Making your curtains is a really easy way to add some personality and style to the living space of any home. One thing that often gets overlooked when it comes time for decorating, however, is prairie curtains.
This type of curtain typically isn’t found in stores. Instead, it has been passed down through families or communities over generations from generation to generation as part of their culture worth preserving! In this article, you will learn how to make prairie curtains.
Luckily they’re not difficult at all if you have these few basic supplies on hand: homespun fabric with both front and back sides (for easier sewing) plus muslin fabrics also with both fronts and backsides – which will give them a more classic look, so be sure you get enough yardage depending on how wide/long you want your curtains.
Steps on Making Prairie Curtains
Step #1: The first step on how to make prairie curtains is measurement. To measure the window length, you can use a yardstick or meter stick. Add 5 inches to this number, and then find out how wide your fabric should be by measuring its width with either of these instruments.
Cut two pieces of fabrics that are each as long and twice as wide from homespun – one for the top curtain panel, another for the bottom panel- to drape them over windows when pulled open on their rods.
Step #2: The fabric will be divided into two identical triangles by drawing a diagonal line across the fabric from one corner to another. Do this is on a flat surface, with both fabrics spread out side-by-side and aligned so that their widths are running in horizontal lines.
Once this has been achieved, draw your cutting line diagonally down through the center of each rectangle as shown above before making your cuts either vertically or horizontally along with it – whichever suits you better! When doing this, make sure only to cut up when using vertical stitches (a minimum of 2 inches per stitch).
Step #3: Lift the homespun fabric on the right triangle and leave it there.
Flip that same piece of muslin over so its bottom side is now facing up, then turn your attention to rotating this cloth piece in a horizontal line around until you get back to where we started from, with one exception: flip this strip of fabric upside down!
Replace these pieces as they were before, and voila – you’ve created an amazing new pattern using just two triangles for material!
Step #4: Taking a good look at the two mirror-image triangles, you may notice that right angles are set along the outside edge of each curtain and shorter points on both ends.
From here, take 7 inches in from the inside edge with your scissors or knife and put it onto where these lines intersect, so they’re cut into equal pieces.
Step #5: The first step on how to make prairie curtains is pinning the homespun fabric to its respective muslin.
Then sew down all of the sides except for one, which will be left open so that you can turn it right-side-out through this opening and press along any edges before hanging them up!
Step #6: When sewing curtains, the top edge of each curtain needs to be folded back by an inch. Then fold it down again 3 inches and pin it in place with a needle and thread, or use pins if you don’t have any needles on hand.
Make sure that when both sides are spread out, they’re mirror images of one another from left to right across the width, which will form rod pockets for hanging purposes later on as needed!
Step #7: The first step in making a rod pocket is to measure down vertically from the top of the outside edge of your fabric and mark at 10 and 11 inches.
Next, follow along sloping side inside edge measuring up from bottom hem on curtain starting with measurement for each line will be different depending upon how you want curtains hanging.
Draw straight lines connecting these points, which should give you two channels that are 5-inches apart, going across either direction (one channel has one vertical point).
Step #8:
- Spreading the curtains, measure a length of fabric to be 4 inches longer than your desired finished measurement.
- Cut two pieces of cording that are at least 1 inch in width, slitting them an inch down from their outer edge on only one side (this will later allow you to thread the cord through).
- Sew both cords together with needle and thread for strength before trimming excess.
- Thread each piece of cord into its respective curtain panel until it reaches either end; then sew over these points securely near where they enter the muslin layer by stitching along just inside edges onto opposite sides so as not to go beyond or create holes within layers themselves.
Step #9: The last step on how to make prairie curtains installation. Using homespun fabric facing into the room, hang your curtains. Pull upon it, and tie a knot in large enough so that it can’t fit through the cut opening of the curtain rod.
Conclusion
I hope reading through this article, you have learned how to make prairie curtains. The steps are easy and simple.