Make your own roller shade in under 2 hours

Easy Roller Shade Instructions

Materials

ο Fusible roller shade kit around $20. Decorative fabric (lightweight cotton is best)

ο Iron

ο Hack saw

ο Thin slat of wood

ο Sewing machine

ο 4 flathead screws

The instructions in the packet for the roller kit were, first of all, hard to find (tucked in the tube), and second of all, not very clear. It's extremely simple to make a roller shade. Hopefully these instructions can better illustrate that.

1. Measure window (width and height).

2. Cut fabric to 9-12” longer than window height, and 1/2” wider than window width.

3. Cut interfacing (it's the big white roll in the kit). Make the length the same as fabric length and the width 1 1/2” less than fabric width.

4. Lay interfacing with the bumpy, shiny side onto the wrong side of the fabric.

5. Press the iron (don't glide it - that messes up the adhesion) onto the interfacing and fabric. This adheres the interfacing to the fabric. Press over entire area.

6. Fold over and iron the fabric edge using the fusible tape (2 rolls come with the kit). This will make smooth edges.

7. Cut wood slat to width of shade. The wood serves as a weight for the shade.

     

8. Fold up bottom of the shade and sew a pocket for the slat, and then insert the slat into it. This is your finished edge at the bottom.

9. Cut the cardboard tube (the tube holding the interfacing from the kit) to the width of the shade. This is the roller.





10. Staple unfinished end of fabric shade onto tube.

11. Attach clutch from kit (the plastic piece with the string) onto one end of tube. Attach the end cap onto the other end.

12. Screw brackets into windowsill. The bracket in the picture holds the end cap end of the shade.

13. Hang the shade. The clutch end goes into the other bracket. You're done!