Striped Grommet Curtains made from Designer Fabric and Sheets!



These stripy curtains add details of designer fabric without the price tag. By combining three half-yards of Monaluna for Birch Fabrics Beach Mod with a bed sheet, I was able to stretch my budget with nice results. And Gordon won’t mind, the best fabric is right at his eye level!


Here’s how to make your own Striped Grommet Curtains…
Lay everything out and measure. My window was 75″ tall but I wanted the rod above the top frame and I wanted the bottom to hit the bottom of the window apron (the molding directly below the window sill) so my finished curtain needed to be 80″ tall.
For width, I used the width of a twin sheet and cut it in half to make two panels. A good rule-of-thumb is that you want your fabric to be twice to three times the width of the window space it will occupy. A full size sheet would have made a fuller curtain.

1. Cut your 1/2 yards of “designer” fabric in half the long way. This will give you a stripe for each panel. The teal, I cut in thirds for a thinner stripe.

2. Serge the bottom two stripes together along the long edge, right facing. If you don’t have a serger, straight stitch 3/8″ seam.

3. On the back side, fold the seam over to the side of the darker fabric and iron flat. If you are sewing, fold the seam in half and then iron flat, hiding the raw edge.

4. Whether you are serging or not, straight stitch the seam down for a top-stitch effect.

5. Finish the bottom edge with the serger or iron a 1/4″ hem.

6. Iron a 1″ – 4″ hem depending on how much you have to spare. I did 1″ and it worked fine.

7. Straight stitch the hem.

8. Like you just did with the bottom edge… on the top stripe, finish the top edge with the serger or 1/4″ seam. Iron a 1″ – 4″ hem. I only did 1″ because I was using the top cuff of my sheet for the top of the curtain. If you are using regular fabric for your main pane (no cuff), you will want to iron a 4″ seam. That way you will have at least 2 layers of fabric through which to attach your grommets.

9. On the bottom edge of the top stripe, iron a 1/4″ hem.

10. If you haven’t already, cut your sheet for the main panel down the center. Note how I folded the sheet several times the long way for a manageable single cut through all layers. My mom taught me that.

11. Also trim the sides and bottom if your sheet has seams.

12. Wrap the top seam of your top stripe over the top of the sheet. See the thickness of the sheet’s cuff?

13. Straight stitch the top stripe of fabric to the sheet along the top and bottom of the stripe.

14. Now we are going to attach the bottom stripes to the main panel but first, now is a good time to double check your measurements and trim your main fabric for length or straightness

15. With right sides facing, serge bottom of main panel to top of bottom stripes. Alt: Sew with 3/8″ seem.

16. Iron the seam over to the darker fabric and topstitch as described in step 3& 4.

17. Trim the sides of any uneven fabric.

18. Serge along sides. Alt: iron 1/4″ seam.

19. Fold over (and iron) and sew 1/2″ seam on both sides. Be sure to keep the very top and bottom of your seam very even so they don’t show from the front of the panel.

20. These snap in curtain grommets are so easy and look so professional. I love them. Space out and trace the grommets (or measure and make dots if you are more the math-y type) MAKE SURE YOU USE AN EVEN NUMBER.

21. If your kit comes with this little template, use it for draw your cutting (eeek) circles.

22. Take a deep breath and cut out your circles.

23. Insert one side of the grommet from the back and snap the other side on with your hands. Sooo easy.

And doesn’t that look sharp?

Hang them and you are done!

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20 Comments

TracyRosen

You ladies are providing me with way too many projects I have to do! I will never get these all finished!! But I may need to make this one a priority, what a great idea! So much cuter than what is presently hanging from Jack's window… a pinned up sheery pair of white cotton panels from Ikea…

Reply
Erin

think I could do this with a blackout curtain for the "sheet"? I have a booooring blackout curtain in my son's room, and have bought some cute fabric that goes with his room for a valance, but haven't sewn the valance because I don't really want to have both the blackout and the valance in there. See any reason why I couldn't "cute up" a blackout shade? I might lose some blackoutedness, but I'm ok with a little light let in for cuteness's sake.

Reply
Jacinda

Erin-I would sew the stripes on top of the blackout curtain (like I do for the top stripe) so you have both cuteness and darkness. I have a blind behind my curtain so I was just looking for something cute and sheer!

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Elizabeth

Very cute. I did something like this for my nursery, but used a solid panel curtain from Target. I may have to add a little flair to the bottom, mine only have some color at the top.

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Rachael

Eeek! You made my week! I had just made up my mind to take the (literal) sheet down from the window in my little girl's nursery and make a curtain, but I was so intimidated by choosing a design…then I wake up to this little gem on my facebook news feed! You're a lifesaver. Love, love, love.

Reply
Holly

I love the grommet look, but didn't know they were so easy! I will have to look for them, and then my husband can whine some more about the growing number of projects taking over my craft area. haha

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BizzyMom

LOVE the savings on fabric by using a sheet. I have curtains made out of sheets too.. I should replicate your idea, it would really dress mine up.

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stephanie joy

this is such a fabulous idea.
there are so many adorable designer fabrics out there but certain projects just seem so costly b/c of the amount of fabric (like long drapes).
how inventive to just use a bedsheet?
or rather… how PRUDENT!!!
loves it!
gonna use this idea in my 3rd daughter's bedroom!

the camper fabric is to DIE for!!!!
soooo sweet and vintagey!!

Reply
Kelly

Is that an Ugly Doll??? I think every kid needs an Ugly Doll…or two. BTW, I love how your room is coordinated, not necessarily themed. It all goes together beautifully! We're getting ready to move, and I will be redoing my kiddos' rooms based on this principle. Thanks for your inspiration!!

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Jessica

I'm doing the same thing for my daughters closet, only I'm using just a printed sheet! I had no idea how to add grommets, so I just used the clip kind of hanger. That way I can also reuse them as bed sheets when she has a big girl bed đŸ™‚
Where did you get that adorable kids rocking chair? It is so cute, as is the rest of the room!

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Kimberly F

LOVE it! I've been wanting curtains for my own room since we moved in here 2 years ago, but I prioritized the kids' rooms. Now they have adorable rooms, and mine looks like a warehouse. Time to spruce it up, and this project makes it so I can actually afford to!

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gill

I love these but I can't find grommets big enough here in the UK – I'll have to look further afield!
Thanks

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Mrs. Fischer

Love those snap on grommets. I used them to give new life to the living room valance when we moved into our new house. It used to be really frilly and very old lady-ish. Now it is sleek and stylish and it was so easy!

Reply
5 Great DIY Window Covering Ideas for Kids' Rooms

[…] So sheets don’t have to be confined to use on the bed! Take plain white sheets and a strip of patterned fabric, and you have yourself a bright, fun (but not over-the-top juvenile) window covering. The large grommets add age-appropriate sophistication and make the curtains easy to open and close. These are great DIY curtains if you’re looking for low cost, high impact.{found on prudentbaby}. […]

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