Quick Project: How to Make 30-Minutes Cafe Curtains
If you have a small or awkward window that needs covering, these 30-minutes cafe curtains will provide privacy and finish off a bare window.
05/03/2022
hunker.com - trisha sprouse
When you have a small or awkwardly-shaped window in the home, it isn't always easy to find a window treatment that fits or looks right. This is more prevalent in bathrooms and guest toilets where the window is so small you are not quite sure what to use as a window treatment. Cafe curtains are basically curtains that are half-sized and mounted halfway down the window to provide privacy without blocking out natural light.
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Making cafe curtains for a window, the best material to use is cotton or cotton-blend that is light and airy but still offers enough privacy. However, if you are putting these in a kitchen and want to bring more colour and pattern into the room, nothing is stopping you from selecting a pretty patterned fabric for the cafe curtain. Likewise in a bathroom, you can select a coloured or patterned fabric to bring some life into a plain bathroom.
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Using Curtain rings with clips make it so easy to hang all types of curtains but it works very well for hanging cafe curtains or shower curtains where it is easy to remove the curtains if they need cleaning. Using curtain clips also lends a whimsical or rustic look to a home and complements many different styles of decor.
If you are looking for a supplier of curtain rings and clips, I found the ones below online from Leroy Merlin @ R79 per pack of 10.
YOU WILL NEED:
Fabric for the curtains plus extra for hemming and edging **
Curtain tape, pleated style
Curtain hooks for pleated curtains (3 or 4-prong)
Curtain rod rings and clips
Iron-on hemming tape or webbing
Curtain rail, extendable, to match curtain clips
** Lightweight cotton or linen is perfect for this quick project, as are hessian or lightweight fabrics
TOOLS:
Tape measure
Scissors
Iron
HERE'S HOW:
Step 1
Measure up the window from side to side and from the height where you want to curtain rod to hang down to the bottom of the window frame. Knowing the measurements will make it easy for you to hem and edge the fabric to fit into the frame and hang nicely from the curtain rod. DO include extra fabric at the top of the fabric for folding over and adding the curtain tape. How much to fold over will be determined by the width of the curtain tape.
Step 2
Hem and edge the fabric along the sides and bottom using a basic running stitch. If you do not have a sewing machine for this, you can also use iron-on hemming tape to seal around the edges.
Step 3
Fold over the top of the fabric to the same width as the pleated curtain tape and secure this with iron-on hemming tape. Now use iron-on hemming tape to secure the curtain tape onto the top of the curtain. Note that it should be on the backside of the fabric.
Step 4
Push the curtain hooks into the tape at equidistant intervals along the length of the curtain tape. The spacing and number of curtain hooks will depend on the width of the window.
Step 5
Place the curtain rod rings and curtain on the extendable curtain rod and fit this inside the window frame. Adjust the height until the curtain sits flush with the bottom of the window frame and you're done!