How to make roman blinds

Making your own roman blinds can be challenge but we’ve put together an easy-to-follow guide to help you.

Roman blinds are made out of fabric that concertinas as the blind is open. They are a great choice for anyone wanting to showcase a fabric that they love.

Tackling roman blinds can be a little trickier than making other types of window dressings however don’t fear, it’s not impossible.

As long as you have the right equipment and some patience, you’ll be able to save money and get the satisfaction out of designing and completing your own sewing project.

Take a look below at what you’re going to need to do it properly.

Tools required for the job:

• Sewing machine

• Fabric scissors

• Iron/ironing board

• Staple gun

• Tape measure

• Pencil

• Fabric of your choice

• Nylon cord

• Eye hooks

• Plastic rings

• Velcro tape

• 6mm dowels

• 2 L hooks

How to make roman blinds

Step 1: Carefully measure your windows

In order to make sure your roman blinds will fit snug to your windows, It’s important to measure your windows correctly with a tape measure.

Cut your fabric to size using fabric scissors according to whether the blind will sit inside your window or on top of it. The number of pockets in the roman blind will depend on the overall length of the blind. Measure up to allow for a dowel pocket every 200-250mm.

Step 2: Prep your fabric

Lay your fabric out onto your ironing board and use an iron to press the fold over for the double hem at the sides and the top.

Do the same for where you’ve placed the pockets.

Step 3: Time to sew!

Sew a running stitch up the side, fold over and across the top, and back down the other side of your piece of fabric.

Proceed to sew a running stitch along each individual pocket.

Step 4: Put your blind together

It’s time to insert your dowels into the pockets you have just sewn. Be sure to cut the dowels slightly shorter than the width of your roman blind to make sure they won’t be visible when hung up.

Cut your velcro to size and use a staple gun to secure. Sew your plastic rings onto the back of the blind, we suggest using a few rings per pocket.

Assuming you already have battens attached around your window, secure eye hooks to the bottom edge of the batten and make sure they correspond with the plastic rings on the back of your blind.

Thread your nylon line through the hooks and rings for each row. Knot it at the last ring of each row so it’s fully secure.

Step 5: Fix your roman blind to your window

Use one L hook at the side of your window for wrapping the cord.

If it isn’t already, secure the batten to the top of the window frame. Now you can attach your blind by aligning the velcro at the top with the batten.

Top tip: The velcro method allows you to remove your blind easily for cleaning

How to make roman shades

You may be thinking to yourself, what is the difference between roman blinds and roman shades? Good question!

The main visible difference is the hem that runs along the bottom of each. Roman blinds have a narrow hem that is almost invisible whereas roman shades have a definite visible hem.

Also, the material used to make roman shades is a generally heavier fabric than roman blinds, so it will be more of a costly project.

However, the terms roman blinds and roman shades are often used interchangeably so do be aware of this.

How to make roman blinds with rings

Making sure your rings are installed onto your blind properly is a very important step when making your roman blinds, as the number of rings required will make your blind neatly fold up in pleats.

The top row of rings should be a couple of inches from the bottom of the velcro and the bottom row of rings should be at least 4 inches above the bottom. The rest of the rows should be between 8-12 inches apart. Use this as a guide, as of course it depends on the overall size of your window and blind.

Top tip: Draw the lines on your blind with a pencil first to know where you want to place your rings

How to make a roman blinds with lining?

To make your roman blinds more robust and opaque, you may want to install a lining.

Roll your blind out on a flat surface and measure the overall width of your blind. Subtract about half an inch of the full-width measurement for the lining to fit perfectly.

Now add 2 inches for the blind width and length, so you’ll have fabric allowance for the hem of your lining.

You can proceed to sew the fabric in place.

How to make roman shades with dowels

You don’t have to use dowels when making your roman blinds. However, the benefit of installing them is that it helps makes the sections of your blind fold more neatly when you pull it up.

Of course, this requires more materials and time but does make for a more professional result. If the roman shade is in a location where it stays open or closed most of the time then it doesn’t necessarily need dowels to support it.

However, if it is going to be used a lot, a roman blind in a bedroom for example, then the dowels make it more secure and undoubtedly easier to use.

For best results, we always recommend hiring a professional.