5-Minute DIY Project: No Sew Roller Shades

I love window treatments that are easy to install and care, but also creative and uncommon. Actually, when your windows have a weird shape, uncommon and creative window treatments might be the only option.

I’m facing a similar problem with my kitchen window. All I wanted was a thin curtain that would cover both the glass door and the window, and nothing seemed to be fine enough, pretty enough or cost effective. So I had to look for a creative solution, and I found one that only took 5 minutes to craft.

Here it is!

This post contains an affiliate link. I earn a small commission on purchases through this link at no extra cost to you. This link helps support my small business so that I can keep creating new free content for you. Thank you!

What You Need

Briefly, you only need a curtain, two pieces of ribbon and a stick. Calculate the length of the ribbon according to the desired height of your roller shade. Actually, for each piece of ribbon, double that height and add another 20 to 24in for the bow. I had a cotton ribbon for my project, but I would love to to mix a burlap ribbon like this one with a linen curtain for a farmhouse look.

Both the stick and the curtain should have the same width as the window so they could cover it properly and look neat. Look for a stick that is thin, but firm enough to remain straight when suspended horizontally. What you see below is a round wooden stick (birch wood, I guess) that is 40 inches long, 5 mm thick, and it’s available for crafters in our local DIY shops.

It’s easier if you have wall mounted rods for hanging your curtain, because this is how you hang your roller shade too. For ceiling mounted rail, you will need one more stick and a couple of rings to fix it.

What To Do

Hang the ribbons to the rod, as you see below, then make a knot or a bow on each of them, at the same height. Be sure that the height is perfectly the same as it would later determine your final look. Place the ribbons at 5-6 in from each side of the rod and let the curtain hang in between.

Look for the seam at the lower end of the curtain and push the stick inside until it’s completely inserted. Gently roll the stick along with the curtain until you reach the desired height.

Use the knotted ribbons to hang / fix the rolled curtain and acquire the look you see below. (For ceiling mounted rail, you should hang another stick to the rail first, with a few rings, then use it as a rod for hanging the ribbons.)

If the stick is firm enough, you won’t see much difference from the roller shades that are sold in the stores, beside the cords that are usually hanging on the side. Since you don’t have the cords, you’ll have to adjust the height manually, tightening the ribbons one by one. But there’s an up and down in everything, and creating this roller shade in only 5 minutes has a cost too, which is the manual adjustment of the height. 🙂

Extra Tip

If you don’t have a stick at hand, you can still go with the project and craft your own shade in two ways, depending on the number of ribbons you use. Just proceed with the same steps as above skipping the stick part, and use one or two ribbons, as you wish. Using one ribbon centered on the window will lead to a “butterfly” look.

You will get a more romantic, shabby chic look if you go with two ribbons and no stick.

I hope this project will inspire you, and provide an easy solution for your windows. If so, feel free to share it with your friends or in social media.

And if you are eager to discover more easy crafting projects out of nothing, take a look at my DIY book on Amazon HERE!

Stay safe!