Roman shades are a stylish option for window treatments but often come with a custom price tag.
Dress up your windows with these DIY options.
Without spaces between slats, they cover windows entirely and can be made with your fabric of choice.
Credit: Adam Albright
Learn how to make Roman shades using our step-by-step DIY instructions below.
Whenselecting fabric, choose one that will hold the folds nicely and filter sunlight while providing privacy.
Look for fabric in the home decor section of a fabric store that stocks these heavier fabrics.
Credit: Kritsada Panichgul
Gather the fabric about a yard from the end and let it fall to see how it drapes.
Look for slightly billowy folds for the best Roman shades.
Set Length of Blind
Lay the blind on your work surface with the front facing down.
Credit: Kritsada Panichgul
Measure the window to determine how long your Roman shade needs to be.
Pull the blinds out to your desired length.
Measure how long the shade will hang over the window and divide the measurement in inches by seven.
Credit: Kritsada Panichgul
This is how many slats you will need to leave on the blind strings.
Snap off and remove the rest.
Arrange Slats on Fabric
Place fabric facedown under the blind.
Credit: Peter Krumhardt
Cut a small notch in the fabric so it wraps nicely around the end.
You only need to glue the ends of the slat, not the entire length.
Secure into place at the marked 7-inch intervals, tucking the ends of the slats beneath the folded edges.
Use clothespins to hold the fabric in place while the glue dries.
Wrap the fabric around the bottom bar of the blind and secure in place with decoupage medium.
Use clothespins to clamp as it dries.
Install your DIY Roman shade as you would a regular mini blind.
ThisDIY window treatmentincludes double-layered fabric for extra light-blocking and privacy.
Our shade has four folds with five dowel casings.
From the shade fabric, cut one panel to this measurement.
Cut Lining Fabric to Size
Cut the lining fabric to the same length as your shade fabric.
The lining’s width should equal the width of window inside the window recess or frame.
You’ll need one panel of lining fabric in this measurement.
Cut and Prepare Mounting Board
Cut the 1x2-inch pine board to the measured window width.
Mark points 4 inches from each end of the board for screw eyes.
Drill shallow pilot holes, and set the board aside.
Turn to the right side; press so the lining is centered on the back of the shade.
Stitch the dowel casings exactly on these lines.
Stitch just inside the folded edge to make a bottom dowel casing.
Fold the raw edge of the shade over the top of the mounting board.
Check the fit to the window and adjust the fabric on the mounting board if necessary.
Staple the shade to the back of the board.
Insert the dowels in the casings.
Hand-stitch a small cabone ring 4 inches inside each side edge on each dowel casing.
Drill pilot holes in the frame, and mount the cleat.
Tie one end of the cord to the lowest rings on the left side of the blind.
For the right cord, halve the remaining length.
Tie one end of the cord to the lowest rings on the right side of the shade.
Thread the cords through the column of rings and the screw at the top.
Thread all cords through the far right screw eye.
Pull the cords to take up the slack and trim the cord ends even.
To raise the shade, gently pull the cords, causing the fabric to pleat.
Secure the cords to the cleat at the desired height with a figure-eight motion.
