How to Make the Hardware for a Balloon Shade

Measure the width of the shade. From this, subtract 1/4 inch. This is the width of the headrail. The shade is attached to the front of the headrail with hook-and-loop tape, or the shade can be attached to the top with staples. The cord lift system is attached to the underside. The headrail is secured to the wall with angle brackets for an "outside mount," or to the inside of a window casing with screws inserted through the headrail up into the casing, for an “inside mount.”

Determine the depth of the headrail. Choose a wood board that will fit laterally into the available space. Typically, balloon shades are mounted on 1- by 2-inch boards, the 2-inch sides being the top and bottom. Boards as small as 1/2 by 3/4 inch are useable. Mark the top and bottom of the headrail with a “T” or a “B.”

Cut the headrail to the required width.

Cover the ends of the board with the same fabric as the shade, or paint the ends a similar color.

Lay the shade on a table, wrong side up, the top of the shade toward you. Lay the headrail centered along the top of the shade, the top of the headrail against the shade.

Mark the positions of the lift cords, as they are on the shade, across the bottom of the headrail. Place an "X" on the head-rail, 1/2 inch from the end, to indicate the side to which the cords draw.

Insert eye screws into each lift cord location, making sure the openings are perpendicular to the headrail. Insert one additional eye screw 1/2 inch from the end of the headrail at the “X” position.

Attach the shade to the headrail in the manner you have chosen.

Thread the lift cords through the eye screws. Start with the cord farthest from the draw end. Thread the cord into the corresponding eye screw on the headrail and through all the remaining eye screws across the headrail. Let the excess cords fall freely toward the bottom of the shade.

Hang the shade in place.

Trim the excess lift cords, after they exit the end of the headrail and while the shade is in the down position, to the same length, and tie them together. Cut the cords to a length that can be reached by an adult but not by a child.