How to Make a Balloon Drape With a Fabric Inset

Select a lightweight fabric for your curtain, as it may exert a heavy load on the rod when you raise it. Lighter fabrics will also billow out as they rise more easily, adding to the appearance of a balloon.

Calculate the fullness ratio that you want for your curtain. This value divides the width of fabric by the width of your curtain rod. The higher the ratio, the more your curtain will come out from the window, bending out like a bay window or a rounded stage curtain. This ratio will tell you the number of fabric widths that you need. Measure the height from the rod to the ground; if you want a hem, add eight inches. Cut the widths out of your curtain fabric to the desired length -- add an inch to each side of the width so that you can make a seam and still have adequate window coverage.

Cut the same number of widths for your lining fabric. Each width should be four inches narrower and three inches shorter than the corresponding curtain fabric width that it will be lining.

Make vertical creases at equal distances from the center to make your "balloons" stand out. Bring the hem of each curtain lining width up two inches and stitch across. Pin the curtain lining to a hem line three inches up from the bottom. Lay the curtain fabric down on a table, right side up, and then lay the lining fabric on it so that the hem folds line up with one another.

Hold the side edges in place with pins, and then run stitches down the edges, half an inch in from the edges that you cut. Don't stitch past the hem line. Turn the curtain right side out. Match up the hem corners and slipstitch it.

Bring the top edge down an inch, fold and press. Put the heading tape on the top edge, near the fold. Tie the cords to the wrong side of the fabric, and run them to the other end, bringing them around to the right side. Slide a tidy bag for the cords under the bottom of the heading tape.

Stitch the heading tape into place. Pull the cords so that the heading tape has the right width, and hold them in place with sliding loops. Store the extra cording in the tidy bag. Slide curtain hooks through the heading tape holes, and you're ready to hang your curtain on the wall.