How to Make Roman Shades

A Roman Shade is made from a flat fabric panel that, when raised, folds up accordion-style via a simple ring and cord system. The sewing required to make a Roman Shade is quite basic (almost like a pillowcase!). The shade is transformed by the placement of dowel rods between the decorative fabric and the drapery lining, and the installation of the cord system. We used Tear Mender to glue our dowels in place to create the folded pleats. We highly recommend testing Tear Mender on scrap fabric before starting your project to ensure the fabric glue will adhere properly and doesn't bleed or show through on the right side of the fabric.

Making your own Roman Shade allows you to customize the design and save money. Store-bought shades often come in standard sizes that might not fit all windows and can be expensive. By taking your own measurements, you can ensure a perfect fit for your window. Plus, you get to make all the design decisions, such as how much space the shade takes up in your window, how many folds it has, and where the folds fall.

You can choose any style of fabric for your Roman Shade, but we recommend using a lighter-weight fabric to make it easier to train the folds. The back of the shade is lined with drapery liner. A thinner liner will fold best, but if you want to block out more light, you can opt for a thicker liner or a blackout liner.

In the video, you will learn how to measure your window, pattern the fabric, calculate spacing for the dowels, build a headrail, and install the shades.

Have you made a Roman Shade before? Share your projects, process, and thoughts in the comments!