Crafts | Dress Up Plain Curtains

I was lucky enough to spend a day scouring the tents at Brimfield with Yankee staffers Amy, Heather and Brenda a few weeks ago. While Brimfield can be a truly overwhelming experience, I find that it is helpful to have an idea of what you are looking for…but at the same time, remain open to surprises. My favorite thing to find? Vintage sewing notions: buttons, ribbons, pincushions, etc. I love to incorporate vintage bits into the projects that I am working on…like these curtains, for example. I prefer the look of simple, linen curtains (I get mine from Ikea), but they often need a little something to spice them up.

That’s where trim comes in. I found this fabulous red pom-pom trim at Brimfield a couple of years ago, and have been saving it for the perfect project. I decided it was just the thing to liven up the curtains in my son’s nursery. I so loved the end result that I decided to raid my ribbon stash and do the same for my hallway curtains!

Materials to Dress Up Plain Curtains:

• Sewing Machine
• Thread
• Curtains
• Trim or ribbon (enough to line the edge of your curtain)
• Pins

Instructions to Dress Up Plain Curtains:

1. Decide whether you would like your trim to line one, or both, sides of your curtain. Measure the length, and make sure you have enough ribbon to reach from end to end.
2. Pin the ribbon/trim into place, lining it up with the outer edge of the curtain. At both the beginning and end, wrap the fraying edge of the trim around to the back of the curtain and secure with a pin. This way, your rough edge will be hidden at the back of the curtain. Please note: with some trims, such as the pom-poms, you actually sew it to the back of the curtain, as you are only meant to see the pom-pom sticking out. With decorative ribbon, you sew it to the front of the curtain, as you want to see the entire thing.
3. Starting at the top of your curtain, sew in a straight line (or a zig-zag stitch for more security), attaching your trim to the curtain. For thicker ribbons, you may need to sew along each edge. I recommend using a thread that matches your trim, so that the stitches disappear.
4. With leftover trim, you can make a tie-back, simply by creating a loop, and securing the ends together with a straight stitch. This can be used to gather the curtain (see picture)

PRINT