How To Make Roman Shades
Whether you’re doing a whole scale renovation or just a mini makeover, adding new curtains to a room can make all the difference. But sometimes you want a window treatment that is clean lined, doesn’t take up too much space around the window and doesn’t cost too much to make. Learning how to make roman shades (with or without dowels) may be just the solution you’re looking for!
How To Make Roman Shades
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The best solution to decorating a small window to let the maximum amount of light into the room is often a very simple treatment like a Roman shade.
This type of window shade doesn’t take up much space around the window (especially if you install it inside the window frame), but still allows you to have a window treatment that coordinates with the room décor.
Although it looks complicated (and can be quite expensive to buy), a roman shade really isn’t that difficult to make on your own. It’s basically a straight piece of fabric that opens by a pulley system into flat folds at the top of the window. Don’t be deterred by all of the little details involved. Once you get the idea, it isn’t hard.
Can I Make Roman Shades Without Dowels?
I have made roman shades with dowels and without dowels.
Using dowels helps to make the sections of the shade fold more neatly when you pull the shade up. But they require a little more effort and a few more supplies to make.
Making roman shades without dowels is a little easier but you may need to arrange the folds so they lay flat.
My rule of thumb is: If the roman shade is in a location where it tends to stay open (or closed) most of the time, I’ll make it without the dowels. If the position of the shade will change often, the dowels make it easier to use.
Supplies
Materials
- fabric and lining (see the section below on measuring to find out how much you’ll need)
- piping for the top (optional)
- thread in a coordinating color for your fabric
- 1/2″ plastic rings*
- small eye hooks*
- nylon cord*
- (optional) 1/4 inch dowels* that are at least as wide as your window
- 1 – 1/2 inch dowel that is at least as wide as your window
- 1″x 2″ board
- 1 blind cleat*
- sewing needle
- screws
- 1 1/2″ corner braces (for outside frame mount only)
- small drill bit
Tools
- measuring tape
- scissors
- sewing machine
- iron
- stapler
- measuring stick
- drill
How Do You Measure A Window For Roman Shades?
There are two ways that you can install a Roman shade.
The first is so that it fits completely inside the window frame, which doesn’t take up any additional wall space at all.
The second is outside the window frame, so that the frame and part of the wall is covered by the shade.
Before you can measure for your window treatments, you need to decide which of these two options you’re going to use.
Inside The Window Frame Measurements
To do this, you need to take accurate window measurements to make sure that the blind is not going to be too small or too large.
Measure The Width
To get the width of the window, measure from the inside edge on the left side of the window frame to the inside edge on the right side of the window frame.
Repeat this 3 times – once at the top of the frame, once in the middle of the frame and once at the bottom of the frame. If you’re lucky, all three measurements will be the same…but I don’t think that’s ever happened to me 🙂
Take the SMALLEST of those three measurements as the width. Then subtract 1/8″. This is the finished width of your shade.
Note: If your window frame is really out of square and there is a big difference between your measurements, you may want to consider doing an outside the window frame installation. Otherwise, you will likely be able to see that the shade does not fit properly in some parts of the window.
Measure The Length
Next, you’ll need to measure the height of your window.
Start from the inside edge at the top of the frame and measure down to the window sill at the bottom of the frame. If you don’t have a window sill, measure down to the inside edge at the bottom of the frame.
Repeat this 3 times – once at the left side of the frame, once in the center of the frame and once at the right side of the frame.
Take the LARGEST of those three measurements as the height. This is the finished length of your shade.
Note: If you are making multiple shades for the same room, you’ll want to make them all the same length as the largest measurement across all the windows. That way the folds will all be even across them.
Outside The Window Frame Measurements
When you are installing the shade outside of your window frame, you have a little more leeway since the blind doesn’t have to fit exactly inside the frame.
Measure The Width
To get the width of the window, measure from the outside edge on the left side of the window frame to the outside edge on the right side of the window frame.
Repeat this 3 times – once at the top of the frame, once in the middle of the frame and once at the bottom of the frame. If you’re lucky, all three measurements will be the same…but I don’t think that’s ever happened to me 🙂
Take the LARGEST of those three measurements as the width. Then add at least 4″ (so that the blind will overlap the frame by 2″ on either side). You can make it larger than this if you wish to make the blind wider than the window. This is the finished width of your shade.
Measure The Length
Next, you’ll need to measure the height of your window.
Start from the outside edge at the top of the frame and measure down to the window sill. If you don’t have a window sill, measure down to the inside edge of the bottom of the frame.
Repeat this 3 times – once at the left side of the frame, once in the center of the frame and once at the right side of the frame.
Take the LARGEST of those three measurements as the length. Then add at least 2″. If you wish to make the blind taller than the window, you can add more than this to increase the height. This is the finished length of your shade.
Note: If you are making multiple shades for the same room, you’ll want to make them all the same length as the largest measurement across all the windows. That way the folds will all be even across them.
How Much Fabric Do You Need For Roman Shades?
To calculate the fabric width:
Add 4″ to the width that you want the shade to be (from the measurements above). For example, if your window width measurement is 36″, your fabric will need to be 36″ + 4″ = 40″ wide.
To calculate the fabric length with dowels:
Next you’ll need to calculate the length, which depends on the number of dowels you’ll be using. Each dowel adds an additional 1 1/2″ of fabric.
I usually plan to have a dowel every 8 inches and don’t worry too much if the top section is a little longer or shorter than the rest. Which means dividing the window length by 9 1/2″ to find out how many dowels are required. Then round the result to the closest whole number.
Then calculate the fabric length: Desired height (from the measurements above) + (1 1/2″ x number the dowels) + 4″.
As an example, for a window that is 68″ tall:
68 divided by 9 1/2 = 7.16
Round the number down to 7 since it is closer to 7 than to 8
Total amount of fabric required: 68″ + (1 1/2″ x 7) + 4″ = 82 1/2″.
To calculate the fabric length without dowels:
If you aren’t using dowels for your roman shades, add 4″ to the length that you want your shade to be (from the measurements above). For example, if your window length is 78 1/2″, your fabric length will be 78 1/2″ + 4″ = 82 1/2″.
To calculate the lining size:
1. For the width of the lining, subtract 2″ from the window width you measured above. In our example, the window width is 36″ wide so the lining width will be 36″ – 2″ = 34″ wide.
2. To calculate the length of the lining, subtract 1″ from the fabric length you calculated above. In our example, the fabric length is 82 1/2″ so the lining length will be 82 1/2″ – 1″ = 81 1/2″.
How To Sew Roman Shades
Cut The Fabric
Measure and cut the fabric and lining as calculated.
To make sure that you are cutting in a straight line:
a. Make a small cut in the side of the fabric where one of the edges will be.
b. Find the end of a thread that is coming out from the cut.
c. Keep pulling on this thread until it comes all the way out of the fabric. You will be able to see the line that is left behind…this will create a straight line that you can use as a guide for cutting.
Sew The Sides
1. With the right sides of the fabric and lining together (facing towards each other), line up the top edges so that they are even. Make sure that the pattern of the fabric will be hanging the right way when the curtain is hung.
2. Sew the fabric and lining at the sides with a 1/2″ seam. Note that the fabric will be 1″ longer than the lining at the bottom.
3. Turn the fabric and lining so that the right sides are facing out.
4. Lay out the fabric with the lining side up.
5. Center the lining over the fabric so that there is an equal amount of fabric showing on each edge.
6. Use the iron to press the edges flat.
Sew The Bottom Gusset
1. Fold the fabric at the bottom of the curtain towards the back 2 inches so that it covers the bottom of the lining.
2. Press the fold flat with the iron.
3. Open the folded fabric you just ironed.
4. Fold the raw edge of the fabric over 1/2 “.
5. Press the fold flat with the iron.
6. Stitch all the way across the shade close to the edge of the fabric at the top of the fold. This will create a tube that the bottom dowel will fit in, so make sure to leave the ends of the tube open.
(Optional) Sew The Gussets For The Dowels
If you are making roman shades without dowels, you can skip this step and go on to the next one.
1. Lay the fabric out on a flat surface with the lining side facing up.
2. Measure 8″ up from the bottom at each side edge. Draw a pencil line between these two places along the entire width of the fabric using a yard stick.
3. Measure 9 1/2″ up from the bottom at each side edge. Draw a pencil line between these two places along the entire width of the fabric using a yard stick.
4. Pin the lining and fabric together randomly in between these two lines to hold the 2 fabrics in place.
5. Now, with right sides of the fabric facing each other, fold the shade so that the two lines meet.
6. Pin all the way across fabric along the lines.
7. Sew along the line so that you have created a tube that the dowel will fit in.
8. Repeat this process by measuring 8″ up (and then 9 1/2″ up) from the newly sewn line. Pin and sew as described. Continue until you are approximately 10″ from the top.
(Optional) Add Top Piping
For a finished professional look, you can add piping to the top of the shade where it will be attached to the mounting board.
1. To do this, measure up from the bottom of the roman shade to your desired finished length of the shade.
2. Sew piping across the width of the fabric with the unfinished piping edges pointed up towards the top of the roman shade.
Attach the plastic rings
1. Lay the shade on a flat surface with the lining facing up.
2. Figure out how far apart the rings should be.
- There should be one ring placed about 1″ in from each side of the shade.
- Then additional rings should placed about 10″ apart across the width of the shade. The shade will work best if the rings are placed an equal distant apart so you may have to adjust the 10″ spacing slightly to work with the width of your roman shade.
- Use pins to mark the spacing across the back of your shade
2. Use a sewing needle to attach the rings.
The first one should be about 1″ in from the edge of the fabric at the bottom seam line.
3. Continue along the bottom seam line, sewing on additional rings about 10″ apart (using whatever spacing you decided on above).
4. Sew the last ring on the bottom seam line about 1″ in from the other side.
5. Using a pencil, draw a line from each of the rings in the bottom seam to the top of the shade. Make sure the line is straight up and down or your shade won’t open evenly.
6. Repeat the row of rings going up the length of the fabric:
- If you used dowels, the rings will be placed along the back edge of the dowel folds.
- If you did not use dowels, you’ll need to draw lines across the width of the fabric using a pencil. The lines should be 8″ apart starting from the bottom of the shade.
7. Insert the 1/2″ dowel into the bottom gusset, and the 1/4″ dowels (if you are using them) into the other gussets.
Prepare The Mounting Board
1. Cut the 1″ x 2″ board so that it is the same length as the finished width of your roman shade.
2. Wrap the board with left over fabric and staple it onto the back of the board.
3. Securely staple the unfinished top of the curtain to the 2″ side of the board. If you used piping, make sure that it is lined up with the top edge of the board.
4. Trim off any extra fabric on the board behind the staples.
5. Screw small eye hooks into the board so that they match the spacing of the rings on the shade. It is easier to get the eye hooks into the board if you pre-drill the hole with a small drill bit.
The shade should now fall straight down with the piping at the top when the board is held up.
Thread The Control Cords
1. Cut the cord into pieces. To determine the length of the cords, add the finished width to the finished length plus 60 inches. For example, if the finished width is 36″ and the finished length is 78″, you cord will need to be 36″ + 78″ + 60″ = 174″ long.
2. Tie a cord securely to each of the bottom rings.
3. String the cords individually through the rings so that each one goes straight up to the top of the roman shade, and through the matching eye screw on the mounting board.
4. Then thread all of the cords through the eye hooks on the mounting board so that the ends are all on one side of the board. i.e. Cord 1 goes through eye hook 1 only. Cord 2 goes though eye hooks 2 and then 1. Cord 3 goes through eye hooks 3, then 2 and 1. Cord 4 goes through eye hook 4, then 3, then 2 and 1 etc.
Hang the Roman Shade
1. Attach the roman shade:
- For an inside the window frame mount, use screws to attach the mounting board (and the shade) under the top of the window frame so that the piping is along the edge of the frame.
- For an outside the window frame mount, attach 1 1/2″ corner braces to the wall. The bracket should be installed so that the top of it (the part that is sticking out) is 3/4″ below the desired curtain height. If you are covering a wide window, you’ll need to install one or two extra brackets in the middle to prevent the mounting board from sagging.
2. Add one additional eye hook in the wall close to the mounting board.
3. Pull all of the cords through this.
4. Attach a cleat below this at a convenient height for winding the cords around when the shade is open.
5. Cut off any excess cord.
Note: If you have young children in your home, for safety reasons, you may want to make sure the cords are in a location that they cannot reach.
Well, you made it to the end. Hopefully, you were able to make yourself some homemade roman shades that go with your decor!
Other Decorating Ideas You Might Like
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- How to make your house look more expensive
- How to make a small room look bigger
Have comments of questions on how to make roman shades? Tell us in the section below.
This post was originally published on March 26, 2019 but was updated with new content on October 7, 2020.
This is a very informative blog, thanks for sharing about how to make roman shades. It will help a lot; these types of content should get appreciated. I will bookmark your site; I hope to read more such informative contents in future.
Thank you for your encouraging comments.
Thanks a lot to you for sharing about how to make roman shades here, these kinds of ideas are much needed. I really appreciate that you have provided the data too, really appreciative and useful blog for us. Looking for more!!
I want to attach a Roman shade without dowels across to Windows, as I am using a large check pattern. The shade will remain closed. This will be approximately 90 inches wide. Is this possible without to much weight? The shade will have a blackout lining
Hello Kathleen, I think it will be okay, especially since you are not moving the shade up and down. I would make sure the board that you use to hold the shade at the top is well anchored to the studs. Your large check will look stunning!
I have been searching for detailed instruction and yours are great. I am wondering how you wash these since they are stapled into the mounting cleat. We Are moving to the country with lots of dust. I imagine they will need to be laundered regularly.
Hello Mandy, Roman shades are a lot of work to launder. You have to remove them from the mounting board, remove all cords and dowels before washing and then put them back together afterword. Instead of stapling the shade to the mounting board, you could use velcro. Staple one side of the velcro strip to the board and sew the corresponding velcro strip to the top of the shade. I would attach the velcro to the narrow outer edge of the board at the top of the window so that you do not have to remove the board each time you want to take down the shade. You would need to clean finish the top of the shade by turning in a 1/2 inch hem along the piping and under the velcro as you sew it on. Good luck with your move!
Love the tutorial and am looking forward to trying this project on my own. I may have overlooked this detail, but do you mind sharing where you found this fabric? I really love it!
Hi Abbi…It came from JoAnn‘s. It was in their outdoor fabric section. I bought it last year so I’m not sure if they are still carrying it, but you might get lucky 🙂
I’m very interested in making the Roman shades. I got my password and went into the resource library but can find the printable instructions. I must be missing something!
Sorry about that Maureen (it’s kind of hidden in the middle of the DIY section). I’ll send you the link.
I’d love to see a picture of the blind in the closed position and another shot from the side. I don’t understand how visible the dowels are and if they make the shade less flush with the window–I am going to sew a blackout liner into mine but I don’t want gaps leaking light on the sides. I’m worried the dowels will make that happen! Also, does the pattern on the front look strange when the blind is closed bc of the gussets for the dowels? Thanks!
Hello Alex,
Very little light escapes from the roman shade we depict in this tutorial because it fits between bookshelves. You would get less light from the sides with an inside mount installation. I would suggest that you make your shade without dowels to eradicate your concerns about gaps and pattern interruption. Most of the roman shades I have made were sewn without dowels. The advantage of using dowels is that they eliminate the need to adjust the pleats when the blind is opened. This becomes less of a problem as the fabric develops a pleat memory with use. The dowels are not seen from the ends unless they are cut too long. Sorry that we did not think to provide the pictures you suggest.
Good evening,
Thank you for the tutorial. I can hardly wait to get started on the roman shade for my new window. I will use wood dowels in my creation as I don’t like the looks of a ‘slumpy’ shade.
Co-vid 2020 shade.
Take care.
Nan, Your shade sounds like it will really augment your new window. Happy sewing!
If we’d also like to have blinds in our windows is there a different way to mount it?
Hi Alys…If you mount the blinds on the inside of the window frame, then you can hang the roman shade outside the window frame. They should work together with no problems.
thanks for the great details! I’m looking for directions to make faux roman shades. Have you ever posted anything like this?
thanks!
sorry, more — I’m looking for outside mount faux roman shades
Hello Jane,
Sorry, we do not have a post on faux roman shades, and I have never made them. You could check out the instructions at http://www.impartinggrace.com/2011/05/faux-roman-shade-tutorial.html. However they are not outside mounted. You would have to attach something to the walls outside your windows for the tension rods to press against–rather unsightly, I imagine. Good luck!