Traffic Stopping Threads: Super Easy Curtain Panels Tutorial

I am going crazy with curtains in my house lately! When we first bought our house 6 and a half years ago, it was a foreclosure so there were no window coverings at all, let alone anything pretty on them. Just getting blinds on everything took me awhile, but now I am having fun finally putting some fabric up! This is such an easy process and I wanted to share it because curtains are one thing that are worth making yourself. Window coverings are so expensive to buy, so you really do save money when you do it at home. I would recommend using home decor fabrics because they are thicker but you could use just cotton too, especially if you lined it with a sheet or a second layer (or if not they would just let more light in). The home decor fabrics are often more pricey, so make sure to use a coupon to make it worth your while. Some are washable and some are not (dry clean only).
The curtains I am showing you here are dry clean only, but I don't think it's too big of a deal since I am not found washing my curtains very often anyhow! You can always vacuum them, which is what I do to get any dust off.

The things you will need:

Sewing machine and thread color that works with your fabric
Dritz curtain grommets (Jo Ann or online from Walmart.com)
Fabric (to create 2 panels)
Everyone's measurements will be different here.
(measure the window and add some extra inches for width...you want to have more fabric than just the width measurement of the window....I would say at least 12 extra inches. You will also need to account for how long and high you want them to hang. If you want to hang the curtain rod up near the ceiling, not right over the window, add that into your measurement. If you want them to almost touch the floor, you will have to measure from the top to the floor. And then there will be just a little extra for your seams: Add about 4 1/2 inches for the top and about an inch for the bottom. Side seams need about 1/2 inch.)

Once you have the two panels laid out you will just seam them up! Do the sides first (fold over a quarter inch and iron and then fold again on top of that and sew in the middle of that fold all the way across). Then seam the bottom edges (this time fold a half inch and iron, fold over again and sew.

For the top edge you want to do a wide seam for the grommets to have a double layer. I did about a 3 1/2 inch area. (So, for the finished seam, fold over about a quarter inch and iron, then fold over your 3 1/2 inches and sew.)

Now they are almost done! The wider fold where the grommets will go is at the top. This is what they look like at this point. The backsides and then the front sides:

Now trace the template that comes with the grommets for evenly spaced grommets at the top. Important: you also need an even number of grommets on each panel. I didn't realize this the first time and it makes one side of the fabric flip out and one side flip under when the panels are hanging if you don't do an even number.

Did I say that these are super easy to put on? There are two sides to each grommet and you just snap them together. They are plastic, but they look like metal and they come in all different colors, such as brushed bronze or shiny chrome. Ready to hang (below)!!