Easy Roman Shade

Materials:

• decorator fabric
• lining fabric
• Roman shade cording
• Roman shade ring tape
• fabric glue
• 2 L-brackets
• 1 x 2 board for mounting
• screw eyes
• screws
• metal cleat
• wooden dowel (optional)

Tools:

• sewing machine
• electric drill
• staple gun
• measuring tape
• iron
• scissors
• pencil

Directions:

1. Measure the width of the window opening and subtract 1/2 inch for the finished width of the shade. For the length, measure from the top to the bottom and subtract 1/4 inch. Cut both the fabric and liner one inch wider than the finished width and three inches longer than the finished length.
2. Pin the fabric and lining with right sides together and sew, leaving a five-inch opening along the top for turning. Turn the shade right-side out and sew the opening shut.
3. Iron the lined shade fabric so that it is flat.
4. To attach the ring tape, turn the bottom hem up two inches and press it flat. Slip a piece of ring tape under the hem along the lining side until the first ring is one inch from the hem . Pin it in place. Repeat procedure for the other side and add another piece of ring tape evenly spaced in the center of the shade. Be sure that the rings line up, or the shade will hang unevenly. Stitch over ring each by hand to secure it and attach the ring tape using fabric glue. Stitch the two-inch hem in place.
5. Cut the mounting board to the window width and attach shade to the board with the staple gun.
6. Attach three screw eyes to the underside of the board, so that they line up with the ring tape on the shade.
7. Thread the cording through each row of rings and up through each of the screw eyes, so that the second and third screw eyes have double and triple cording from the previous screw eye, and then cut and knot them at one end. Trim the cord ends.
8. Measure and mark pilot holes in the mounting board with a pencil and drill. Attach the two L-brackets to the underside of the mounting board at each end. Measure, mark and drill pilot holes on the window frame and mount the shade to the frame.
9. A cleat is necessary to to wrap the cording around when the shade is up. Determine a good spot for the cleat, drill some pilot holes and screw it in place.
10. Adding a wooden dowel, cut to the width of the shade, in the 2-inch hem is optional. Doing so will give the shade more of a tailored appearance.

I originally made the Roman shades in my dining room using the dowels but later removed them. I prefer them without the dowel, as it gives the shades more of a relaxed, drapey look.

Money-saving Tip: I purchased the high-end fabric and the lining for the shades for a fraction of the original cost from my favorite eBay seller, Fabric Guru. For other great deals, check out Fabric Guru's website, fabricguru.com.

Happy Sewing!

Jane

mounting board and hardware

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