simply-crafting: Vellux Window Curtains

I've had a couple of Vellux windows fitted in my new loft space. It was surprisingly cheap to add a whole extra room to my house and the space is amazing. But thrifty me refused to pay for the expensive Vellux blinds. My dad warned me that they're on a bout making them a legal requirement to reduce light pollution. The light is amazing up there but as I'm currently using it as a living room the sunlight usually stops me watching TV on a weekend.

Here's my cheapo solution.

I have to give a shout out to Abakan Fabrics where I bought a 10m long roll end of boring brown woven fabric for a tenner. OH said it was too boring and couldn't I sew a design onto it - I think he meant that I should embroider a design onto the fabric!!! Ah bless his cottons. But it did give me the idea of stenciling . .

I'd been eyeing up these Crafters Workshop Templates and chose the Echoes design in 12x12 size.

For the paint I picked Martha Stewart 2oz Satin Paint Vanilla Bean and mixed it with Fabric Medium. I bought a set of Foam Pouncers to apply the paint with.

I saved an old cardboard box and used pins to secure my stencil and fabric to the card. I learnt pretty quickly that I also needed some glossy paper underneath the fabric to stop to form stocking to the card as it dried. That was my only mistake actually, after that it was plain sailing.

It took me a few evenings of dabbing and four bottles of paint to two bottles of Fabric Medium. That was enough for two curtains each covering the largest standard Vellux sized window. I think about 3m of my fabric in total.

To make the actual curtains I cut my stenciled fabric and a plain piece and cut them to about 8 inches longer than the window and just sightly wider. I pinned them right side together and stitched around the edges leaving a gap to turn them right side out. I top stitched the edges after pressing and caught the opening in the stitching - no hand sewing required!

I got myself four packs of Deco Rings and followed the destructions. The pack includes a template to cut a circle from the fabric and then you just pop the two sides together catching the fabric in between, easy peasy.

Finding light weight poles was actually the hardest part. I had to go round about three different shops to find them at a sensible price. These are from Wilkos and I paid about £4 each.