DIY: How To Make Panel Curtains

Now that spring is here, we want to get rid of those heavy winter curtains and lighten up our windows with light airy curtains. We recently saw this on casasugar and thought it would be a fun project to try. The best part about this project, it can be done in 3 hrs. 

Here’s what you’ll need:

2 to 4 panels of fabric (cotton is easy to work with, and seasonally appropriate), cut to the correct window length, plus about 1/3 of a yard extra to allow for shrinkage and seams
Sewing machine
Matching thread
Iron and ironing board
Pins
Scissors
Curtain rods

How to Do It
1) The first time-saving technique begins before you even step into the fabric store. Measure the length of the window/wall you want your panel to cover. Add 1/3 of a yard to this number. (For instance, if your window/wall is six feet, you want seven feet of fabric cut, and would ask for 2 and 1/3 yards cut.) Now, decide how many panels you need. Two? Four?

Switch your living room to summer decor.

2) At the fabric store, ask (nicely!) the fabric store employee to cut your fabric out in panels, instead of in one long piece. This will save you a lot of time measuring and cutting at home. Just remember to measure very carefully before jotting down your needed lengths.

3) At home, toss the fabric in the laundry, as it will definitely shrink.
Iron your fabric panels. Look at the long sides of the fabric. The edges are already semi-finished (no raw edges), but the name of the fabric designer, as well as the color stamp, are visible. Iron this edge over, and then sew the sides first with a straight stitch. You won’t have to double the edges over, since the edge is semi-finished to start with.

Click here for more instructions.

Here are some trendy panels that we love: