Sometimes it only takes a few moments of inspiration and the right material to start a wonderful project. As in life, developing a DIY project can follow a different path than one you chose initially, but in the end turn out even more beautiful than you thought.

Here’s a simple story of a pair of curtains and a red ribbon that updated my bedroom and turned into my favorite window treatment from all time.

Keep reading to get inspired! 

The blackout curtains from my bedroom are almost ten years old, but I still love their silky appearance, and the champagne-like irizations they get when hit by full sun.  They are pretty similar to the walls – a soft nuance of beige, which is the first color I chose and the only color I have ever had in this bedroom. Since the bedroom is facing East, and the sunlight going through my windows is sharp and cold, this beige softens it and makes the room appear cozier.

When the upper part of the curtains got loose, I didn’t want another pair of curtains for all the reasons above. I was very determined to find a way to save them, but I was stuck…

Then I just saw this printed fabric, in one of the DIY stores in my area. I had an “aha!” moment, a spark of sudden inspiration that triggered the solution. Next thing I remember was me buying a ruby red silk ribbon to complete the job.

My plan was to keep the upper part of the curtain colored and edge it with red ribbon. In the end, I have decided to add the insert between two pieces of beige fabric, and also replace the pleater tape since the old one got loose. It doubled my work but the result payed off!

Where to Start From

Are you lost? Let’s recap the materials you need to develop the same sewing project for your favorite room.

• soft beige blackout curtains (or any color at your choice),
• 2 pieces of 15-in printed fabric in compatible colors, same width as the curtains,
• silk ribbon in accent color, length two times the width of the curtains.

If your curtains are already sewn and you only want to add some pop of color with the fabric, then take into account an extra 1.5-in of fabric and ribbon for each of the curtains, so you could bind a seam on each side. You don’t need any seam if you’re using adhesive tape instead of silk ribbon.

You will also need needles, thread in a color that fits your fabric, scissors, an iron and a sewing machine.

One more thing to keep in mind when choosing the right fabric: look for similar texture and thickness, as both fabrics should stretch and wear in similar way during time.

If you are looking for supplies for this kind of project, then check this link for suitable fabrics. And here’s a wide range of ribbons to choose from for this project.

 How to Sew Your Updated Curtains

Prepare your supplies, meaning the curtain, the patterned fabric and the ribbon. If you have to cut the fabric, iron it first then bend it and iron the edge, so you would have a straight trace to follow for a clean cut. Here’s how I cut my patterned fabric in two, one piece for each curtain.

My curtains were 8.2-ft high, and I had to cut it in two to add the insert, so I had to work with three parts of fabric to put together for a new window treatment. The first part was the cream blackout fabric, which I cut at 6,7-ft high. The second part was the patterned fabric that was 15-in high. The third part was in solid color too, 3.5-in high, and it had the pleater tape sewn on its back.

After sewing these three pieces of fabric together, there comes the decorative part. Another seam was needed on the upper end of the colored fabric, to make it look neat. The lower end of the same fabric got a pop of color, as I’ve covered it with the red ribbon.

One trick that would help you keep a neat appearance of your project is using the iron before every seam you make. This will compress the fabric and shape it properly, then you only have to sew on the edge to make it stay that way.  So iron, sew then iron again, and this is the clean look that you’ll get!

Pleating was the hardest part for me, but I finally did it, so my curtains were ready to install!

I totally love them!!!

Most probably, these curtains will be in my bedroom for another ten years or so.  The soft light, the sweet colors and the silky reflections of these window treatments gave me the most profound feeling of comfort. It’s all I will ever need in this corner of my home!

I took dozens of pictures trying to catch the beauty of the soft light from my bedroom, and I still believe that the pictures doesn’t do any good to this project!

Share this project with your friends if you liked it!

Would you do something different with this project? Let me know in a comment bellow!