How to Decorate Curtains That You Are Sewing

Design your applique pattern for the curtain. Select the fabric you want to put on the curtain and confirm that you can iron it. Cut out paper templates in the shapes you are considering and arrange them on the curtain fabric in a design. Move them around until you are satisfied with the arrangement. Pin the paper pieces to the curtain as a template.

Cut out the shapes from the fabric. Choose part of the fabric pattern, such as a flower, and cut around its edge, or cut out a shape regardless of the pattern.

Place a sheet of parchment paper on your ironing surface. Place fusible webbing on this with the rough side up. Place the fabric pieces exactly on the webbing, also right side up. Cover this with another piece of parchment paper to protect your iron.

Iron through the top parchment sheet with the iron on a medium setting, for five to eight seconds. Lift the paper and check that the fabric has fused to the webbing. If it hasn't, replace the parchment paper and iron for another five seconds. Let the fabric cool.

Cut around the applique pieces fused to the webbing.

Place the part of the curtain fabric where you want to add an applique, right side up, on the ironing surface. Remove the backing paper from the webbing attached to an applique. Replace one of the template pieces with the applique piece, right side up on the curtain fabric. Cover this with a piece of parchment paper.

Iron through the parchment paper for five to eight seconds. Lift the paper and check that the applique is attached the curtain. Iron again if the webbing hasn't fused to the curtain.

Repeat this for each of the applique pieces. Alter your design as you go or add additional pieces if it improves the look.