DIY a Replacement Roller Shade for Your RV

X-HT-300585

Roller shades are an important part of any RV. They help with temperature control and shade, and provide much-needed privacy. But most premade roller shades are pretty poor quality. If you need durable and beautiful roller shades to replace the old, worn or low-quality shades that came with your RV, then you're in the right place. In this RV Renovation Series video, we'll show you how to replace the low-quality fabric on a premade roller system with sturdy vinyl mesh.
Video Chapters:
  • Intro — 0:00 min.
  • Prepping Roller Shade — 0:30 min.
  • Cutting Fabric to Size — 2:33 min.
  • Adding Sleeve for Bottom Rod — 6:09 min.
  • Attaching Roller Shade — 9:34 min.
  • Materials & Tools — 18:55 min.
Materials List:
  • Phifertex® Plus Vinyl Mesh 54" (We used Flannel - #3040726)
  • Seamstick 3/8" Basting Tape for Canvas (#122064)
  • Tex 90 UV Bonded Polyester Thread
Tools List:
  • Sailrite® Double-Sided Cutting Mat 24" x 18" Large (#123112)
  • Scribe-All® Water Soluble White Marking Pencil (#120681)
  • Clear Acrylic Ruler 6" x 24" (#102400)
  • Soft Grip Rotary Cutter 45mm (#123114)
  • Sailrite® Canvas Patterning Ruler (#107040)
  • Sailrite® Ultrafeed® LS Walking Foot Sewing Machine (#311502)
  • Gingher® 8" Scissors Right Handed (#19104)
  • Sailrite® Edge Cordless Hotknife 18V Package (#122177)
  • Tempered Cutting Glass for Hotknife (#121915)
  • Drill, Tape Measure, Sharpie
DIY Replacement Roller Shade 2

Roller shades are one of the easiest window treatments to DIY, so don’t worry if you haven’t worked with them before. In this video, we’ll teach you how to prep your existing roller shade, cut and attach the new fabric, and reinstall the renovated shade. And even though we put our roller shade in an RV, you can use all the same techniques in the video to install roller shades in your home.

One of the great things about DIY window coverings is that you can choose fabric that best complements your home or RV décor. We selected Phifertex® Plus Vinyl Mesh for our shade. This fabric is suitable for indoor and outdoor use, so it’s an ideal choice for RV shade fabric. It also boasts an incredible 92.5% shade factor for optimal temperature control inside your RV. Best of all, it’s easy to clean.

Besides your fabric, you only need a few tools and materials to DIY a replacement roller shade. Watch the video to start sprucing up your roller shades.

Don’t forget — this is just one in a series of renovations we’re doing on a 1987 Airstream Argosy RV. We’re completely overhauling this trailer inside and out. If you want to view more projects in our RV Renovation Series, click here!

Materials List:

Phifertex Plus Vinyl Mesh White 54" Fabric

#235811

Phifertex® Plus Vinyl Mesh White 54" Fabric

Seamstick 3/8" Basting Tape for Canvas (36 yds.)

#122064

Seamstick 3/8" Basting Tape for Canvas (36 yds.)

PremoBond Tex 90 (V-92) White UV Bonded Polyester Thread 4 oz. (1,350 yds.)

#123337

PremoBond® Tex 90 (V-92) White UV Bonded Polyester Thread 4 oz. (1,350 yds.)

Tools List:

Sailrite Self Healing Double-Sided Cutting Mat 18" x 24"

#123112

Sailrite® Self Healing Double-Sided Cutting Mat 18" x 24"

Scribe-All Water Soluble White Marking Pencil

#120681

Scribe-All® Water Soluble White Marking Pencil

Sailrite Clear Acrylic Ruler 6" x 24"

#102400

Sailrite® Clear Acrylic Ruler 6" x 24"

Soft Grip Rotary Cutter 45mm

#123114

Soft Grip Rotary Cutter 45mm

Sailrite Canvas Patterning Ruler

#107040

Sailrite® Canvas Patterning Ruler

Sailrite Ultrafeed LS Walking Foot Sewing Machine (110V)

#311502

Sailrite® Ultrafeed® LS Walking Foot Sewing Machine (110V)

Gingher 8" Scissors Right Handed

#19104

Gingher® 8" Scissors Right Handed

Sailrite Edge Cordless Hotknife 18V Package

#122177

Sailrite® Edge Cordless Hotknife 18V Package

Sailrite Tempered Cutting Glass

#121915

Sailrite® Tempered Cutting Glass

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