Give Your Home and Garden a New Lease of Life

Hello, my name is Iggy and I live in Perth, Australia. Last month, I was out in my garden enjoying the sunshine when I noticed that there was something strange on my roof. I climbed up onto the roof of my home and discovered some damage. While I was up on the roof, I took a long look down at my garden. Seeing it from such a strange angle made me realise how overgrown it looked. The next day I called in some contractors to fix the problems. While they worked, they taught me plenty of cool tips and tricks.

How to Make Pleated Roman Blinds

Home & Garden Blog

Pleated Roman blinds are a stylish and practical addition to any home, and are especially useful for small windows in kitchens, bathrooms and home offices. What's more, they're easy to make.

What you'll need:

  • Fabric:  Measure up the window to be covered by the blind. If you are going to install it inside a recess, your blind must be 1cm narrower than the recess so that the blind doesn't catch as you lower and raise it. Add 8cm to the width of the fabric to accommodate side hemming, and 15cm to the length for pleats and the bottom hem.
  • Trim: If you decide to use a trim for the bottom of your blind, make sure it's 5cm wider than the blind to allow for a neat finish.
  • Velcro
  • Plastic curtain rings
  • Blind cord
  • Wooden batten (44mm x 18mm) the width of your blind
  • Staples and staple gun
  • Screw eyes, screws and a screwdriver
  • Cord retainer bracket

Directions

Begin by cutting the fabric to the size required as per your measurements. Along the side edges of the fabric, press 2cm to the reverse, then another 2cm over.  Stitch carefully close to the folded edges.

Now make a double hem (as above) along the bottom of the fabric and stitch it into place. If you've chosen to use a trimming, stitch it by hand onto the reverse side of the bottom edge of the blind.

Lay the blind out flat and divide it by the number of pleats you want plus a half for the bottom. The pleats should be 20cm to 40cm apart, and the bottom section should be half that amount. Using dressmakers' chalk, mark the pleats along the reverse of the blind. Fold the front sides together along the lines you've marked, and press into place. Now machine stitch across the blind close to the fold for each pleat.

Now lay the blind out flat facing right side upwards, and mark the finished length with chalk across the top edge. Fold over 2cm to the reverse of the fabric then fold 2cm over again, and press.

Pin the Velcro (furry side) along the top hem allowance and machine stitch along both sides.

Fix the clear rings to the back of each stitched pleat on the reverse of the blind using hand stitching.  Line them up evenly, allowing 20cm between each one beginning 7cm in from the sides.

Stick the other half of the Velcro to the batten and staple it for extra strength. Attach the batten to the blind via the Velcro. Fix screw eyes to the bottom of the batten so that they line up with the rings on the blind. Attach a long piece of cord to each of the bottom rings.

Next take the cords up through the rings, through the screw eyes, and over to one side of the blind. This will act as a pull cord when you want to raise and lower the blind. Cut off any excess cord and knot the ends.

Drill through the batten and fasten it firmly in place at the window. Finally, attach the cord retainer to the wall, and wrap the cords around it.

By following these instructions you'll be able to create the blinds you envisioned. Consult companies like Ocean Grove Blinds & Awnings to learn more about your blinds options.

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7 May 2015