Saturday, April 16, 2011

custom drapes tutorial

so in our living/dining area we have some sliding doors. i had been trying to find some drapes to go there and was getting pretty discouraged. i didn't want anything too trendy because... well i just didn't. i wanted a pattern that i could look at forever and always love, not something that is just cool for right now. with all the rustic and masculine details around the area, i felt we really needed a floral pattern. in the beginning i just wanted some plain white drapes with black stripes. sounds easy enough to find right? no. not at all. drapes are hard because you can either buy custom ones that cost a pretty penny, or you can find some that are trendy and cheap at stores like world market, target or home goods. but even those stores didn't have that. there was a time a few months back where you could show me any drape (from a typical chain store) and i could tell you exactly how much it was and where it was from. i did so much research. so i started off with an ikat pattern from burlington coat factory. they were yellow and gray and were a great deal. i came home, put them up and then sat on the couch. and stared. and then felt unsatisfied. i did this with 8 different drapes. i was smart and always kept the receipt and packaging though. i had a routine down. i would let each of them hang for a day and then i'd return them. by the time i got to the 8th pair, i was so done with looking for drapes that i threw all the packaging away and told myself to just be happy. they weren't cheap but were quality. and what pattern did i go with? plain white. which made the room feel totally boring.

a few weeks later, my sweet bf jess came down to visit. we were doing some shopping at marshall's when we noticed a really cute and classic floral pattern... in the form of a duvet cover. can you guess what was on the fabric? yes, big beautiful red flowers. grant came in to check out my cart (i guess we like making decisions together...  i mean it's our house not mine). and then we came home with the duvet hoping we could figure something out. here is what we did-

step 1: we ripped the duvet straight down the middle. took the left plain white drape and laid it on the ground. then we spread out one of the duvet sides on top of that drape.

step 2: we placed it exactly where we wanted it and then pinned it down. we were OCD about straightening the fabric because we didn't want any air pockets between the drape and duvet cover. and by OCD i mean straightening it like every 20 seconds.
step 3: pin all four sides
step 4: sew it all! way easier than i thought it would be. it's just sewing 4 big straight lines.

step 5: do the same thing for the other drape. we made sure and lined up the pattern just how we did with the first drape so that when they hung next to each other they would be fairly symmetrical.
half way done...
this was not the cheapest way to do it, however they look great and i love them.
i'd give a better end shot but i can't have the table show because that's another post!
Photobucket 
this tutorial is linked here: (go check out all the fun projects!)

15 sweet thoughts:

Debbiedoos said...

Those are gorgeous! I love the fabric. Thanks for sharing with my newbie party..hope to see you again soon.

Anonymous said...

Your drapes turned out beautifully! I love the pretty fabric and love how you attached the floral! I've never thought about that. This ways leaves a border! You're very creative.
be a sweetie,
Shelia ;)

Debbie @ OtRD said...

Beautiful! Love the fabric you used!

Diane said...

Excellent idea. Looks great, love, love the floral. Diane

David and Shalynna said...

Oh, I love that pattern. Can't wait to see the rest of the room!

. said...

What beautiful fabric!! They look amazing! :)

kaysi van dyke fox said...

love that fabric!!!! so pretty!!

Sherry @ No Minimalist Here said...

Wow, I am in love with this fabric..beautiful! Thanks for joining my party.
xo,
Sherry

Unknown said...

Great pattern, thanks!!! I would love it if you would share this at my party A Marvelous Mess. I will be picking one project to feature on my side bar for a week!! Here is the link: http://marvelouslymessy.blogspot.com/2011/04/marvelous-mess-9.htm

Emily Wright said...

I love these! the fabric is so beautiful and not trendy! Great idea.

angela hardison said...

the fabric is so pretty. and, this tutorial is probably going to come in handy for me pretty soon... i'm currently on the hunt for drapes and it isn't going so well.

Anonymous said...

oh my goodness i LOVE it so easy and looks amazing i might just have to try it! :)

Carolyne said...

These are just so pretty! I am so glad you explained what you did. Now I have to find me some rose fabric. I absolutely love roses. Constance Sprys are my favorite. They are just so so pretty!

Unknown said...

It’s apparent that you are no beginner at customizing drapes, and it shows in the output of this project. I’ve been a fan of floral drapes for a long time mainly because of their versatility. They work well with sophisticated rooms, but also fit in laid-back areas. Many thanks for sharing your insights!

Roxie Tenner

Lida Swisher said...

It’s so refreshing to see fabric designs like this! You actually made a great choice for your drapes, huh! Even without the lights, it will surely make your room look fresh and dazzling!

Lida Swisher