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Young House Love » Crafting & Art » How To Make No-Sew Bedroom Curtains With Fabric And Hem Tape

| By John Petersik | January 27, 2011 | 558 Comments

How To Make No-Sew Bedroom Curtains With Fabric And Hem Tape

Alternate post title: Look how domestic my wife is.

I don’t know why I’m writing this post since Sherry is the mastermind/executor of this project. Maybe just to brag about her mad ironing skillz? I just watched the baby and approved comments while she did her thang for the better part of the day yesterday. The first step was cutting our 12.5 yards of our on-sale $8.49/yard yellowy green fabric (more info on that here) into perfectly sized panels for each side of the two bedroom windows (leaving enough leftover for one closet panel). Lucky for us, the living room rug made a great guide for keeping our cuts straight and our corners square. Especially since it’s 8′ long – so it was easy to lay a tape measure next to it so Sherry could cut five 90″ panels without breaking a sweat. As for the width, we left them the same width as the bolt itself, which was around 61″ wide. This means two panels can easily be drawn to cover each of our 39″ windows without feeling too taut or stretched.

Curtains Spread On Rug

Within about fifteen minutes she had cut all five 90″ x 61″ panels (two for each window and one for the closet) and we realized that we apparently cut it very close when buying those 12.5 yards (pun intended). This is all that we had leftover:

Curtains Fabric Scraps

Not necessarily a bad thing (since we’d hate to dole out cash for more yardage than we needed).

Then came hemming, which Sherry tackled using her favorite trick: heavy duty no-sew hem tape. Read more about that process and learn how to make DIY curtains in general right here (for even more iron-on hem tape info, we made a video of the process here and we have even more in-depth pics of its use here). It basically involves ironing, peeling, folding, ironing, and moving onto the next seam.

Curtains Ironing

It wasn’t exactly a quick task to hem all four edges of all five panels (Sherry kept yelling out “1 down, 19 to go” which got old by about “3 down, 17 to go”) but getting that nice finished edge is certainly worth it. Plus, Clara and I kept the ol’ ball and chain company in the kitchen by singing, approving blog comments, and, um, eating while she ironed the day away. Quick, everyone freak out, Sherry’s hair is down:

Curtains Sherry Making

But let’s fast-forward through all of the tedious stuff (the ironing, the clipping of curtain rings to each panel, and the hanging of all three curtain rods, which you can learn more about in this post of yore) and get to the fun stuff: the finished product.

Curtains From Door

Oh and don’t mind the dresser or the fan or the lack of wall art and everything else that’s amiss. This room is definitely one of those works-in-progress that we’re taking one day at a time.

Curtains Towards Bathroom

We’re really happy with how our DIY curtains turned out. And it should be no surprise that we chose to hang them higher and wider than the window itself to give the whole thing a bit more height and presence. We’ve actually had a reader tell us that she dreamed about us and Sherry mentioned something about hanging curtains “high & wide” in the dream. How crazy/hysterical/awesome is that? Nice catch phrase, babe. Who wants a “high & wide” bumper sticker?

Curtains Straight On Window

Sometimes we like curtain fabric to “pool” a bit on the floor, but after looking at it both ways we decided to let these babies barely graze the floor boards. It kept them looking crisp and modern (and created that cool loopy draping effect, which didn’t happen as much when I held the rod lower and they bunched up on the floor). So that would be our tip. Clip your panels to the rod and then move the rod around on the wall to pin down the perfect placement. That way you can raise it and lower it by hand and eye everything until you find the perfect height. Then just mark your curtain brackets and hang them right where you like them best – so your panels graze or pool to your heart’s content. It definitely beats hanging the rod and then clipping up the curtains only to find out they look all dorky and short.

Curtains Towards Window

We also hung one panel on the inside of our closet to act as a less-intrusive alternative to the bi-fold door that used to be there. Most of the time it’ll sit pulled to the side like this:

Curtains Closet Open

But if we ever need to conceal our mess (or duck in there for privacy if someone’s over but we need to make a quick change) we can pull it closed like this:

Curtains Closet Closed

It’s kinda like a mini dressing room in there now- there’s even a light. And Sherry gets a kick out of picturing Clara doing puppet shows and other stage-related things from within the closet when she gets bigger and has that amazing imagination that only kids have.

Oh and if you’re wondering, here’s how it’s hung from the inside. We placed the rod high enough so that it’s not seen from the outside, and wide enough so the curtain can be completely closed (for privacy) or fully opened (so it’s not in the way of anyone walking in or out). It’s kinda the best of both worlds.

Curtains Inside Closet

Oh and we got our oil-rubbed bronze curtain rods and ring clips from Target (aka Tar-hay) for cheap. It was around $40 for all three rods and all five packs of ring clips thanks to a few sales going on in the curtain aisle (and the 5% off we get for using our Target card). We love ring clips because they make curtain-creating a lot easier (no grommets or sleeves or pleated details to deal with, so you can literally clip up bedsheets or tablecloths as curtains if you’d like, or just hem fabric on four sides like we did). We also like ring clips because they’re particularly kid-safe. Should Clara decide to go crazy and try to swing on them like a monkey, the clip will release the fabric, which will fall to the floor while the rod and the rings will remain on the wall. Gotta love a safety feature that looks this good.

As for the finish, Sherry prefers oil-rubbed bronze rods (even in a nursery) because she says they’re “like eyeliner for the window.” And I have to agree that I like the look too- especially with the deep wood furnishings that we gravitate towards (along with some white things and even some painted pieces). But again I ask, why am I the one writing this post? Makeup references & hemming aren’t exactly my forte.

Anyway when it comes to the panels, beyond the function, height, and softness they add, we’re really happy with the color. Which means those three days of fabric hunting were all worth it. The yellowy green tone does exactly what we wanted it to do – it brings out the golden-green color of the bedding without matching it exactly (Sherry has this song she likes to sing called “Matchy-Matchy, Tackly-Tacky” which came about when she was imitating her sweet Italian mom, which is always amusing). But getting back to the curtain color, we’re glad we went a bit greener (instead of browner or yellower) than the bedding, because it looks nice and fresh against the Caroline Went Clubbin’ Aqua Carolina Inn Club Aqua wall color (get that joke here) while still obviously relating to the color in the duvet.

Curtains Against Bed

The curtain color also goes nicely with the new pillows that we snagged purloined for the bed too. So between them, the curtains, and the bedding we feel like we’ve got that golden green color sufficiently injected into the room. Now we can start layering in some other colors and textures for a little dimension and interest. Eggplant? Navy? Charcoal? Inky blue? Who knows where we’ll end up. But let the fun begin. Oh yeah, and pardon the missing nightstands, bedside lamps, etc. They’re also on the ol’ to-do list.

Curtains Towards Door

We definitely still have a lot more things to do in here (and we’re happy to take our time), but it really has come a long way in the past seven weeks or so. We almost don’t recognize this bedroom shot taken right after we moved in:

DayOne Bedroom

Oh, and last but not least, we thought you might appreciate a little “behind the scenes” tidbit. Sometimes we have to work around a sleepy chihuahua who refuses to get out of bed. Such a diva. But at least Burger doesn’t mind when I make the bed right over him. And our new fluffier duvet makes him nearly invisible. Yup, he was hiding in bed the entire time we shot these after pics.

Curtains Burger Lump

And so ends the curtain diatribe that is this post. The whole process – as long as it was – has given us a bit of curtain fever. At least that’s what Sherry’s calling it when we drive by fabric stores and she presses her nose against the car window and says things like “I’ll never let go” in her best Rose-from-Titanic voice. We need them in a bunch of other rooms and we’re determined to choose bold and patterned textiles to add some serious interest. Because we definitely don’t want to end up with white Ikea curtains everywhere again (not that we don’t love ’em, but we’re just ready to have some fun and take some risks). So don’t be surprised to find us posting about our fabric store adventures again sometime soon. A guy can only listen to those Rose-from-Titanic impressions for so long before parking just to make it stop.

Psst- Burger’s totally letting fame get to his head. Check out his big DogMilk interview here.

Psssst- We just announced this week’s giveaway winner, click here to see if it’s you.

More posts from Young House Love

Filed Under: Crafting & Art, Decorating, Our Second House

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Comments

  1. charlotte says

    January 27, 2011 at 6:38 pm

    “eyeliner for the windows”…love it!
    “matchy-matchy-tacky-tacky”…love it!
    burger lump…love it!!!

    it’s the little things like this that make reading your blog so enjoyable :o)

    Reply
  2. Kim says

    January 27, 2011 at 6:44 pm

    So… would it be asking too much to request a short video demonstrating your crazy cutting in abilities, Sherry?? Hahah, I know that it seems pretty basic and obvious, but I am currently repainting the trim in our new-to-us-old house and am having serious issues. I posted before asking about little dried paint “flecks” on the trim surface after painting, and you said that you guys don’t have that issue. Plus, I can’t imagine how you paint trim AFTER the walls; I can’t mange to paint JUST the trim and usually get at least a little bit of paint on the wall. I am using the same trim brush that you love, and coincidentally, we are also using the same Olympic off-the-shelf white. I know I’m not the only one who could benefit a “for dummies” tutorial, hehe!

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      January 27, 2011 at 6:59 pm

      You’re not the first person to request a cutting in/trim video so we’ll have to whip out the Flip video cam the next time we’re painting. I don’t really do anything special so I think it’s a combo of a good brush and lots of practice. The more you paint the steadier you get!

      xo,
      s

  3. Amber says

    January 27, 2011 at 6:49 pm

    i don’t know if you knew this, but apartmenttherapy’s site has their annual “The Homies”, a contest for best design/home blogs. i suggested your site to be nominated and it was chosen :) you are currently in the lead by far as far as the poll goes. so fingers crossed! i’m sure you were contacted about it already, but i just wanted you to know in case you weren’t aware.

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      January 27, 2011 at 6:57 pm

      Wahoo! So exciting. We’re just thrilled to be in such good company!

      xo,
      s

  4. Heidi@recklessbliss says

    January 27, 2011 at 6:53 pm

    It’s pathetic how much it excited me to finally see Sherry’s locks in all their glory haha. It looks sooo good down! She should wear it like that more often. Love the curtains, your house is coming along beautifully… as if there was ever any doubt! ;)

    Reply
  5. Monica says

    January 27, 2011 at 7:06 pm

    Where are the new green pillows from?

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      January 27, 2011 at 7:36 pm

      They’re from HomeGoods. Check out the post before this one for more info.

      xo,
      s

  6. Natalie says

    January 27, 2011 at 7:21 pm

    Love the curtains, what a great colour. Can’t wait to see the room once it’s completed.

    Reply
  7. Mary says

    January 27, 2011 at 7:22 pm

    I am loving the curtains, especially against the wall color. Now I am totally inspired to make some curtains for our master-bedroom-in-progress. I just have to pick a color, or maybe a print!
    I also can’t wait to see what you do for nightstands, we are in serious need of some new ones.

    Reply
  8. Robyn says

    January 27, 2011 at 7:49 pm

    Great curtains! Can’t believe how different the room
    looks and it’s all coming together beautifully! You
    guys must be so chuffed. Well done!!

    Reply
  9. AlexisS says

    January 27, 2011 at 7:52 pm

    I love these and want to make my own drapes. I do have a question, though — do you advise washing the fabric before you make the drapes? Or do you just start cutting and hemming away on the fabric “as is”?

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      January 27, 2011 at 8:12 pm

      It certainly can’t hurt to prewash your fabric to make sure it doesn’t shrink (assuming it’s washable- we only buy fabric that’s washable but some sateens and silks aren’t made for the washer). Hope it helps!

      xo,
      s

  10. Natalie says

    January 27, 2011 at 7:57 pm

    The curtains look GORGEOUS! So perfect for the room/color scheme!

    Well done, Sherry :)

    Reply
  11. Sara says

    January 27, 2011 at 8:00 pm

    I love how the room is coming out- it looks so fresh and crisp and inviting! I do have to tell you though that your use of the term purloined drives me batty- It means to steal…and I’m pretty sure you guys didn’t steal those pillows…at least I hope not!

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      January 27, 2011 at 8:14 pm

      Hey Sara,

      We meant “make ours” or “get” not necessarily “get by any means necessary.” We’re definitely law abiding citizens. There’s more explanation about the whole purloined thing in this post. Basically I was just in a strange mood from all that ironing and I liked the word. Haha.

      xo,
      s

  12. Blair says

    January 27, 2011 at 8:06 pm

    This is pretty random, but… with the new comment layout, is there any chance of a “see all” option like you previously had? Sometimes I have a question, but I always skim through previous comments to ensure I’m not repeating and wasting your time. It’s just a little less user-friendly to go page-by-page.

    Obviously, this is not that important, but just something that makes me curious! I LOVE your blog (and have for YEARS!), and I’m a crazy loyal reader. :)

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      January 27, 2011 at 8:16 pm

      Hey Blair,

      We’d love to bring that back! Unfortunately that feature was crashing the site for the last few weeks so we haven’t figured out how to make it work again (basically when a bunch of people click “view all” and hundreds of comments try to load all at once it really slows things down and can even take out our server). But we’re definitely not giving up yet. Here’s hoping we can bring it back soon!

      xo,
      s

  13. Stephenie from Decorating Addiction says

    January 27, 2011 at 8:23 pm

    Where do you get your fabric?

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      January 27, 2011 at 10:12 pm

      Hey Stephanie,

      We got it at Hancock. You can follow the link in the first paragraph to the post about fabric hunting for more info. Hope it helps!

      xo,
      s

  14. gentry says

    January 27, 2011 at 9:16 pm

    Holy #*%@ Crap…it’s like you made my dream bedroom. The chartreuse/limey green along with the dusty blue…it looks amazing! I’m wondering what color/brand paint you used as I painted our bedroom a blue and it ended up much too blue and slightly darker than I would have liked. It looks great! Job well done!

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      January 27, 2011 at 10:11 pm

      We went with Valspar’s Carolina Inn Club Aqua (color matched to Olympic’s No-VOC premium paint, but that’s optional). Love it.

      xo,
      s

  15. Natalie says

    January 27, 2011 at 9:18 pm

    Love!

    I don’t know how you feel about sewing… you may not have a machine. But I have done both methods(hem tape and sewing)and I find sewing much easier and faster. Although it sounds like you have the hemming down to a science.

    Burger makes me laugh. His video on your previous post is just like my dog but she is an 80lb lab. Fun times.

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      January 27, 2011 at 10:10 pm

      Yeah, I don’t have a sewing machine but I used to play around with break my mom’s all the time. Someday I hope to get back into it!

      xo,
      s

  16. marisa @ vinyasa mama says

    January 27, 2011 at 9:32 pm

    Looks AWESOME!! Nice work!

    and to the reader abover moving to charleston – yes, Chas is awesome and you will love it here!

    Reply
  17. Emily @ Merrypad says

    January 27, 2011 at 9:36 pm

    Those curtain clips are one of the best things that I’ve ever found. I grabbed some on a whim from walmart of all places a few years ago ($2.50 for a pack of 24) and have been SO satisfied in how the hold, how they look, and how they actually operate. Very nice job!

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      January 27, 2011 at 10:10 pm

      Wow 24 for $2.50 is a killer deal. Awesome tip.

      xo,
      s

  18. Sami says

    January 27, 2011 at 9:44 pm

    Hiya, Kind of random and not really related to this post. Maybe you can find an eggplant (that’s my vote) pillow for your bed. But I wanted to share – I don’t know if you guys have a Macy’s in your area or if it’s having the same kind of SALE that mine is right now (don’t know if it is per store thing or all stores) but it might be worth checking out. I just got 6 towels – that’s right 4 bath towels and 2 hand towels – for ‘wait for it’ $33. CRAZY especially since 1 bath towel is $25 alone regular price. They are having a sale on all home goods – bedding, bath, kitchen…. And I’m not gonna lie – I also wanted to share my amazing deal.

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      January 27, 2011 at 10:09 pm

      Ooh that’s good. We’ll have to check it out. Thanks for the heads up!

      xo,
      s

  19. Chrissy Henry says

    January 27, 2011 at 9:44 pm

    Ohhhh… they look AMAZING!!

    You have a lot of patients to iron down all that hem tape! I seriously just had to hen 4 inches off of 6 curtain panels and I got the sewing machine out for that. and it was like 1/4 of the hems you just did!!

    I am totally going to make a valance for above my kitchen sink now using this method… I wonder if a valance would look good with those clips as well? I would hate to go through all that work and then just end up sewing on tab tops anyway :(

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      January 27, 2011 at 10:09 pm

      We’ve seen ring top valances – they’re definitely great looking in some instances. Maybe google around for images to make sure you like the look? Good luck!

      xo,
      s

  20. Nancy says

    January 27, 2011 at 10:04 pm

    It’s beautiful! Very serene, but what’s up with the fan? I have 3 of these in my house and love them! they are perfect for 8′ ceilings. http://www.fanimation.com/products/inlet/

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      January 27, 2011 at 10:08 pm

      Oh that fan’s a gonner. That’s just the next phase of the ol’ makeover.

      xo,
      s

  21. Stephanie Phillips says

    January 27, 2011 at 10:07 pm

    Obviously it turned out beautifully! LOVE the colors!

    I have to ask, do you have any hope that the new owners of casa numero uno will reach out to you in the future and ask to share how the house has evolved with them? I LOVE this house, but I loved the old one, too!

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      January 27, 2011 at 10:14 pm

      Hey Stephanie,

      We definitely had a very businesslike interaction with the people who purchased our old house (we’re not old friends or anything and they weren’t blog readers, they just came though MLS with a buyer’s agent). But they do know about our blog so if they ever want to reach out to us and invite us over we’d LOVE to see what they’ve been up to (and we’d love to share the pics with you guys if they’d permit). Here’s hoping!

      xo,
      s

  22. Sarah says

    January 27, 2011 at 10:13 pm

    Love the curtains and the white Paris-placeholder-pillow! Happen to remember where it’s from?

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      January 27, 2011 at 10:15 pm

      Hey Sarah,

      That was from SaSea Boutique on etsy. Here ya go: http://www.etsy.com/shop/SaSeaBoutique.

      xo,
      s

  23. Mandy of Kini Style says

    January 27, 2011 at 10:30 pm

    Wow Sherry I am so impressed! I did a similar project to this making 8 outdoor panels and it seriously took me 2 weeks to complete b/c I might just be the worlds slowest ironer. Not my favorite activity :)

    Reply
  24. Erin @ WriteTasty says

    January 27, 2011 at 11:13 pm

    That’s it. I’ve got to get moving on some DIY curtains of my own… thanks for the kick in the pants!

    Reply
  25. Monika says

    January 27, 2011 at 11:26 pm

    The room is really coming together and looking lovely!

    As an avid sewer, I’d love to see you guys tackle a sewing project some day, perhaps Clara related? :)

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      January 27, 2011 at 11:39 pm

      Yes! I’d love to sew something for my little bean. Gotta just work up the confidence and find me an ol’ sewing machine that I won’t be totally traumatized breaking (I broke my moms and have been afraid to touch them ever since)…

      xo,
      s

    • Monika says

      January 28, 2011 at 6:30 pm

      One of my sewing machines was picked up at a garage sale for something like $50. It’s from the 1970’s and it’s pretty hardcore. It’s actually quite easy to repair/troubleshoot because it is mechanical and meant to be serviced/maintained. Perhaps something along those lines would be less “breakable” or at least easier to repair if you have some sort of incident.

      Looking forward to seeing what you create when it comes up on your ever growing to-do list.

    • YoungHouseLove says

      January 28, 2011 at 6:32 pm

      Thanks for the suggestion! Maybe a “vintage” model is what I need!

      xo,
      s

  26. Megan says

    January 27, 2011 at 11:30 pm

    Gracious! Now I’ve got to read the comments because there’s a lot of stuff going on in here too! Love the curtains! Love the color! Want it for my room. I’ve always been a fan of the greeny-gold color. Can’t wait to see what you do next!

    Reply
  27. Lauren says

    January 28, 2011 at 12:14 am

    I must say, I’ve been reading your blog for a while now and I absolutely LOVE it. I love it some much, that we’re stealing your bedroom :) My husband has already agreed on the paint color, and now with the addition of the curtains, I think I’m going to have to find that fabric in TX!

    As always, beautiful work guys!!!

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      January 28, 2011 at 8:14 am

      Wahooo! Post pics on our facebook page when you’re done! We’d love to see our bedroom twin in TX!

      xo,
      s

  28. Sally says

    January 28, 2011 at 12:27 am

    Hi Sherry and John, I just lovvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvve your blog!Found you about one year ago and have been reading your blog every day since! Your new home is coming along so beautifully!
    I love the paint color in your bedroom and the curtains, duvet, pillows, etc. etc.
    I would love to color match your Valspar’s Carolina Inn Club Aqua to a Benjamin Moore color because here in Canada
    we don’t have Valspar’s. Is there a color in your BM fandeck that is close.
    Can’t wait to see more of your upcoming projects!
    Sally

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      January 28, 2011 at 8:15 am

      Hey Sally,

      Thanks for the kind words! Benjamin Moore’s Quiet Moments is very close (a smidge more blue than green, but very similar). Hope it helps!

      xo,
      s

    • Lisa says

      January 28, 2011 at 9:17 am

      Hey Sally,
      Do you have a Lowe’s near you? They carry Valspar. :)
      Lisa

  29. Kate @ This American Wife says

    January 28, 2011 at 12:47 am

    Too funny…I scored curtain hardware at that same Target clearance sale last weekend! Glad to see someone else is as excited about it as I am!

    Reply
  30. Carol says

    January 28, 2011 at 7:15 am

    Simply fab! Can we also use the same fabric as a sofa cover? Thanks for the post. It gave me an idea. :)

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      January 28, 2011 at 8:12 am

      Yes! It’s cotton-duck-esque material, which is exactly what two of the sofa slipcovers that we’ve owned have been made of. Hope it helps!

      xo,
      s

  31. Claire @ Claire K Creations says

    January 28, 2011 at 7:15 am

    I love the colour against the bedspread. It’s the perfect match without the matchy-matchy. Curtains look like a project I could tackle myself and I love the sound of hemming tape!

    Reply
  32. Madison says

    January 28, 2011 at 7:58 am

    The curtains look fantastic. It gives me hope that I don’t have to spend $90 per panel at Pottery Barn to get something that looks fabulous! Well done! :-)

    Reply
  33. Foodelf says

    January 28, 2011 at 8:03 am

    I love what you’ve done with the room, including the colour and I’m looking forward to seeing how it evolves – you have such good taste.

    A concern for me is planning around the duvet cover, though. It’s a question that comes up for me, too. I have about 6 duvet covers that are all totally different.

    My favourite for many years is now about to fall apart and has worn so thin you can see through it. So, I feel we can’t use, launder, reuse constantly because of wear and tear.

    I’m wondering if you’re keeping your eyes open for other duvet covers using the same colour palate.

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      January 28, 2011 at 8:12 am

      Hey Foodelf,

      We’re strangely minimalistic when it comes to bedding. We actually have only one set of sheets for our bed (no spares or seasonal choices like flannel, just one cotton set of brown queen sized sheets). They have lasted us for the past 4+ years along with our old duvet (also from West Elm) which is still going strong and will soon live in our guest room. We know someday down the line it might start looking shabby. As might our new duvet in 5+ years or so, but our home has such an evolution that we’re confident we’ll be ready for something new by then. Heck, we might even want to switch things up entirely and repaint the walls, change our our accent color, etc. Hope it helps!

      xo,
      s

  34. Jane says

    January 28, 2011 at 8:19 am

    I love how everything is coming together in your bedroom (and living room…can’t wait to see Karl). The curtains look great. You mentioned “dorky short” when discussing the length. Do you think panel curtains that don’t go to the floor are always “dorky short?” Now I’m a little worried about the ones I have in my dining area…

    p.s.
    I love the picture of Clara behind the pillows on your bed in your other post. She’s got such a great little face!

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      January 28, 2011 at 8:27 am

      It really depends on the fabric and the situation. We’ve seen breezy thin curtains hung high and they just look wispy and lovely. And sometimes shorter curtains make sense over things like radiators or baseboard heaters. We do tend to think that some curtains that are short and made of heavier fabric (like ours) could look a little “off”- like they’re a wee bit too short and might have been hung too high. But it’s really a case by case thing so trust your eye!

      xo,
      s

  35. Molly says

    January 28, 2011 at 8:33 am

    Looks fantastic! Where did you get the storage bench at the end of your bed?

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      January 28, 2011 at 8:34 am

      Target!

      xo,
      s

  36. Kristen says

    January 28, 2011 at 8:40 am

    Thanks for this post. The curtains look great, and your project inspires me to tackle DIY curtains for a bedroom. Fingers crossed that they turn out as good as yours.

    I love reading your blog, but I challenge you two to omit the word “oh” from your posts for one month. Can you do it? I used a different word as a crutch until someone pointed it out to me, so I do know it is indeed a challenge.

    Cheers!

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      January 28, 2011 at 8:53 am

      Oh man that’s a toughie. Hah.

      xo,
      s

  37. Lee says

    January 28, 2011 at 8:40 am

    I tried looking back – but couldn’t find. Can you tell me where you got that full length dark wood mirror? Pretty sure it was from the old house.

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      January 28, 2011 at 8:51 am

      That was from West Elm (a surprise wedding gift from the hubs) but we’ve seen something extremely similar at Ikea for about a third of the price. Hope it helps!

      xo,
      s

    • Jessica says

      January 28, 2011 at 7:35 pm

      They also have those mirrors at Value City Furniture for under $100!

  38. Brandy says

    January 28, 2011 at 8:42 am

    Hi! You guys are doing a great job! I tried the heavy duty hem tape a year back on curtains I was making, and it burned through the fabric and could be seen through the fabric I was using (Probably cheap fabric, being cheap fabric) But it drove me nuts so I ended up pulling them down, and used them as sewing practice! I also once used a glue gun on upholstery fabric as curtains. It worked great, and made my momma laugh

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      January 28, 2011 at 8:50 am

      Haha that’s awesome. Gotta love the glue gun. So sorry the hem tape showed through thin fabric, I’ve never used it on something like that so it’s good to know!

      xo,
      s

  39. Brigid says

    January 28, 2011 at 8:47 am

    Looks great as usual- I have the fabric bug too! I spend wayyyy to much time planning and dreaming up rooms with fabric/paint combos. You have inspired me to get my dining room curtains sewn up TODAY! Also-if you have a Hancocks fabric store always check their remnant piles- I just found 10yards of grey/white ikat fabric identical to what they sell at Ballards(20 something a yard)for $3.50 a yard:)
    Wish me luck! can’t wait to see what you guys do next….

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      January 28, 2011 at 8:49 am

      Wow- what a score. $3.50 a yard is insane! Good luck!

      xo,
      s

  40. Joanne says

    January 28, 2011 at 9:12 am

    Wow – They look awesome! I love how the greeny gold warms up the bluish grey. And I LOVE that ironing board cover! :)

    Reply
  41. Kay says

    January 28, 2011 at 9:30 am

    Just a note about fabric shopping at the bigger chain fabric stores. Sign up for coupons from JoAnn’s and Hancock and you can use their typical 40% off one item (or cut of fabric)that are available in every flier mailed out, interchangably between the two stores without hassle. I believe I paid under $5 for the lemongrass(what I call it but it’s the same color as yours) duck cloth fabric that I got for curtains in my home.

    Reply
  42. Megan M says

    January 28, 2011 at 9:40 am

    Any tips if you want to line the curtains so they’ll be less sheer?

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      January 28, 2011 at 9:43 am

      We haven’t tackled that yet- anyone have tips for Megan?

      xo,
      s

  43. heather s. says

    January 28, 2011 at 9:45 am

    There are way too many comments for me to read today (and I usually read them all before commenting) so forgive me if this was mentioned and answered but are you nervous about the fabric shrinking at all when you wash it? Generally with any fabric, you should wash it before you hem since fabric tends to shrink even a tiny bit in the wash. Your hem right now looks like it barely grazes the floor, I’d hate to see it look too short once it is washed.

    BUT I think it looks great and love the color!

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      January 28, 2011 at 9:48 am

      Hey Heather S,

      We have found that if we wash things in cold water and tumble dry low or air dry them – (which we have to do because we don’t want the hem tape heating up as well) we don’t have any shrinking issues. Also thanks to clipping the curtains up, we know we can adjust the clips a bit if they do get a tiny bit smaller (clipping them less deeply so they hang lower if that makes sense). It definitely can’t hurt to prewash though!

      xo,
      s

  44. anna says

    January 28, 2011 at 9:47 am

    The master bedroom is looking good. I love your curtains – matches the West Elm sheets perfectly :)

    Reply
  45. Sara says

    January 28, 2011 at 9:50 am

    Hi Guys! I have a quick question regarding the curtains. Did you wash the fabric before “sewing” them? I’m thinking about making/buying some and I’m torn between washing first or not washing due to shrinkage. What do you do to keep your curtains clean?

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      January 28, 2011 at 9:57 am

      Hey Sara,

      Just scroll back a few comments for that info. Hope it helps!

      xo,
      s

  46. Mindy@FindingSilverLinings says

    January 28, 2011 at 10:56 am

    Wow! It’s crazy how much curtains can do for a room! That green pulls everything together! The dark frame around the mirror and the dark chair really pop! Great work.
    xo
    Mindy

    Reply
  47. EJ says

    January 28, 2011 at 11:04 am

    Wow, guys, the room looks so good already. I can’t wait to see what you’ll come up with to finish it!

    Reply
  48. Jill says

    January 28, 2011 at 11:21 am

    Love how the room is coming together. I look at it and think, maybe a pop of orange in there??? Lamps, pillows, hmmm

    Reply
  49. Stefanie says

    January 28, 2011 at 11:22 am

    Oh! I love the curtains! I generally love the whole color palette you’ve got going on here. So gorgeous.

    Reply
  50. Jennifer B. says

    January 28, 2011 at 12:15 pm

    I just spotted a very similar storage ottoman to yours (the round beige suede one) at Target for $20! It took all the willpower I had not to buy it! It’s not listed on the website, but if anyone’s interested, stop by your local Target!
    Jennifer B.

    Reply
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John and Sherry Sitting On Woven ChairHey, we’re John & Sherry. We’ve fixed up 7 homes, written books, designed products, started a podcast, and then downsized & moved to the beach! Here you’ll find over 3,000 DIY projects & home updates. More about us…
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