How-to Make Striped Drapes Using Ikea Drapery Panels


One sewing project I have been slaving over working on and finally completed was sprucing up some plain store bought drapery panels. My daughter wanted striped drapes, we searched for wide-striped fabric but after the calculating yardage, price and work involved we made these instead.




All that was required was this:



And some contrasting fabric:


Here is the how-to:

You need:

  • Store bought drapery panels {I used Ritva drapes from Ikea for $39.99, I liked the weight and the header on these drapes}
  • Fabric for stripes, your choice, but choose a fabric with a similar weight and weave as the drapes, I used 3 meters, it will vary, depending on how wide and how many stripes you would want
  • Long ruler
  • Chalk
  • thread to match the fabric {or you can use contrasting thread to add some interest}
  • Hand sewing needle
  • Pins
  • Sewing Machine
  • Iron

*You could use fusible webbing if you didn't feel like sewing. 
*Another option: You could line the drapes to really give them a custom look, but I chose not to.


How to:

Hem the drapes following the directions on the package.

First determine how wide you want your stripes and how many would be needed on your drapery panel. My finished length was 86". I chose 7"wide stripes and determined I needed to cut 6 for each panel. 



 Lay out your fabric and measure strips 1" wider and 2" longer that your desired width and length. This is to allow for hems.

My drapes were 57" wide and I wanted 7" high stripes. Using chalk, I measured out 12 - 8" X 59" strips.
Using a quilting square or a dressmaker right angle ruler works well to get even strips.


Cut out strips and iron a half inch hem on one side running the length of the strip.



Then iron a half inch hem on the opposite side, using a measuring tape to ensure the strip is 7"wide after the edges are ironed. Leave the ends un-hemmed.


Start pinning down the strips. I determined my strips would begin 4"from the top, that way I ended up with even spaces of black and white down to the bottom hem.


 Continue this down the drape, spacing 7" between the strips. Leave the edges overhanging.




Topstitch the edges of the strips with your sewing machine, leaving the ends free.



Iron the edges over to the back and pin.


Slip stitch the edge hems. Press edges with iron.


Hang up!





Now I am working on sewing working Roman blinds for all three kids' rooms. The sewing part has been easy, but I am having a hard time finding parts in the right widths. I can't find wooden dowels {these help the folds} wider than 48" without having custom cut dowels from the fabric store. That brings up the price dramatically. 

I need 57" wide, anyone have any tips?

{No, I don't like Little Green Notebook's way of making Roman blinds}

XO Barbara

30 comments

  1. Great tutorial Barbara. If I weren't so lazy, I'd make these for my daughters room too.

    You can get long wooden dowels at Rona/Home Depot. Depending on the width you need, they go up to 8' in length.

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  2. Barbara!!!! Oh my!!!! Just how talented are you??!! I am in awe.

    Sewing machines and I never really seem to connect...

    Warm hugs to you from Stockholm.

    Mon

    http://www.splendidwillow.com

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  3. Looks like a lot of work. But the result is fantastic!! Amazing look.

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  4. Love these Barbara... they look fantastic! Don't you "love" working on the floor?! NOT!! How I would love a great big work table for projects like this!! I was going to say Home Depot for your dowls, but someone beat me to it :-)
    Victoria

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  5. Just gorgeous! Thanks for the tutorial! May just try this myself!!

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  6. Oh my goodness, you're amazing! They look awesome. xo e

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  7. Those look amazing!!! Well done. Love the black & white.

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  8. Barbara, those are stunning! They add such a graphic impact to the space. Fabulous tutorial as well!

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  9. Oh, you are so talented! They are gorgeous!

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  10. I really love them. They make the windows look quite glamorous. I think your daughter has great taste and she is quite lucky to have such a talented mom. Great tutorial.

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  11. okay, so now I have no excuse not to make my daughter the blue and white curtains she's requested, right?!! I think home depot for the dowels, and I used the glue on method for my blinds and, while easy, they won't last the year, you're right to do it properly :)

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  12. Very impressive!! You made it look easy and they turned out great.

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  13. Amazing job Barb. They look really great. I have used lots of different things to replace dowels. Just go to the lumber store and find a really skinny piece of wood in 6 or 8 foot length. It doesn't have to be round really. I've used strips of balsa wood as well.

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  14. Lots of work but they look amazing! Those are the same ikea drapes that I have- maybe I'll tackle this! :)

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  15. Looks great Barbara! We buy our dowels at Home Depo, in all thicknesses.



    The Simply Inspired Home

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  16. Those look adorable. It's like nautical meets swanky. Great job!

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  17. Those look adorable. It's like nautical meets swanky. Great job!

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  18. Wow, this is an amazing project. I don't think my sewing skills are quite there (slip stich??) but I love the idea! Filing in my brain for when I learn to sew :)

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  19. Oh wow what a huge project. And I absolutely love how it turned out! Now how can I order a pair? ;)

    xox Linda

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  20. Thanks so much for sharing. Sometimes figuring out how to do a project takes as long as actually doing it.

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  21. Hi Barbara!

    You did a fabulous job! Love them!
    And I love the curtain rod as well!

    Cheers!
    Shelly xo

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  22. This looks pretty darn awesome! For dowels, maybe check your local lumber yard instead of only the big box stores.

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  23. I love, love, love how the drapes turned out! Your sewing skills are amazing - I do not think I would have been able to sew on the stripes so nice and straight! Hmmm, I am racking my brain trying to come up with what you could use instead of dowels. What about thin bamboo stakes that they sell @ garden centers to stake plants??? Or something else where they sell stakes for plants?

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  24. I love those! If only Ikea would just please make some stripe fabici just like that :)

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  25. have been meaning to whip a pair of these badboys out. have had my fabric sitting in pile since june. now i stumble upon your lovely blog. guess what has just moved to the top of my list? thank you for this wonderful tutorial. hope mine turn out as perfecto as yours. i can only aspire.
    wonderful, wonderful, wonderful.

    oh and new follower!

    happy new year.

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  26. Hi Barbara, I remembered that you did this project and would like to try lengthening my shower curtains by adding a few stripes at the bottom like Kate Spade's iconic shower curtain. How do I do that? Any tips? I'd have to cut the shower curtain fabric to add the stripes.

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  27. I just bought these drapes for my familyroom and I've got a question for you- did you wash these first? And if so, how much did they shrink up?

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  28. These look so adorable. I wish I had the patience to sew these myself. LOL!

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