The Easiest Faux Roman Shade Ever
This weekend, I finished another project in my son’s bedroom.
I wanted to give him some new curtains.
He already has black out blinds that serve as privacy shades.
I just wanted something that looked pretty
and didn’t have to be an actual functioning shade.
That’s when I decided faux roman shades would be the perfect solution.
Don’t worry, these babies do not require a sewing machine!
They only took me a little over an hour to make.
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All you will need for this project is some fabric, no-sew glue,
ribbon and three spring tension rods.
Everything I bought (except the tension rods) was purchased 50% off with coupons.
When you purchase your fabric,
you want to measure your window then add two inches to the width
and double the length.
You will see why as I explain more of the details.
The first thing I did was iron out a crease for my one inch seam on each side.
You can skip this step if you like,
but for me having a guide for placing my no-sew glue was helpful.
Next step was to apply the no-sew glue inside the seams.
I used a brand called Unique Stitch but I don’t actually recommend it.
I will show you why in a moment.
After I had both sides of the seams finished, it was time to add my ribbon.
I decided to place the ribbon two inches from the edge.
I again just used my no sew glue to adhere the ribbon to the fabric.
But I noticed when I finished with both sides, this happened…
The glue was bleeding through the ribbon.
So this is why I don’t recommend this brand of no-sew glue.
When you go to buy yours, make sure to check the packaging about bleeding.
I decided to cover the ribbon with more ribbon.
It pretty much corrected this situation but it’s not perfect.
The final step was to glue together the top and bottom seam,
so I would have a continuous loop.
Don’t worry about making it pretty because it’s totally going to be hidden
and no one will ever see it. Promise!
Now that I am done building the shade,
it’s time to install it in the window.
This is where the three spring tension rods come into play.
I grabbed the curtain and placed one rod through with the seam on the top.
Then I placed the other two rods, spacing about 6 inches apart.
I gently lifted the fabric up to double over the second rod like this…
Then I just repeated that same step over the last rod.
You may have adjust the folds to get the exact length you like,
but it doesn’t take long.
Oh, I almost forgot to share my trick in getting each fold to lay smooth…
place a dowel inside each pocket.
It’s an extra step that you don’t have to do.
I already had the dowels in my garage leftover from a previous project.
{Sorry for the blinding light out the window, it was snowing. 🙂 }
I love how the shade looks next to the whitewashed plank wall and AHOY sign.
A fun pop of great red!
I love how the shade looks next to the whitewashed plank wall and AHOY sign.
A fun pop of great red!
These shades couldn’t be more simple to make and
my total cost for this project was right around $30.
Not to bad for custom made shades!
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I love how simple this faux roman shade looks to make. I made a real functioning one several months ago but I like this idea better.
Laura… This is great and I’m seriously a fan of the no sew club! Pinning and sharing! Visiting from DIY Sunday Showcase 🙂
What a great look. Thanks for sharing.
These are just too cute! They look great in your sons room. Another thing I like about them – no holes in the woodwork but still a great look! Thanks for sharing at the Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop!
Oh my goodness, I just love roman shades. I bought some from The Company Store for my sons room, but had no idea how easy they were to make… if only I had known!
These are lovely – one thing I would suggest is to perhaps use PVA Glue as it drys clear – not sure if you have that in the US but we do in other countries – so hopefully they will sell it in the US 🙂
Thankyou so much for this tutorial. I can do this project with the help of your pictures.
A real fan from Wisconsin.
You are very welcome, Janie. Good luck with your new shade! 🙂
Just made this in less than an hour! Looks so good! Thank you! Wish I could post a pic
Oh yeah, Stephanie! I’m so glad the tutorial helped you. You just made my day. 🙂 Enjoy your new shade!
Love this,! Hoping to make for the two small windows that surround the fireplace… is there a reason why you need a continuous loop?
Thanks, Nicole! Yes, you need the loop to pull the fabric over the tension rods. No loop and it won’t hang correctly. Hope that helps answer your question. 🙂
Hi can you make the shade longer to cover the entire window? You did an excellent job. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks! You can make the curtain as long as you like. Shouldn’t be a problem. 🙂