Getting started making window blinds

Making your own blinds will save quite a bit of money and most types of blind are fairly simple to do. There are lots of styles of blinds to choose from. These are just some of the styles:

• Roller blinds
• Roman blinds
• Austrian blinds
• London blinds
• Scalloped blinds
• Festoon blinds
• Balloon blinds

All types of blind will require you to buy some fittings – wooden or plastic rods or battens, cords, tape, eyelets, an acorn, a cleat, and Velcro. These are often available as a kit, which is recommended if you haven’t made blinds before. The kit instructions will show you how to hang the blind properly. Remember to add this to your costs when calculating how much your blind will cost to make.

Roller blinds use the least fabric, and Balloon blinds use the most.

All blinds can be fitted either inside or outside the window recess and curtains and pelmets can be added to create the effect you want.

The roller blind is the simplest to make.

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Fabric for roller blinds

There are types of fabric which are specially made for roller blinds which is quite stiff like canvas, and they often include plastics which are particularly useful if the blind is going in a kitchen or bathroom. These usually do not need hemming as they don’t fray. You need enough fabric to cover the window with spare at the top and bottom for the hems for the blind-fittings.

If you choose a fabric not specifically designed for making blinds, choose a fairly stiff fabric, or buy a spay-can of fabric stiffener to spray on a softer fabric to make it suitable. In this case, you’ll need to make sure the fabric covers the window, with extra at the sides as well as the top and bottom, for hemming.

Remember that you’ll be making deeper hems than usual at the top and bottom to accommodate the laths and blind-fittings.

Sewing the Roller Blind

If you need to hem the sides, start by doing this and ironing the hems flat.

Usually, the top edge of the blind will be attached by Velcro to the wooden batten at the top of the window. Sew the furry part of the Velcro to the fabric, turning in a narrow single hem to hide the raw edge. It’s a good idea to use a zipper foot when attaching Velcro so you can stitch close to the furry part. This method also makes it easy to remover the blind for cleaning. However your kit may suggest a different way to attach the fabric at the top, so read the instructions before you sew.

Make a hem at the bottom of the fabric which is big enough to take the wooden or plastic rod or lath.

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Making up the Roller Blind

Follow the instructions on the kit for how to attach the cords and pulley system. You’ll need to slide the wooden lath into the bottom hem and hand stitch into place, before rolling the fabric carefully into the roller.

Making a Scalloped Edge Blind

These are very easy and add a decorative element to a roller blind. Make up the roller blind as explained above, then add a scalloped edge BELOW the wooden lath. These are usually six to twelve inches in depth so you’ll need extra fabric, and you can cut any scalloped design you like. Be careful to measure out before you cut your scallops so they sit centrally on the finished blind. You can use decorative sewing stitches on your sewing machine to finish off the bottom edge, or attach tassels or braid.

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Fabric for a Roman Blind

The fabric for a Roman Blind needs to be medium weight so that it folds crisply, but not too heavy or stiff. The folds need to fall easily.

You will need enough to completely cover the window, with extra on all four edges for hemming. The top and bottom will require deeper than normal hems.

It’s best to use a single piece or fabric and avoid having a vertical seam in the middle of the blind. If the window is very wide, it’s better to make two blinds rather than one very wide one. Roman blinds work best on taller windows which allow for at least two folds.

Sewing a Roman Blind

Begin by hemming the side edges and ironing flat.

Attach the fluffy part of the Velcro to the top edge, turning a small hem underneath to finish off the raw edge.

To make the casings to hold the rods or batons, the fabric needs to be folded and sewn so as to create tubs or casings in which to slide the rods. You need to decide what distance you want between each casing – a standard distance is about 10 inches. Start from the top edge and mark 10 inches down the blind. Draw a line across the width of the fabric with tailors’ chalk or a pencil (use a ruler). Then draw a parallel line beneath it at a distance of one inch. Finally draw a third line, again at a distance of one inch. Fold the fabric on the centre line so the two outside lines lie together, and stitch across the blind on the outside lines, creating a tube.

From this tube, measure a further 10 inches down the blind, and repeat the above process to make the next casing. Repeat this until you reach the last 10 or so inches of your blind. Make a casing at the bottom to hold the final rod or baton.

Make sure all the casings are on the wrong side of the fabric. It’s easy to get this wrong if the fabric is the same on both sides, but the blind won’t work if the casings aren’t all on the wrong side of the fabric – the same side as the Velcro.

You may need to trim the rods or batons to size – use a hacksaw to do this. Once the rods or batons are in the casings, hand stitch them in place.

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