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Wanted: Idiot guide to making curtains

I am in desperate need of new curtains (moved into a brand new house, and gave my old curtains to the purchaser of my old place to make her sweet) but the price of shop bought curtains would make your hair stand on end :eek: . So, rather than wait for the sales or get cheap ones I don't really like I thought I would make them myself. I've got a sewing machine but lack confidence in measuring, cutting etc etc. I would preferably like lined curtains. Can anybody help out with sources of cheaper fabric (including online - I'm in N.Ireland and the choice of shops here is a lot less than in GB), and also give tips on exactly what you have to do to get a decent window dressing. My preference would be for either eyelet curtains but failing that then tab tops would be fine - and I could use ribbons decorated with beads or plaited ribbons or something as tiebacks, though more suggestions would be welcome.

Thanks in advance.
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  • moggins
    moggins Posts: 5,190
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    I can't use a machine to save my life but if you are then I would have thought tab tops would be just as easy as eyelets if not easier?
    Organised people are just too lazy to look for things

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  • flea72
    flea72 Posts: 5,392
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    https://www.alternative-windows.com

    instructions on how to make blinds/curtains

    google curtain fabric in NI, should bring up a fair few

    otherwise https://www.croftmill.co.uk - have to request brochure

    https://www.homesources.co.uk/fabrics_fabrics.html - directory listings
  • Savvy_Sue
    Savvy_Sue Posts: 45,938
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    I am sure flea's site will be a great help. But just to add that with the measuring, check, check and check again. If in doubt, an inch too long is better than an inch too short. You CAN add a bit later, but it never hangs quite right.

    If they are lightweight curtains, you could try using wundaweb to take the hems up. Easy to re-adjust if you get it wrong ...

    If you ever plan to wash your curtains, do it before you cut them to length in case they shrink.

    And you can make your linings entirely separate to your curtains, which has the advantage that if the material of either half shrinks they are not attached!

    the biggest problem with curtains is that they are so big! Hard to find a large flat space to work on for the measuring and cutting!
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  • savvy
    savvy Posts: 31,128
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    To be honest, the best way I've found to make curtains.....................is to give them to your bf/OH/partner's mother to make!! I've had 3 sets done by 3 different bf's mums!! Works a treat! ;)
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  • Magentasue
    Magentasue Posts: 4,229 Forumite
    I agree with everything SavvySue has said. Start with a small pair, use the biggest table you have or the floor and iron at every stage. Be generous with fabric (I always go for 3x the width, whatever the instructions say) and pin and tack. Don't machine until you're happy with the way they hang. Wash the fabric first and iron, then wash them when they're tacked and iron before machining. Check they're still long enough before machining.

    If you're making them unlined, or you're confident, you don't need to be so fussy. But for first attempts, I'd be extra careful. Heavy lined curtains can be exhausting to make!
  • katglasgow
    katglasgow Posts: 404
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    I have only just moved on from getting my mum to make them, to her telling me how to make them and me doing the work!
    However, I did find when we moved last year that I was able to reuse quite a few pairs of the old curtains from the house we moved into by dying them! If they are horrible anyway you have nothing to lose! I washed them first and then used the Dylon machine dye. I packet per curtain. Obviously a darker colour is ideal. Maybe this might be possible for one pair even?
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  • Lucie_2
    Lucie_2 Posts: 1,482
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    I made curtains for my spare bedroom last year & they were really simple.
    I bought a double duvet cover (£6 in Asda, plus another for the bed) & a set of curtain linings from good old cheapy TJ Hughes.
    I cut the duvet cover in half, hemmed all the way round (even I can sew in a straight line on a sewing machine) & then sewed them onto the linings.
    I used a metal pole & curtain clips to hang them & they look fab. The size of your windows dictates the size of duvet cover you need, but you can use sheets (already hemmed) or whatever you like.

    I have also made a pair of tab top curtains by attaching ribbon loops as tabs - that was really simple.
  • Savvy_Sue
    Savvy_Sue Posts: 45,938
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    And I'm not sure what you mean by 'eyelet curtains' BUT if you mean what I think you mean and you are putting lots of eyelets into something then buying the proper punching tool will save hours of frustration. Practice on spare fabric first because - again, if it's what I think you mean - it's counter intuitive how you put the different bits of the eyelet on to get it the right way out.

    If anyone has the faintest idea what I'm rabbiting on about maybe they could explain to Snowy Owl for me!
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  • Luis
    Luis Posts: 637 Forumite
    Even I can do curtains! But to stress what others have said - measure the hell out of the job - and iron your hems into place before you sew - I was gobsmacked as to how easy curtains are.

    Good Luck.

    Having said this - Dunelm have offers on curtains at mo - got a set of lined 90''x90'' for £24. Probabaly be stretched to buy the material for that.....worth a look?
    "It was not my intention to do this in front of you. For that, I'm sorry. But you can take my word for it, your mother had it comin'."

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  • SnowyOwl_2
    SnowyOwl_2 Posts: 5,257
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    Thanks everyone for your replies...loved those websites Flea...think that one of them will be "The One" for this job. Unfortunately living in N.Ireland we don't have a Dunelm, Ikea or Asda...so it's going to be DIY as I can't face trawling through shops I'm not familiar with (used to live in England, and oh how I miss it!). I don't have another half either...so no hope of getting current, prospective or trainee MIL to help out - there is a definite shortage of millionaire bachelors over here :rolleyes: . Regards actual fabric, that is a good idea Lucie about using duvet covers - especially that the M&S sale is on I could splash out and have matching curtains and bedding :money: . At least we have some good M&S stores here, so that's a definite something to consider. (Is there anyone from N.Ireland reading this who could suggest somewhere other than M&S and Harry Corry??).

    Savvy_Sue - yes I followed what you mean! The eyelets I am thinking of are basically a series of round holes at the top of the curtain an inch or so in diameter and which are finished with a round metal ring to stop the fabric from fraying. Then you'd thread the curtain straight onto the pole. I am thinking now that getting a device to cut the holes and fix the rings in place probably isn't very money saving - if I could even find such an item anyway! I like the tab top ones just as much anyway, and could jazz them up with buttons or whatever.

    Thanks again everyone, I will be very busy for the next few weeks I think.
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