Step by step guide to make your own roman blind

by housetohome


You will need
2.5cm square wooden batten the width of the blind
Length of self-adhesive hook and sew-on loop fastener the width of the batten
Main fabric (we used Oleander, ref 4535-1, col Lemon, Ј65 a metre, Marvic Textiles, 020 7352 3119)
Lining fabric
Matching thread
Lengths of wooden dowelling, the width of the finished blind minus 3cm
Length of button trimming, three times the length of the finished blind plus 12cm (we used Button Braid, ref T571/06, Ј39 a metre, Osborne & Little)
12mm plastic rings
4 screw-in eyelets
Wooden acorn
3 lengths of cord, each the width of the finished blind plus twice the length
Wall cleat


Stage 1:
Fix the wooden batten inside the window recess to the underside of the window frame. Press the self-adhesive hook fastener along the front of the batten.

Stage 2:
To work out the size of your blind, measure from the top of the batten to your required finished length, adding 2.5cm each for the top and bottom hems. For the width, measure the length of the batten and add 2.5cm for each side seam. Cut out your main and lining fabric to these measurements.

Stage 3:
Right side up, lay out your main fabric on a flat surface. Place the lining fabric on top, matching raw edges all round. Pin all round, then stitch the side and bottom edges, taking a 2.5cm seam. Remove pins.

Stage 4:
To create a dowel pocket along the bottom edge, stitch a second line of stitching 6mm from the raw edge. Insert dowel. Trim seam allowances and turn through and press.

Stage 5:
To create the pleats, lay the blind lining side up and measure 5cm from the top of the blind. Mark with a pencil line across the width of the blind. Divide the remaining length of the blind into 20cm to 30cm pleats, finishing with a half pleat at the bottom. Mark each section with a pencil mark as before.

Stage 6:
To make pockets to hold the dowels at each of the pleats, cut 8cm strips of lining fabric to the width of the blind for each of the marked pencil lines. Fold each strip in half along the length and stitch the long raw edge and one end, taking a 1cm seam. Turn through and press.

Stage 7:
Centre the pockets along the marked pencil lines and pin and tack in place. Machine stitch each long edge, through all thicknesses, being careful not to pucker the fabric (see illustration).

Stage 8:
Slide the dowels into the pockets, turning under the remaining raw edges on the pockets and slip stitching to hold dowels in place.

Stage 9:
Cut the button trimming into three equal lengths. Pin and tack one strip down the centre on the right side of the blind, turning the excess to the back of the blind at the top and bottom. Slip stitch in place. Repeat to attach the remaining lengths of button trimming along the side edges of the blind. On the reverse of the blind turn under and slip stitch the excess button trimming.

Stage 10:
On each pocket mark the centre point of the blind and slip stitch a plastic ring in place. Repeat 5cm in from each side edge of the blind on each pocket (see illustration).

Stage 11:
To make the top hem, turn the raw edges of the main fabric and lining fabric to the back of the blind by 2.5cm and press. Stitch the sew-on loop fastener in place, close to the fold. Hang blind from the batten.

Stage 12:
Screw three eyelets to the underside of the batten so that each aligns with each row of plastic rings on the blind. Screw a fourth eyelet to the edge of the batten where the cords will fall and where the blind will be operated from.

Stage 13:
Cut the cord into three equal lengths and tie one to each of the three rings on the lowest pleat. Then thread each length of cord through each of the rings above it, and through the eyelets, finishing on the working side of the batten (see illustration). Trim the cords to a suitable length and thread on a wooden acorn. Fix a cleat in place on the wall and use to secure the cords.

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