I Did This! DIY Roman Shade

If there is one good thing I can say about Hurricane Irene is was that she gave me the time to finish up my roman shade project. Thank you Irene.

Two full weekend days and a pile of blinds later here is the end result of my no-sew roman shade:





Not too shabby, right?
There are a few little hiccups (like the fact that shade in the small window doesn't go up very nicely because of a last minute decision by SSF for add blackout lining) but all and all I would say it went relatively smooth.

In total this project cost: $66.87

Decorative Fabric: $42.35(on sale, 7.99/yard)
Blackout Lining: $17.47 (on sale, 3.49/yard)
Hem Tape & Fabric Glue: $7.05

You can see the full step by step tutorial here or here.

Here are some of the things I learned:

-hot glue does not work, or least didn't work for me--- use permanent fabric glue.


-consider using a liner with lighter fabrics, when the light comes through you can see the blinds, which bothered SSF and I more than we thought it would.


-go to the store to scout fabric, but check online for a better deal: my fabric was $19.99/yard in store but landed it from joanne.com for a much more manageable $7.99/yard.


-you can't measure enough, seriously. measure once and then measure again to make sure your blinds aren't too short, too long, too wide, too narrow.


-above all else, just enjoy it! I loved creating something with my own two hands that is now a fixture in our bedroom.

Overall, this was a great project that got my hands dirty and was a cheap alternative to brand new window coverings. What do you think?