge of the under and start pinning it down. On my curtains there was a seam below the grommets that I used as my start point.
If you are using a straight panel that has tabs or will be clipped at the top, you will want start by folding the tape twill over the top edge so it wraps around to the back side of the panel tucking the raw edge under.
You will then pin you twill tape down along your ruler all the way to the bottom of the curtain. This is when the see through ruler comes in handy, you can place it along the edge of the curtain and begin to pin the twill tape down constantly checking that you twill tape stays a consistent distance from the edge. It is best to pin your tape about every eight to ten inches minimum.
When you get to the bottom of the curtain finish by folding the tape twill under the bottom edge so it wraps around to the back side of the panel tucking the raw edge under.
The final step, sew your twill tape along each edge to attach it to the curtain panel.
If you are not friends with the sewing machine you can also use fusible tape and an iron to get the same results.
The results make a big impact without a lot of investment. Have a look…
and to think a bit of work saved $80 a panel.
Stay tuned for a full post on the final results…
Maggie, would it be possible for you to post the photos vertically? Very hard to see and when I turn the iPad…the photos turn as well. Would be helpful for future posts. Changing the screen lock on the iPad is possible, but kind of a pain. Thx.
Thanks for the FYI Debbie, I think something is going on with the mobile theme. It looks correct on the computer but you are right they are coming up sideways on my I phone. ARRRH Technology. Let me see if I can get that corrected for you.
My sister in law is your client and I love the outcome of the dining and living room. It came out gorgeous. I have the before pictures of the house and with the change in paint and affordable pieces it came out very good – no I would say WOW factor. I am following your posts and really enjoy them.
So glad you stopped by, You can look forward to more photos of the project very soon!