This is the ultimate DIY post. It was 1) very cheap and 2) very "use what you have." That's the way I like my DIYs.
I had about 3 yards of upholstery fabric leftover from when my grandma's rocking chair was redone. I considered using the leftovers for just about everything - throw pillows, a crib skirt, valence, curtains...and I can't sew a thing, so you see my dilemma.
I finally decided the most long-term use of the fabric would be curtains. Pillows get replaced and crib skirts get outgrown. And Charlie's new room need curtains more than anything.
For this project I used a new (to me) product that required NO sewing! Yus. It's called HeatnBond Ultrahold. It's more like a super strong hot glue, activated by a hot iron. I used 2 packages of this product that I picked up from Michael's Craft Store as a no sew alternative to creating the hems and curtain rod loop. This stuff is only around $3 or less per package. It was literally the EASIEST thing to use because all you have to have is an iron to activate the heat bond. The hardest part was doing the measurements, which I will explain below.
The materials I used were:
- About 3 yards of fabric (for a standard sized, single window)
- 2 packages of HeatnBond Ultrahold
- Scissors
- Iron
- Measuring Tape/Ruler
- Pencil
- Curtain rod (as a reference for the loop)
Step 1: Measure and Cut Fabric
I used one of my living room curtains as a guideline, which is pictured below. To me that was the simplest way to make sure what I was making looked like...curtains haha.
Next, I cut the fabric into two equal pieces. As you can see on this picture, the blue fabric is 3 inches longer than the tan curtain guideline on the top AND the bottom. This extra fabric will be folded over to create the curtain rod loop/bottom hem, so you will need that extra length! For the hem down the sides, it was folded in about an inch.
Step 2: Pre-Fold Fabric
I found it really helpful to iron the fold line to make a crease in the fabric early on. Mark on your fabric the exact fold lines so that when it comes time to use the HeatnBond, you already have a precise fold line. Once you have the lines of the fold drawn out, fold and iron it. This creates a definite crease where you will be hemming the fabric and helps to make it look more professional, in my opinion. And I didn't want to start going all crazy/zig zag/uphill/downhill as I was applying the bonding so it just saved time for precision later on.
Step 3: Apply HeatnBond Strip
Once your fabric is cut and pre-folded, you're ready to apply the Heatnbond adhesive. Like you can see in the picture below, there is a crease 3 inches up from the bottom of the fabric. That's where I will fold over and hem. Cut your strip of HeatnBond to the needed length and place it on the outer edge of the material. Then, follow the instructions for the HeatnBond by ironing the side with the paper on top and letting it cool completely.
Once the HeatnBond strip is ironed in place and has cooled, go ahead and peel the backing off. I had a problem removing the paper backing if it was not completely cool yet. It would rip unevenly and then be tricky to remove...so just be patient.
Step 4: Iron Material Together
With the paper backing removed, it's time to fold the material over along the crease and iron it together. The strip won't be sticky or glue-like yet, so it will be fine to touch.
*Note: As in typical DIY fashion, I made a mistake and had to cut the material after gluing to make a hole for the curtain rods. Not smart. So, don't forget to make sure the top or bottom 3 inch hems have an opening for the curtain rod.
I found it easiest to do the 3 inch sections on the top and bottom first, and then do the sides so that you can stop when you get up to the top/bottom hem and just snip off the leftover fabric and the loop won't get glued together on accident. Below is how to set it up so that you don't accidentally glue the loop together like I did. You will still have to cut an inch off the side of the 3 inch hem, but it won't be glued together and will be easy to cut.
Pictured below is ironing the side hem, only about an inch wide is necessary. I did not iron a fold into the sides because it was so small. I just folded along as I went.
It will look like this from the back once you have made all the hems.
Once your fabric is cut and pre-folded, you're ready to apply the Heatnbond adhesive. Like you can see in the picture below, there is a crease 3 inches up from the bottom of the fabric. That's where I will fold over and hem. Cut your strip of HeatnBond to the needed length and place it on the outer edge of the material. Then, follow the instructions for the HeatnBond by ironing the side with the paper on top and letting it cool completely.
Once the HeatnBond strip is ironed in place and has cooled, go ahead and peel the backing off. I had a problem removing the paper backing if it was not completely cool yet. It would rip unevenly and then be tricky to remove...so just be patient.
Step 4: Iron Material Together
With the paper backing removed, it's time to fold the material over along the crease and iron it together. The strip won't be sticky or glue-like yet, so it will be fine to touch.
*Note: As in typical DIY fashion, I made a mistake and had to cut the material after gluing to make a hole for the curtain rods. Not smart. So, don't forget to make sure the top or bottom 3 inch hems have an opening for the curtain rod.
I found it easiest to do the 3 inch sections on the top and bottom first, and then do the sides so that you can stop when you get up to the top/bottom hem and just snip off the leftover fabric and the loop won't get glued together on accident. Below is how to set it up so that you don't accidentally glue the loop together like I did. You will still have to cut an inch off the side of the 3 inch hem, but it won't be glued together and will be easy to cut.
Pictured below is ironing the side hem, only about an inch wide is necessary. I did not iron a fold into the sides because it was so small. I just folded along as I went.
Annnnnd time to hang them! I'm super pleased with how they turned out!
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