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Cutting Curtain Panels To Make More Curtains

Remember when we cut four curtain panels that we loved from Ikea (which were sadly discontinued) right down the middle to make eight of them for our living room? Well, here’s that story, but to refresh your memory, here are a few pics:

Curtains Side Tv Shot

Hydrangeas Curtains

We loved the added height, texture, and pattern that they brought to the room, but I always wondered if layering some breezy sheers in there someday might make my curtain-loving heart sing. You know, so they’d be fuller and airier and sort of layered and soft looking. So I lived without ’em for a while but kept my eye out for some cheap fabric or sheers that I thought might do the trick.

And then one day in Ikea… I pounced. Two already made 98″ curtain panels for $9 was enough of a deal to make me jump, so I grabbed four packs of white breezy curtains with my living room windows (and glass sliders) in mind. I wish I knew the name for you guys but the packaging got tossed before I could take note and I looked online and didn’t see anything that matched what I got (in price and look). I don’t think they’re Vivan panels since we had those in our last house and these are lighter/thinner, and they’re definitely not Lill curtains (those are super sheer and mosquito-net-y). Update: We think they’re called Wilma. Hope it helps!

Anyway, the first thing I did was toss the panels in the wash (to pre-shrink them so that when I hemmed them they wouldn’t later get washed and be too short if there was any shrinkage). Then I grabbed some ring-clips from Target (the same ones I used to hang the original 8 panels)…

Curtains Rings

When my sherr-ish panels came out of the dryer I cut the tab tops off (since I could just clip them along the top with my ring-clips to hang them). Oh the tab tops might be a clue if you’re looking for which curtains they are (if they have a rod pocket, like the Vivan panels, it’s not them).

Curtains Cutting Tabs

Then I hung them all up using the additional ring clips on the same curtain rod with the patterned panels. To make both curtain panels flow into each other I actually overlapped them a smidge with the ring clips.

Curtains Top

Basically the two left-most clips on the patterned panel below also have the white sheers clipped behind them. That way there’s no gap between the curtains and they all move as one unit (ex: if I pull the sheer out both curtain panels extend). Not that we move our curtains. Haha. They’re really more for softness and height. Especially in a giant room like this one – adding anything soft and breezy makes it feel less like a gymnasium and more like a real room.

Curtains Straight On

So I got past the tab-cutting/washing/hanging steps and then I stalled. I had been meaning to hem them and share them for a while but other projects and book stuff popped up so I left these guys unhemmed and a few of you even noticed them in posts like this one, to which I replied “ack, still have to finish that project and then I promise I’ll blog all about it!” Haha, which brings us to this post.

Curtains Iron

Yup, I finally hemmed them all using heavy-duty iron-on hem tape (Heat N Bond from Michael’s) which I did while they were still hanging right on the rod (see more about that method in this post). I just used a scissors to cut off the excess (there was actually about a foot of it on each one) while leaving an extra inch to accommodate the hem (so once it was hemmed up they’d just graze the floor).

Curtains Bottom

Don’t mind the dust bunnies. Let’s zoom out, shall we?

Curtains Desk Corner

It’s hard to really see the curtains when ya pan way out thanks to all the light coming in, but here ya go. We can’t wait to tackle a big media cabinet build, by the way. Probably after we conquer the kitchen…

Curtains Full Room 1

Curtains Full Room 2

Oh and for anyone wondering where the last two curtain panels hang (since it’s easy to see the other 6 in the pics above), we have this slider right off the living room so that’s where those live:

Curtains Fireplace Alley

Aw and look at Clara’s little homemade coloring desk. It’s been getting tons of action (she’s either cooking in her kitchen or going nuts with stickers and crayons at her table). Ah to be 20 months old and living it up with tiny furnishings and fake fruit.

But back to the curtains. I really like the breezy layered look and there’s something about a double dose of ring-hooks on each side of those curtain rods that feels kind of posh. At least to a weirdo like me. So that’s my pretty quick (except I took forever to hem them) curtain upgrade. What have you guys been clipping up/sewing/hem-taping these days?

Comments

  1. Kristal says

    Where did you get that pretty white mirror above your desk in the living room? When I looked at your “where we got stuff” section there was a different metal-looking mirror above it.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      So sorry! I have to update that! It’s from Joss & Main (they’re a flash sale site, so their stuff changes, but maybe try overstock.com or wayfair.com?).

      xo,
      s

  2. Emma says

    They look great! It’s fun to make curtains but ready-made panels are often *so* much cheaper. It’s not even worth attempting to make sheers like those yourself. Your sliders look lovely.

    Reply

  4. Israel says

    Oooo! So you made a recent Ikea trip?!? I love your Ikea posts! Will you be sharing what else you loved or bought while there?!

    Reply

  6. Kristen says

    Hi Sherry! I love those curtains and I love the sheer idea! You’ve discovered my “secret” (not really), hahaha. I actually use the curtains/sheers combination in every room in the house. Sometimes I use one curtain rod (like you did) and sometimes a double curtain rod, depending on the rest of the room. It works like a charm! It adds a little something (makes the room look more finished, I think) and also filters out light on the bright days and increases coziness on the dark days! Plus when I pull just the sheers closed I don’t feel closed-in, but the privacy is nice! Great minds think alike! :-)

    Reply

  8. KateR says

    Sherry-I love this! I’ve really wanted to do some sheer curtains in our living room since we have quite a few windows with white wooden blinds on them. The overall look is pretty stark. Here’s my problem, though. I have baseboard heaters directly below several of the windows. There has to be a 3-inch clearance above and in front of the heaters. Do you have any suggestions or have you ever featured cool (not cheesy or 1990’s mauve-ish) valences?? Or an alternative I am not considering?

    Reply

  11. Tara says

    maybe in between your kitchen craziness, you could do a quick little post on all the mirror swapage. i would love to see befores and afters as to where they all started and then ended up…

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Haha, mirrors seem to move around like pillows in our house! The orb one from the desk is in our bedroom and the white one above the desk used to be above the fireplace in the kitchen! Might have to take some pics and share those details soon! I wonder what else we’ve moved. Probably lots. Haha.

      xo,
      s

  12. Jenni says

    I’m a bit giddy because I just started on my morning coffee, but I just wanted to tell you (in case you didn’t already know) that your style is so classy, and I love it. Thanks for sharing these kinds of posts. It reminds me that even the smallest tweaks(even switching out mirrors–don’t think we didn’t notice!) really adds up.

    Reply

  13. Melissa says

    I love your curtains! They turned out great. I cut down two sets of curtains I had in my Kuwait Townhouse and made them into six curtain in my real home!

    Reply

  14. Jessica says

    Do you find that the Heat N Bond works pretty well? I just made a curtain-door for my closet and used some to hem the curtains, and it didn’t really stick that well. I followed the directions, is there a trick?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I like the heavy duty stuff since the regular stuff is harder to work with. I just iron it on (maybe passing my iron over it two or three times for 2 seconds each) and then wait around 30 seconds to peel it (if you peel it too fast you’ll take all the sticky stuff off with the paper). Then I fold and iron (again for around 2 seconds on each part about 2-3 times in a row). Hope it helps!

      xo,
      s

  16. Lulu says

    If you were really set on having that pattern I think you could probably scan it from the curtains and have more fabric printed for you at Spoonflower.com. And while I don’t normally condone such “lifting” of someone else’s design work, it’s for your own personal use and not for resale (which would be wrong people – wrong). However, I believe prices start at $16/yd. Don’t forget to consider differences in fabric type when figuring out how much you need (might not blend seamlessly with what you already have) . Just something to think about when you know a fabric or pattern is out of print and you want it for your own personal use.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Oh yes we love Spoonflower for making our own fabric actually (now that we love the look of our layered sheers and curtains we don’t have a need for more of the patterned panels). We made some Clara fabric for her first birthday that gets me all misty eyed.

      xo,
      s

  17. hi-d says

    I have been thinking about looking at IKEA for some curtains. We have very tall windows/sliding glass door. We are getting a new sofa, loveseat and ottoman in a greyish/taupe color. Our carpet is tan and our walls are white…so I’m wanting to do something with a little bit of color to add some contrast. Maybe a dark brown or green? But I like the bright, breezy look of what you have going on here. So fresh…

    Reply

  19. Tyra says

    Totally random question/suggestion…he y’all ever let readers vote on the next project? Perhaps you could choose a few that you want/are willing to concer (I know you mentioned the entertainment unit) and have us vote? Maybe you’ve done it before? Just wondering! Could be fun!!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We did a vote for a color for our living room bookcase about three years ago (back when 20 people were reading, haha). But haven’t since! Could be fun, although our usual method is to do whatever we’re in the mood for next since you can totally burn out and dread a project if it’s not the one you want to be doing at the time. Ya know?

      xo,
      s

  22. Susan (Between Naps on the Porch) says

    Hi Sherry,
    If you ever need more sheers, I found them at Wally World for just $5 a panel. I put them out on the screened-in porch (You can see them here: http://bit.ly/7ZdlnG). I couldn’t believe the difference they made. They have been hanging out there for over 3 years now and I’ve only taken them down to wash them once. They still look like the day I hung them. Who knew sheers were so durable! Come springtime, you’re going to love seeing the breezes ruffling through your sheers…the movement is wonderful and so relaxing. :)
    Hugs,
    Susan

    Reply

  23. gidge says

    Looks great! Have you thought about alternating the clips towards the edge a little bit? this way they overlap and you don’t see the seam?

    Reply

  26. Chrissy says

    I can see the pictures but can’t read the words you have written since you added the Habitst for Humaity background.

    Reply

  29. Sarah says

    I love this post. The kitchen updates are fun because it’s a bunch of major projects with big results, but posts like these are what made me fall in love with this blog.

    Reply

  31. Deborah says

    I am currently trying to find curtains for a living room bay window, which gets a lot of direct sun.I am looking for insulated curtains, which will be opened & closed frequently. After 2 attempts(one old fashioned looking,then I found 84″ to be too short) I am back to the drawing board. My next plan is a trip to Joann’s fabrics. Maybe I’ll purchase solid color clearance insulated curtains & make pretty curtain panels to put on top? Do you have any issues with cold/hot in any of your rooms? Especially with the sliders in your family room?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We’re lucky that this house is really solid (our first house’s windows were all so drafty that we replaced them, but this one is nice and insulated). Our little brick ranch is built like a brick house. Haha. But insulated fabric from Joann’s sounds like a good idea! Try using a 40-50% off coupon (they match the ones from hancock, etc). Good luck!

      xo,
      s

  32. Meagan says

    Ah! I just had a Wilma-related adventure this weekend! I hung 4 Wilma panels I’ve had forever on my front porch, but I needed 2 more to complete the look. They aren’t sold online anymore, so I made my own specific detour to IKEA this weekend while on vacation. The result- curtain happiness!

    Love the layered look in your living room!

    Reply

  34. emily @ go haus go says

    I absolutely love the layered curtains! It does give it a luxe look and for a good price to boot. (I’ve always wanted to use, “to boot!” so there ya go!)

    I’ve been clipping tablecloths as shower curtains lately. I wanted the floor-to-ceiling look but finding fabric that is wide enough was incredibly difficult and yardage was pricey! Tablecloths are the perfect solution – they are a little bit wider than a standard shower stall and the good ones come coated in a water-resistant finish. Here’s how mine turned out: http://www.gohausgo.com/2011/04/how-to-ceiling-to-floor-shower-curtain/

    p/s: I absolutely love seeing little sneak peeks of improvements made, even if the post doesn’t come until later. It just further proves how passionate you guys are and truly want to make your home better, blog or no blog.

    Reply

  37. KathyG says

    When you were first ‘outed’ ;) about them in the comments in Dec, I thought you prob had to fling them up because you had relatives sleeping on the couch for the holidays! then it happend to me! – I actually had to push-pin sheets over my guest room window for unexpected holiday guests!

    Reply

  38. Jen @ The Decor Scene says

    I love how they turned out. OK, you just kicked me in the butt to make my curtains. I bought gorgeous fabric, but haven’t done anything yet. And I was going to use the fabric hem tape, so I really have no excuse at this point. OK, now for me to find the time. ;) Thanks for the kick. :)

    Reply

  40. Natalie says

    This isn’t about the curtains but I know you all used the angel care movement and sound monitor with your daughter. Do you have a post where you reviewed/discussed it? Were you happy with it? Did you use a board under your mattress like it advises? Thanks!!!!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Yup, we used a board and really like it! Still use it for sound to this day, and used the monitor beep thing for the first year or so (it helped me sleep so much because I would wake up and hear it ticking along with her breaths and I knew she was ok).

      xo,
      s

  41. Laura says

    The living room is looking fantastic. It’s still got great pops of vibrant color everywhere, but has a cool and calm feel about it. LOVE the mirror over the desk!!! The design looks so great next to your vases. Well played!!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We actually don’t open or close our curtains (they’re just for adding height and softness to the room since it’s so big and cavernous without them) but they look nice closed too. The light still passes through the sheers, which is pretty!

      xo,
      s

  44. Abigail says

    Yup, they’re Wilmas! We have a wall of windows that are dressed with them. Since I didn’t know how I’d want to use them in the future, I just flipped the loops to the back and clipped a ring on each one. Works perfectly!

    Everything looks so lovely in that room! And I spy lots of pretty new-to-a-reader pillows on Karl :)

    Reply

  45. mribaro says

    That’s great! Now you’ll be able to soften the light in the room by pulling just the sheers over the windows :)

    Reply

  46. Rachel says

    The sheers are a nice touch, something I’ll have to keep in mind (when I have actual windows installed!) LOVE the studded desk chair, really sleek!

    Reply

  47. Jaime says

    I hate tab curtains and always pass them over… thanks for the great idea! Also, we borrowed your built in fridge idea and it’s turning out great!

    Reply

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