How to Make Roller Shades

X-HT-200713

Roller shades are a great, stylish way to manage the light in your home and provide privacy. More stylish than mini-blinds, roller shades are just as easy to use and can be used either with or without other window treatments. The sizes of windows can vary greatly from home to home, so custom window treatments often lend the best fit.

Video Chapters:

Measure Window - 0:56 min.
Cut Fabric & Roller to Size - 4:29 min.
Assemble the Shade - 15:17 min.
Install the Shade - 25:07 min.
Materials List - 30:47 min.

Materials List:

Roller Shade Clutch Kit (available in 3 sizes: 36", 48" & 60")
Roller Shade Fabric (we used Phifertex^® Plus)

Tools List:

Comfort Grip Rotary Cutter #9655
Clear Acrylic Ruler 6" x 24" #102400
Self-Healing Rotary Cutting Mat 24" x 36" #120257
Drill, Square, Pencil, Scissors, Screwdriver, Stapler, Tape Measure, Calculator, Hacksaw

Get a custom fit and design for your roller shades at an affordable price using a DIY Roller Shade Kit from Sailrite^®. Our comprehensive how-to video will guide you through the entire assembly process.

How to Make Roller Shades Video 2 — Learn how to make custom roller shades with our step-by-step video guide.

Sailrite offers complete roller shade kits that contain all the shade components from the roller to the mounting hardware. Fabric is sold separately, however, to allow you to select one that best fits your home. When selecting a fabric for your roller shade, we recommend looking for a fabric that is wide enough to fit your window without seaming and, preferably, without hemming. Seams and hems add bulk to the fabric that prevents it from rolling up straight. A stiff fabric will also roll up better than a softer one.

Our favorite brands for roller shade fabric are Phifertex®, Textilene® and SheerWeave®. These brands offer woven mesh fabrics that can be scissor cut without hemming and are slightly stiff. SheerWeave fabrics are available in an extra wide, 63-inch width to accommodate even large windows without seaming. You can browse all of our recommended fabrics in our Roller Shade Fabric category.

Another custom choice for you to make is how to mount your shades. These roller shade kits allow for a few variations of installation to best suit different window configurations. Brackets can be mounted inside the window well or outside depending on your preference. The roller can also be situated to unroll in a regular wind closer to the glass or in a reverse wind, which unrolls closer to the room. All of these variables are discussed in the video.

In this step-by-step video, you'll learn how to: