Making Austrian Blinds

Austrian blinds are similar to Roman blinds in that they use casings, but with Austrian blinds the casings are vertical, and cord is run through them rather than wood or plastic, so they gather softly when pulled up. They also gather widthways as the blind is gathered like a curtain. All the gathering creates a soft effect to the blind. Balloon, Cascade and Festoon blinds are all types of Austrian blinds in that they also use gathering to pull up the blind.

Austrian blinds can be fitted either inside or outside the window recess. If fitted outside, a frill can be added down the sides, but this doesn’t work if they are fitted inside the recess. Fitting an Austrian blind inside the recess allows for curtains and a pelmet to be added to the window to create a rich, sumptuous look