diy fabric roller shade

Given my lack o' kitchen in our fixer-upper (still! ugh), this post is decidedly un-kitchen. So begins my loose interpretation of a decorated cookie. In this case, "cookie" means my new house, more specifically, my tyke's play room. Wanting to save a wee bit on window treatments, I made my own fabric roller shades. I found these great instructions HERE from matt and shari. I won't even try and recreate the how-tos, because they are articulated so well by matt and shari. I used Amy Butler's Lotus fabric (visit her site for where to buy) and cheap cut-to-fit vinyl roller shades from Home Depot. And I'll use a coordinating, but different color, fabric for the attached living room. In terms of cost, they are definitely cheaper than custom shades, but the supplies add up when you factor in the cheap shade, a couple yards of fabric, the interfacing, the new supplies after you mess up the first time...


Some notes:

• I couldn't find "seam sealant" at my fabric store, so I poured some liquid stitch in a container and used my fingers to spread the glue over the edges.

• Precision in measurement is vital. Precision is not an asset I hold. I thought I took painstaking measures to measure precisely. But my shades are still crooked. And one doesn't roll up too tightly. I was not precise enough, it seems.

• The instructions have you staple the fabric shade to the shade roller. My Home Depot rollers were partially metal, so I used the fabric glue in lieu of a stapler.

• And the shades will likely need an accompanying valance. Given the way the shades are rolled, you can see the interfacing at the top. Something else for my to-do list.