Curtains are ALWAYS a great idea, but this is a great project if you want to dramatically change or impact the look of your room on a budget! For about $10 per panel, $20 per window, plus hardware (mine was about $15 per window from Ikea) you can have new curtains!! And the best news? You don’t even need to sew!! Read these simple steps and I’ll show you how!
Materials:
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- Canvas Drop Cloth, 9′ x 12′(I cut this and made it into two 9’x5’ drop cloths per window)
- Glue gun
- Measuring Tape
- Iron & Ironing board
- Curtain hardware: (I bought mine from Ikea, available online)
- Rod (I used 1.5” diameter) – “Racka”
- Hanging clips (approx. 10 per panel, 20 per window) “Syrlig”
- Wall brackets (2 or 3 per rod depending on the length) These came with the “Racka Combo pack”
- Finials – “Blast”
- Screwdriver (or electric drill and electric screw driver will make things much easier)
5 Easy Steps to Make No-Sew Drop Cloth Curtains
Ok, so you’ve gathered all of your materials and tools and you’re ready to start. I hope you have a good movie or TV series you can watch because you are going to spend most of your time with this first step.
Step 1. Iron your drop cloth panels.
Ugh! I really hate to iron! I focused on the end result and made it through! Then lay them out carefully so they don’t wrinkle.
Step 2. Measure.
Next, you’ll need to measure your window and determine how long you want your panel.
Note: To make your room appear bigger and your ceilings higher, hang your curtains above your windows closer to the ceiling.
Step 3: Hem your panels.
You will want to fold over the top edge at least 3 inches or so for a hem. Iron this hem. Once this hem is ironed, bring the panel back down and lay on the floor so you can hem using the glue gun. If you are using regular hot glue like I did you will want to use the smallest amount possible to minimize any visible glue seeping through and creating a mark on the other side. I used just a small dab every 5-8”. That was plenty to secure the hem without any problems.
The bottom hem is more critical because this has to be carefully measured to create the length of panel that you want for your window. I had a lot of trial and error with getting my measurements accurate and ended up with my first couple of panels much shorter than I wanted. Luckily I had plenty of practice to get it right.
Note: You may notice that the drop cloth panels are not always cut square and level on each edge so you will need to measure from top to bottom, not just from the hemming edge.
Step 4: Attach your hanging clips.
I used about 8 clips per panel spaced approximately 10″ apart. Note: They come in packs of 10 so you may want to space them closer just so you can use of the clips.
Step 5: Hang your panels.
You have already decided the height of your panels. Now you need to determine how close you want to hang your curtains in relation to the actual window. Note: If you have space you may want to hang your curtains further outside the window so the panels can hang and not block the actual window. Also to consider at this moment is how functional you want your panels to be. Do you need to be able to close them in order to block light or create privacy? I have blinds on all my windows already so my curtains were solely for decor.
First, double check the height of the curtains before marking the height on the wall. Then mark the horizontal spot so you know where you will be attaching your brackets. For this step I used an electric drill and electric screw driver. Note: Here’s where you can learn from my mistake! If you are hanging your rod close to the wall, don’t forget to leave room for your finials. These will be going on the outside of your brackets.
The End Result
These curtains TOTALLY transformed our home. Once I completed the “wall-o’curtains” as I affectionately refer to it, I just kept on going! I started with the wall in our great room which connects to the kitchen and our main living space. Because you can even see it from the front hall when you walk in the house it really changed the whole living space! My husband was so excited (with the look and the huge “bang for your buck”) that he gladly ok’d additional windows. From there I headed to the dining room. And then the 2nd living room. I still have the guest bedroom and the master bedroom to go….so stay tuned!
Be sure to check out our other DIY projects and budget decorating tips for more easy and inexpensive ways to update your home! Links to these related posts are positioned at the bottom of this post.
Happy Decorating,
The Design Twins
Yolis de Q says
Weeeell!! I did enjoyed reading this post !!! ❤️ And im so ready for the MARCH MADNESS!!!!! ???? This is exciting!!!!!!!!!!!!
jjdesigntwins says
Yolis,
So happy to see you over here! Thanks for taking the time to come and say Hi! You sound as excited as we are! haha!
With love and thanks,
Jodie & Julie
Sherry Hudson says
Hi! Just read the article on making drapes out of drop cloths …….I just might try this! Yours look great. As always, spring is an inspiring time for new projects Time for some March Madness ????
Kim - @shiplap.on.the.lake says
Staying within your budget is a must and I think it helps us become creative and think outside of the box. The farmhouse style that is in right now is based of off such a simple and inexpensive era which I think is why it is also so popular. Clean, crisp, inexpensive, and brings back so many wonderful memories of being young. You nailed it with these curtains. Thanks for sharing!
March Madness
Ingrid says
Read this a week ago and did some drop cloth curtains, I was inspired by the blog which is a first for me! Thank you for the inspiration, I’ve seen plenty of the tutorials but after reading your blog I finally tried it. March Madness may have taken over.
jjdesigntwins says
Ingrid, This is so exciting. We are so happy we inspired you to give them a try! We love having you on our blog and hope you will come back regularly for lots more inspiration and fun! With gratitude, Julie & Jodie
Jill Stephenson says
Julie and Jodie,
Happy Saturday! Thank you for sharing this neat and inexpensive way to make curtains!!! I may just try to make the curtains this week. You two continue to amaze me with your talents!!
Have a blessed evening.
Cheers,
Jill
Stacey says
I definitely want to make these! I am all for budget friendly diys and really need some curtains in my living room. Thanks for the tutorial! March Madness
Susan says
Intrigued by the idea of these ‘curtains’. Thinking of experimenting with color:: painting, dye or even a simple stencil design. Have you tried any of these on this fabric? . May have to do some trials on old, actual drop cloths including washing them. Thanks for the great tips, I appreciate your creativity.
Lauren says
Thank you for the tutorial!! I actually want to do this very soon, and I’m glad I saw this today. 🙂 march madness
Cathy says
Not sure how I missed this but I was planning on making some of these for my patio. I had an idea of how I was going to make them but now, thanks to you guys, I now have everything I need to know right here on your blog. Thanks!!! ????
Sherry says
Love the finished results, your home is so beautiful!
I really want to make drop sheet drapes but apparently the package sometimes contains sheets with seams – did you have any issues with this, and where did you get your supplies from (drop sheets, finials)? Is there any reason you didn’t go with hemming tape? Thanks for the inspiration!
jjdesigntwins says
Hey Sherry,
I’m so sorry I missed your question! Let me try to answer! I bought my drop cloths from Home Depot. I can’t remember the exact brand but if there was a Home Depot brand it might have been that. I didn’t have any trouble with seams. I believe I listed all the supplies in the blog post including the hardware and finials which I purchased from Ikea. I tried hemming tape but it did not stick. I think the material was too course and/or too heavy.
Thanks for reading and best of luck!
xoxo Jodie
Beth says
Can you make them into ripplepleat?
jjdesigntwins says
Hi Beth, We are not sewers. We don’t know what’s involved in making “ripplepleat” so we don’t feel qualified to answer this question. So sorry. But we wish you good luck (and let us know if you find out 🙂 XO ~ Julie & Jodie
TR says
It would seem that using a hot glue gun would make them unwashable? Why not iron on tape / seam binding?
jjdesigntwins says
The iron on tape didn’t work. I tried this method first. This drop cloth material was too heavy for it. I don’t know about the washability, but I haven’t tried to wash these drapes 🙂 Best wishes, Jodie & Julie
Kathryn says
Does the glue actually hold up? I love the idea of not having to sew!
jjdesigntwins says
Hi Kathryn,
Yes, The glue has held up very well. The only thing is that if you get up close to it and inspect you can see the trace of glue through the fabric. I never notice it in the room so it’s not a big deal. I would use a small amount just to improve the close-up appearance. But the glue stands the test of time 🙂 Good luck, Julie & Jodie
Ashna says
Looks quite easy to do. I love diy projects.
http://www.lifeandash.com
jjdesigntwins says
Ashna,
I’m so glad you enjoyed this post. We too love DIY projects…the pride in doing it yourself, the satisfaction of saving money, and hopefully the fun along the way. Hope you continue to enjoy our many project posts and the rest of our blog too. Fondly, Julie & Jodie
Darlene says
Just love this idea and wonder if it is a bit of a blackout at all. I would love to do this is my son’s room but he needs it to be totally dark. I sure have enough canvas around so that isn’t a problem and I just love that I could make them custom for him.
jjdesigntwins says
Darlene,
I’m sure you could customize this idea and add an additional layer to make them blackout. They would require sewing but the cost wouldn’t be too great. You’d still be saving a bundle. Good luck whatever you decide. Julie & Jodie