Striped Grommet Curtains made from Designer Fabric and Sheets!

These stripy curtains add details of designer fabric without the price tag. By combining three half-yards of Monaluna for Birch Fabrics Beach Mod with a bed sheet, I was able to stretch my budget with nice results. And Gordon won't mind, the best fabric is right at his eye level!


Here's how to make your own Striped Grommet Curtains...
Lay everything out and measure. My window was 75" tall but I wanted the rod above the top frame and I wanted the bottom to hit the bottom of the window apron (the molding directly below the window sill) so my finished curtain needed to be 80" tall.
For width, I used the width of a twin sheet and cut it in half to make two panels. A good rule-of-thumb is that you want your fabric to be twice to three times the width of the window space it will occupy. A full size sheet would have made a fuller curtain.


1. Cut your 1/2 yards of "designer" fabric in half the long way. This will give you a stripe for each panel. The teal, I cut in thirds for a thinner stripe.


2. Serge the bottom two stripes together along the long edge, right facing. If you don't have a serger, straight stitch 3/8" seam.



3. On the back side, fold the seam over to the side of the darker fabric and iron flat. If you are sewing, fold the seam in half and then iron flat, hiding the raw edge.


4. Whether you are serging or not, straight stitch the seam down for a top-stitch effect.



5. Finish the bottom edge with the serger or iron a 1/4" hem.



6. Iron a 1" - 4" hem depending on how much you have to spare. I did 1" and it worked fine.



7. Straight stitch the hem.


8. Like you just did with the bottom edge... on the top stripe, finish the top edge with the serger or 1/4" seam. Iron a 1" - 4" hem. I only did 1" because I was using the top cuff of my sheet for the top of the curtain. If you are using regular fabric for your main pane (no cuff), you will want to iron a 4" seam. That way you will have at least 2 layers of fabric through which to attach your grommets.

9. On the bottom edge of the top stripe, iron a 1/4" hem.

10. If you haven't already, cut your sheet for the main panel down the center. Note how I folded the sheet several times the long way for a manageable single cut through all layers. My mom taught me that.

11. Also trim the sides and bottom if your sheet has seams.

12. Wrap the top seam of your top stripe over the top of the sheet. See the thickness of the sheet's cuff?


13. Straight stitch the top stripe of fabric to the sheet along the top and bottom of the stripe.



14. Now we are going to attach the bottom stripes to the main panel but first, now is a good time to double check your measurements and trim your main fabric for length or straightness

15. With right sides facing, serge bottom of main panel to top of bottom stripes. Alt: Sew with 3/8" seem.

16. Iron the seam over to the darker fabric and topstitch as described in step 3& 4.

17. Trim the sides of any uneven fabric.


18. Serge along sides. Alt: iron 1/4" seam.


19. Fold over (and iron) and sew 1/2" seam on both sides. Be sure to keep the very top and bottom of your seam very even so they don't show from the front of the panel.


20. These snap in curtain grommets are so easy and look so professional. I love them. Space out and trace the grommets (or measure and make dots if you are more the math-y type) MAKE SURE YOU USE AN EVEN NUMBER.



21. If your kit comes with this little template, use it for draw your cutting (eeek) circles.


22. Take a deep breath and cut out your circles.


23. Insert one side of the grommet from the back and snap the other side on with your hands. Sooo easy.

And doesn't that look sharp?

Hang them and you are done!