Save money and upcycle those quality bedsheets when you learn how to make curtains out of sheets. All you need are some large bedsheets, a few sewing skills, your curtain hardware, and you can already piece together a beautiful pair of drapery.
If it sounds easy enough, that is because it probably is. Now you don’t have to spend unnecessary amounts of money on high-quality curtains. Take your old bedsheets that are still in good condition and turn them into some of the best-looking drapery to style your home.
Step 1: Preparation
Of course, in order to successfully do this DIY project and learn how to make curtains out of sheets, you would need a few materials. Start by gathering your sheets and iron them flat. You will also need many sewing materials like your needle, thread, scissors, tape measure, sewing pins, and sewing machine.
Take your measuring tape and line it across your window. The window measurements will help you determine the length and width of your curtain. Decide on how long you want your curtain to be. You can end it just below the window sill or opt for elegant floor-length curtains.
Use your tape measure as a guide and take note of the dimensions of your curtain. When doing the width measurements for your curtain, make sure that it has a more extended width than the window that it is covering. You don’t want flat panels covering the window.
Step 2: Cut your sheets
Take your ironed sheets and cut them to the pre-measured width and length. You can use a straight edge or measuring tape and fabric pencil to make a line across the sheet before cutting it. This step will help you cut in a linear direction.
If your sheet has a wide hem on the top edge, you may want to leave this on the fabric that you will use for the curtain. Gently open the side seams using a seam ripper and fold the unfinished edges towards the inside of the material.
If it doesn’t have one, you can make your own by folding the top part of the fabric over and sewing a straight line along the bottom of the fabric’s edge. Leave the side seams open when you sew the hem onto the larger section of the fabric. This part will serve as your pocket for the rods.
Step 3: Hem the seams.
Using your sewing machine, hem along the edges of the sheet. You can use sewing pins to secure them in place before running the machine. The pins will serve as your guide and will make the sewing process more manageable.
You can also iron it to define the folds. Ironing the fabric before you run it under the sewing machine will make the process run smoothly. Try to use a twice-turned hemming technique to give your curtains a more professional look. It will also help conceal the raw edges.
Step 4: Hang your curtains
Insert the rod into the pocket of the curtain that you finished in step two. Slide it onto the rod and hang your curtain using a rod bracket. Rod pockets will help you get beautiful and natural pleats if you know how to adjust them properly.
Fix your panels’ placements, and don’t be afraid to add some accessories such as curtain valances, swags, or tiebacks to complete the look. You can also hang your curtains using clip rings.
Attach the clip rings onto the top part of the curtain and slide the rings onto the rod. With this curtain hardware, you can easily add a bit of length to your drapery. The rings will also help you slide the curtain open and shut with ease.
Sewing Tips
You might have noticed that we used a sewing machine to do the hemming procedure of the curtains. However, you can easily hem the seams of your curtain using the natural needle and thread method.
Make the most out of your sewing pins and use them as your guide to creating straight and neat-looking stitches across the seams. If you are new to stitching, you can try to practice making basic stitches on a piece of scrap fabric before working on the curtain panel.
If you want an even easier alternative, try to look for a fusible hem tape. Create a twice-turned hem by cutting the fusible tape and inserting them into the folds of the hem. Make sure to leave no parts of the tape exposed.
You can also try to sew together multiple layers, especially if you have bed sheets that are too thin for your liking. Some sheets don’t provide adequate privacy because of their thickness. You can quickly fix this issue by adding a blind or shade as a first layer.
Don’t forget to iron or steam your curtains before hanging them. This extra step will help give it a refined and tailored look. Ironed curtains will definitely appear more professional than ruffled fabric that typically poofs in all the wrong places.
Summary
This DIY project is perfect for those who are looking for some upcycling assignments they could work on at home. It is also an ideal opportunity to practice basic hand stitching that you will need to hem the fabric.
Overall, learning how to make curtains out of sheets is an excellent way of saving money and repurposing your unused fabric. Style your curtains and experiment with different hanging methods, such as installing hidden tabs or using drapery hooks.