Easy, Inexpensive Window Treatments Using Roller Shades

26.12.2009 | Author: Jesita Jerik | Posted in Home & Living

When you are decorating a room, the window treatments can often break your budget. Panels can easily run over one hundred dollars from the popular decorating stores. For an inexpensive window treatment, try using roller shades.

Roller shades can be purchased for very little and are some of the simplest of all window treatments to install. Most of the inexpensive plastic window shades do not do much to complement the decor or your room, however. For that, you are going to need to get creative.

For this project you will need a cheap plastic roller shade that fits your window. If you already have roller shades that have operating springs, then you will not need to buy new shades.

You will also need to pick a fabric to use in your room. This is a great project to use fabric left over from a previous project or to find fabric that is the perfect match fro your new room. Be sure that you check for fabric that has been discounted because it is the end of a bolt or has been discontinued. Try to choose fabric that is not too sheer, but is also not too bulky.

For thicker fabrics, the plastic can be removed from the shade and replaced using the fabric. The fabric will need to be stiffened so that it hangs correctly. Before you remove the plastic, make sure that you make a note of the direction it is rolled onto the center of the shade. This makes sure that the spring is able to work correctly at raising and lowering the shade.

Thin fabrics allow you to use spray adhesive to attach the fabric to the shade’s plastic and is a very quick project.

The plastic that has been removed from the shade can be used as a pattern for the fabric that will replace it. Be sure that you allow an extra two inches on the side and three inches in length. Iron the fabric and then iron on the fabric interfacing.

This interfacing is attached to the back of the fabric using an iron. Use seam sealant along the final trim lines to prevent the interfacing and fabric from separating. Trim the sides to the size of the plastic shade using long scissor strokes to prevent the sides from looking chopped. At the bottom of the shade fold one-half to three quarters of an inch to serve as a hem and secure using no-sew tape.

If you choose thinner fabric, you may want to use spray adhesive to attach the fabric to the plastic shade. Find material that is slightly narrower than the plastic shade. This allows you to have sides that are already finished. Spray using the spray adhesive but do not saturate the fabric. Lay the fabric smoothly out on the open shaded, being careful to remove all wrinkles. Make sure that you are attaching the material to the side that faces the room. Double stick tape will hold trim in place to add a finishing touch to the shade.

If there is difficulty in opening or closing the shade, roll it tightly and secure using rubber bands. After a few days take the bands off and try the shade again. It should now work correctly.

Find out how to select and save on window shades. Stop by Jesita Jerik’s site where you can find out all about roller shades and what they can do for you when saving money is also an issue.

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