Project LuLu: DIY Curtains

With the cold weather outside, I’ve been limited on the amount of time I can spend working directly on LuLu. I knew that would be the case, though, so I planned to work on indoor projects during the winter. With my rug complete, I got straight to work on LuLu’s very own DIY curtains.

I’ve never been a fan of blinds and I don’t even typically close my curtains. With such a small living space, however, I wanted to try to balance my need for natural light, sleep, and privacy. That means as much as I wanted to, I couldn’t have white linen curtains all around. Light blocking curtains it is, which also doubled as a more private option. I decided on 3 light blocking and 2 white linen curtains. This would allow me enough natural light to wake up with the sun, but enough privacy and light blocking that I’d be comfortable and able to sleep.

Living in a van has also made me want to embrace some different styles than what I normally decorate my house with. Mixing patterns is not my forte, but when done right, I love the look! With the help of Spoonflower and a group on Facebook for maximalist style, I set out to do just that! I opted to save some money and make my own – I decided on 2 patterns to pair with my white solid. They came out great, and I’m so excited to share them with you!

First, I took the measurements of my windows. I’ll be putting curtains on the back hatch, three panel windows (each two curtain panels), and the sliding door (one panel). Then, I decided how much pleating would be best as well as the best length for the space.

It was important to me that they look cute, have enough fabric to fully cover the windows, and also be economical in cost. Typically, window hangings range in 1.5x, 2x, or 3x the width of the window. Because of the small space, I opted for 1.5x the width of my windows. That allows a loose pleat when closed but a cute drape when open.

With light blocking curtains, it also prevents it from looking too bulky. If using a light or unlined fabric, you may want to choose something closer to 3x the width of the window. I chose the Linen Cotton Canvas for something durable and easy to work with.

For the length of the curtains, I wanted a ruffle above the curtain rod and a little extra length at the bottom. The extra length allow them to still be long enough to fall past the bottom of the window when pulled back. Too long, though, and they would overwhelm the space. I decided on 20″ curtains, including a 2″ ruffle above the rod.

Once I cut the fabric to the size I needed, I cut the light blocking lining to the exact size of the window. The hem of the curtain will fold over the edges of the lining. This means you don’t need any extra length or width.

I pressed and hemmed all the edges and that was the finished curtain! You could also add some additional fringe to the bottom. I decided to use my pull backs for the added boho look.

You can purchase ready made curtains for your Volkswagen bus, but if you’d like a more personalized touch, here is how you can make your own. Read to the end for tips and tricks!

List of Supplies Needed:

• Fabric of your choice (I used 1 yard per curtain panel), washed/dried and ironed
• Light blocking fabric (I purchased at Joann Fabrics)
• Thread
• Sewing machine with universal point needle
• Scissors or rotary cutter
• Straight pins or fabric clamps
• Cutting mat (optional)
• Iron (optional)

Step 1: Measure the window you’re covering. Mine measured 41″ wide by 15″ long.

Step 2: Decide how many panels you want and how much pleat/drape you want. Then do curtain math.

For my curtains, I wanted a 1.5x pleat. That makes my final curtain width 62.25″ (41 x 1.5 = 62.25) and because I wanted 2 panels, each panel is half of that final width. That means after rounding, each panel is 31″ wide. I wanted my final curtain width to fall at 20″, so that puts each curtain panel at 31″ wide by 20″ long.

Step 3: Factor in your seam allowances to determine the final size of fabric you need. I added 4″ to the width of the finished curtain and 8″ to the length. That put my total square of fabric being 35″ wide and 28″ long.

Step 4: Cut your fabric to the size you determined with scissors or a rotary cutter. You can use pinking shears if you feel more comfortable, but with the fold we’ll be using on the hem, it isn’t necessary.

Step 5: Cut your light blocking fabric to the desired dimensions of your finished curtain using scissors or a rotary cutter.

Step 6: Lay out the curtain fabric wrong side up. Center the light blocking fabric, right side up, so that there is 2 inches on either side and 2.5 inches at the bottom.

Step 7: Starting with one side, fold the fabric over 1 inch and crease (I creased with my hand, then pressed with an iron). The raw edge should now reach the edge of the light blocking fabric.

Step 8: On the same side, fold the fabric over again 1 inch and crease, then press. You should no longer be able to see the raw edge on this side and the light blocking fabric should be covered by an inch hem.

Step 9: Pin the fabric through all layers so that it doesn’t move while sewing. Make sure the lining is smooth and taught.

Step 10: Repeat steps 7-9 on the opposite side of the curtain.

Step 11: Set your sewing machine to the appropriate thread tension and stitch length. It’s always a good idea to test this out on a scrap piece of fabric before running your final product through.

Step 12: Sew one hem approximately 1/4″ from the innermost fold. Repeat on the opposite side. Remove all pins.

Step 13: Moving to the bottom, fold the fabric over 1/2″ and crease, then press.

Step 14: Fold the fabric over again 2″. Crease and press. You should now be looking at a 1 inch hem on either side, and a 2 inch hem on the bottom of your curtain. These 3 edges of the light blocking fabric should be completely covered by the patterned fabric.

Step 15: Pin the fabric through all the layers. Make sure the light blocking fabric is smooth and taught.

Step 16: Sew the hem 1/4″ from the innermost fold. Remove all pins.

Step 17: Moving to the top, fold the fabric over 1″ and crease, then press.

Step 18: Fold the fabric over again 4″ and crease, then press. The edge of the light blocking fabric should now be covered.

Step 19: Repeat steps 15-16.

Step 20: To create the rod pocket with ruffle, sew another seam 2″ below the top of the curtain.

Step 21: Press if needed with a cool iron as to not cause shrinkage of the light blocking fabric. Trim any remaining threads.

Step 22: Congratulate yourself that you now have half of your curtain! Repeat for each additional panel.

Tips for success to make your own DIY curtains:

• Longer stitches are needed for thicker fabrics.
• Pin perpendicular to your seam (instead of parallel) so you can sew over your pins without removing them (see image of Step 18 above)
• There are a variety of ways to measure where to sew a seam that is in the middle of your project, like the two inch rod pocket above. For me, I’ve actually made a guide on my sewing machine that is a 2 inch allowance (see image below). The first set of dots is with the needle left aligned. The second set of dots if for a needle placed at center.

• A cutting mat with measurements and a rotary cutter are extremely helpful when making the folds/hems and cutting your fabric.
• If your light blocking fabric isn’t exactly centered, that’s okay! You can still use the same process as above. Make sure the second fold completely covers the edge of the light blocking fabric. Here’s an example of one of my seams:

• If you don’t want a ruffle above your rod pocket, decrease the length of the patterned fabric by 4″. In this case, You’ll only fold over the top fold by 2″ instead of 4″. Skip step 20.
• This project was adapted from a WikiHow tutorial. For additional guidance, including illustrations not shown here, take a look!

Tell me what you think about my curtains down below! If you’ve made your own, I’d love to see them!