Sunday, September 18, 2011

chevron curtains- a tutorial


okay, so do you remember this post about my new curtains that i absolutely adore? well i promised a tutorial and that was like 3 months ago. i basically suck, i know. here it is nevertheless. this project definitely take patience and persistence, but the end result is SO worth. the money you save, and the drama these curtains bring to a room is amazing. 



you'll need:
drop cloth
painters tape
ruler
 about a quart of black paint (or whatever color you choose)
small sponge roller
hanging curtain clips

i started with a huge drop cloth from home depot. i wanted my curtains to brush the ground,
 so i bought the 9x12 size.


lay your drop cloth out. you'll need a big space where kids can't get in the way. don't forget to put a tarp or something underneath when you paint, bc the paint will go through. don't cut your drop cloth yet, you'll do that after we're all done painting.

now you need to figure out your measurements. this was the most difficult part and i made my husband help with the math and stuff. here's a rough sketch of how i did mine. if you want bigger or smaller chevrons, you'll have to adjust.
 i started a foot in from the left and 5 inches down from the top. mark a dot. mark another dot another foot in from the first one and 5 inches from the top, and so on till you reach the other side. these make up the points of the top chevron.
for the dip of the chevron i did 6 inches in and 11.5 inches down.
then for the bottom part of the chevron, i marked my dots just 6 inches below the top ones for the point and the dip. did i confuse you yet?

 after you have all your dots measured and penciled, you can start taping. to make a perfectly pointed edge with painters tape, look at these next two pictures. hold a straight edge over your tape at the angle you want your edge and rip the tape towards you. works every time.


 after tons of patient work and hopefully a helpful partner, you'll get something that looks like this. 
(i know it looks like my "white" chevrons are smaller than the black ones will be, but it's 
just an illusion bc of the edges of the tape.)



 now is when the fun part comes in. i used flat interior paint and bought a cheap small sponge roller.
just roll that bad boy on like there's no tomorrow.

and keep rolling and rolling. you'll have to put it on pretty thick for it not to look blotchy.


once it's dried, you can cut it as you like for whatever window you're using it on. i cut mine straight down the middle and trimmed some off the bottom once i hung them. i also left he edges raw, but you can choose to hem them. 


attach your curtain ring clips and your done! $30 vs $150? 
yes please! 
i hope someone finds this tutorial helpful. and if you choose to do them, please send pics! 
good luck fellow dyi-ers!


17 comments:

Mike and Wendy said...

I love how they puddle on the floor. No one ever does that and they should! Curtains that don't even touch the floor remind me of high water pants!
The curtains are lovely!
I'm finally beginning your stick family. And I was thinking of doing pictures in 3 or 4 weeks?

Vanessa said...

YAY!! :) That is such an ingenious idea using a drop cloth! Thank you for posting the tutorial.

Unknown said...

That is fantastic!
My boyfriend and I just moved and I've had this vision of large print yellow chevron and cream curtains for our living room but finding fabric has been impossible. (Or $20+/yd, ouch!) I might just make them myself! Thanks!

Ali said...

Thank you , thank you for the tutorial. I am soooo going to do these...I love the dramatic look!!

Jessica said...

You are famous! And a decorating/DIY genius! Great job on the tutorial.

Anonymous said...

Your curtains look great! Thanks for sharing. We just installed our own no-sew chevron curtains in our bedroom and I just love them!

Sarah said...

Painted curtains? I never would have thought! Wow, they do look great :)

AN-G said...

they look fantastic,im gonna try that right now... what color is your armoire?

AN-G said...

these look soo good !!! what color is the armoire?

Cassiem8 said...

How did you keep the curtains from becoming stiff where they are painted?? I did some and mine are hard as a rock! Helppp! :)

Beth said...

Thank you for the inspiration and tutorial! If you have a minute, check out my curtains here: http://sunshineontheinside.blogspot.com/2011/12/seeing-chevron.html

Merry Christmas!

shalynn said...

i'm sorry cassie! mine are pretty stiff too and it bugs me a little, but they're not too bad. i can't think of a solution for you, sorry! my friend painted some regular white curtains and they weren't too stiff. it's probably just the drop cloth.

Anonymous said...

I liked youre idea of making own curtains! and I blog about it, hope you dont mind!

best regards Hanna

Unknown said...

I mixed a small bottle of Textile Medium with my regular latex house paint (following the bottle's instructions on ratio, of course). I used cheap white cotton fabric from Joann's ($2.99 a yard).
And...... they came out pretty darn flexible!!
Supposedly they can be washed (carefully) as well!
I hope that helps :)

Unknown said...

It seems like a lot of work, but it turned out “puuurty.” Nice work, Shalynn! A floor length curtain is very classy and adds drama to the room. The pattern you chose is very chic, and it perfectly goes well with your walls and even with the distinct color of the cabinet.

Roxie Tenner

Rodney Orton said...

Your curtain is beautiful and it makes your window look more elegant. It also provides a dramatic effect on the room. I have a question though: was the space a part of your living room? I’m just wondering why the yellow cabinet is the only thing that’s in there. Hehe!

Rodney Orton

Unknown said...
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