How to Make A Roman Shade

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Roman shades sold in high-price interior design stores are made from the very best materials. Ones that you make yourself can be made from inexpensive material that no one would suspect isn't of the same caliber.

You only need to purchase a few items - such as fabric, lining material, dowels, cording and a few bits of hardware. You do the labor and … viola! You have yourself a roman shade just like the rich and famous, but not nearly as expensive.

You also get the freedom of designing your own look because you choose the material the shade will be made out of. No more worries that it won't match the room's décor - you can easily make sure that it will by picking the patterned fabric yourself.

If you're looking to make your own roman shades for your home's décor, here are a couple of tips to keep in mind when measuring and designing them for a room.

Choosing fabric:

Take a look at the room you're making the shades for. If it's a room that already has a dark feel to it, then stay away from dark-colored fabrics. You'll want to bring in some light through the shades to lighten up the room.

When purchasing fabric online, it may be a good idea to ask to have swatches of a chosen fabric sent to you. Its appearance on a computer screen may not be the same when you hold it in your hand.

Measuring the fabric:

To get the correct size for your shade, measure the total length of your window. Divide that number by five and add another inch for seam allowances. As far as the window width, decide how you want to hang the shade.

If you intend to hang it inside the window casing, then deduct about a quarter of an inch from the measurement. If you plan to hang it outside the window casing, then just measure it from there. With a little planning and hard work, your homemade roman shade can look like they came from the showroom floor of a high-priced window dressing store.

Roman shades come in different types, styles and colors. The more common types most people choose are the classic, bottom-up and top-down.

Classic:

The classic style of roman shade is a considered a flat version. When the shade is all the way in the down position, the shade lays flat. It's usually connected to a head rail placed at the top of the window for added stability.

Bottom-up:

This style of shade raises the bottom side toward the top when the cord is pulled. When the shade is lowered all the way, the shade is usually not in a flat position because the pleats or folds give it a more relaxed feel, which softens up the room.

Top-down:

This style allows for the top side to be gathered and lowered to the bottom of the window. This style is popular among those who are looking to bring in some light, but still keep their privacy.

The regular shades have to be pulled up quite a bit to let in the light, but it sacrifices your privacy by allowing everything to be seen. These shades only have to be lowered a little bit to let the light to flow in, but it stays up high enough to allow you some privacy.

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If You Can Sew A Straight Stitch,

You Can Sew A Roman Shade.

Want to find out how? Click Here!

When you're a beginning seamstress, you may not know that there are different sewing machines that are right for different types of creations you're making. For making a Roman Shade, you'll want to choose a sewing machine that can help you make the perfect window covering for your rooms.

There are so many choices that it can get a little intimidating to pick one that you feel will be right for making Roman Shades. Of course, your budget will come into play. You can find affordable sewing machines for this type of task.

For a sewing machine that makes Roman Shades, you'll want to find one that has a double spool if you intend to do any top stitching. A dual feed is also helpful when sewing any kind of drapery, including Roman Shades, because it prevents fabric from bunching up.

The most popular brands you'll find include Singer Sewing Machines, Viking Sewing Machines, Brother Sewing Machines, Janome Sewing Machines, and Kenmore Sewing Machines.

Brother SE400 Computerized Embroidery and Sewing Machine

There are some very simple sewing machines that can help you make a basic Roman Shade, which are great for beginners - or advanced, computerized sewing machines with LCD screens that boast built-in embroidery designs, themes, and monogram fonts.

Today's sewing machines offer technology that makes sewing your Roman Shades a practically no-fail experience. Almost every step is automated and prevents human error on your part so that your shades wind up looking flawless.

Some of the sewing machines you can buy have built-in lighting fixtures to illuminate your work area whenever you're concentrating on the finer details of your Roman Shade creation.

Try to find a lightweight, portable sewing machine. Many have carrying cases that make it easy to transport to different areas of your home or to various locations. Look for all of the features each machine offers so that you find one that delivers the right traits for all of your sewing needs, and not just the ability to create Roman Shades.

You've made a roman shade for your home, but you would like to give it a little extra splash of color or style.

One way you can do that is by making a valance to go with the roman shade. You may want to place a valance on your window because some of the roman shades have hardware that could be easily hidden by a valance.

The valance can be a contrasting color or have exquisite patterns while the shade is a neutral color. You can choose from a straight style to a swag - whatever your heart desires for your home's décor.

When you've decided on what style the valance will look like, you can go shopping for different fabrics to make the valances with. Choose one that will work well with the existing roman shade. Make sure the fabric compliments the shade and doesn't clash with it.

Finding out how much material you'll need for your valance will depend on the style you decide to make. Pleated styles will require longer lengths of material than the traditional styles do. Some quick sewing, and you'll have your very own custom-made roman shade with matching valance.

The best part about it, though, is that you did it without breaking the bank!