The Chronicles: Fabric Roller Shades

I'm not a big fan of covered windows. Ask Shawn, it drives him crazy. I feel claustrophobic if there's no light peeping through. Plus, I love to look outside or let the sun shine in during the long winter months. In this particular kitchen we get a lot of afternoon sun shining through. It can get a bit hot in the summer time. But I don't want dirt and dust collectors. So when I saw this tutorial for fabric covered shades I was hooked. I love being able to chose my own fabric color and pattern. So often when looking for window treatments, I wish I had a sewing machine.

I found a tutorial on Pinterest. In fact, there are several examples on Pinterest. I read a few of them to determine exactly what products I would need.

Supplies I used:

Sharp scissors

Fabric

Tape Measure

Spray On Adhesive (any brand)

Anti-Fray (if you're NOT sewing a hem)

Plastic, tarps or newspaper

Measure your window for either an outside or inside mount. I purchased mine at Home Depot. They are super inexpensive and they will cut them to whatever size you need. When purchasing your fabric, add 2 inches to width for your fabric and 4 inches to the length. Another tip, do not chose a heavy fabric as it will make the shade cumbersome and it may be too bulky and heavy for the mechanism to work properly.

Roll out the shade on a flat surface face up. Then lay your fabric, face up as well, over the shade. I highly recommend ironing your fabric first. You'll thank me later. Peel back a few inches of the fabric and spray your adhesive onto 1-2 inches of the shade. Then quickly lay the fabric back over where you sprayed. Spread gentle but firmly to smooth out any wrinkles. Always work from the center out.

I ran a couple strips of blue tape along side so that I didn't ruin Shawn's tarp when spraying the adhesive out toward the edges.

Then roll back the fabric again and spray the next 6 inches of the shade with the adhesive. Repeat covering fabric and pressing out wrinkles. Do this until your entire fabric is adhere to the shade.

I added a piece of braided trip to where the fabric meets the seam at the bottom of the shade. While I used the hot glue gun to adhere the trim I also added a tassel, which I secured with hot glue and then ran the braided trim right over top.

I found center and marked the tarp with a Sharpie so I knew where to attach the tassel.

Like with the adhesive spray, you must work quickly with the hot glue gun. Don't allow the gun point to come in contact with the shade for any extended time. It will melt from the heat of the gun.

After a few minutes of drying time, I flipped the whole shade over face down. With a very sharp pair of scissors, trim the material to match the shade edge. Then use your anti-fray liquid to ensure your fabric won't fray with use.

I don't sew or at least, I don't have a sewing machine, yet. I chose to cut my fabric right to the edge of the shade width as opposed to hemming it and gluing the hem.

Let the shade dry about 30 minutes. Then roll them back up neatly and tightly before you attach them into the hardware. This will ensure that the snap release mechanism is ready to fire.

Ta-Da! There you have it.

A rather inexpensive but custom made shade for your window.