This week I got to work and I made my window shades. Yes, I MADE THEM! Just so you all know, this is a big deal for me. This is not a DIY account and I have never done anything like this. I follow a lot of amazing DIYers and they are always making me think “I could do that!” So much so that now I actually did it!
This DIY I found from Cass at CassMakesHome. She has a great tutorial on her Instagram highlights and has done this project more than once, so she knows all the easy steps to take.
Supply List:
*Fabric
*Window blind
*Pins (If you are sewing the hems)
*Heat Bond (For the no-sew option, which is what I did)
*Scissors
*Adhesive (Tacky glue or any type of super glue)
*pencil
Here is a Step-by-step of how I did this:
1. Open the blind fully and place on fabric
2. Cut fabric around blind. Leave 2-3” of fabric around all sides of the blind
3. Mark the fabric where you will make a fold. Leave it just a little wider than the top of the bind so it covers it completely. I made a line all the way down to help guide me since I am not great at straight lines & that helped a lot. And because my fabric is a herringbone pattern, there was already a straight line in the fabric that made this part much easier.
4. Fold the edges at the marks and iron to fold down
5. Use Heat Bond to seal the edges
follow the instructions on the Heat Bond packaging. a negative to this fabric is that it is thicker so it took longer than the instructions said, but it still worked great!
6. Lay blind out fully open
7. Mark every 10th piece
It does not need to be every 10th. I could be every 5th or 8th or any spacing that you prefer. I just liked the way the spacing looked at every 10th piece.
8. Cut every unmarked piece.
Be very careful not to cut any strings! Those are what make the shade work, so you have to be extra cautious here.
9. Lay your shade out on the fabric
10. Use tacky glue to adhere fabric to the top of the blind.
This is where I switched gears. I think because my fabric was so heavy/thick, the tacky glue was not doing the trick. So, I used Gorilla Glue instead. This worked much better!
11. After the glue is dry, start gluing the vinyl pieces to the fabric.
12. Attach the bottom to the fabric and wrap all the way around
13. Install shade with hardware & directions that are provided
One thing I would take more time looking for next time is fabric. I would try and find a thinner option to ensure the tacky glue would work. The Gorilla Glue worked well, but you can see it through the fabric in some spots.
While I did not do the cleanest job I could have, this was a surprisingly fun project! I do not think a lot more DIY is in my future, but it still feels good to know I have the capability.
Next week: Putting the desk together and making this room look like an actual office!
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Fabric: Wayfair
Window Blind: Walmart
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