How to Make Balloon Curtains from Sheers

Prepare the Mounting Board

• 1

  Measure the width of the window. If you want the curtain to mount inside the window, measure from corner to corner of the sash. If you want the curtains to mount outside the window, measure how far out on either side of the window you want the curtain to hang. Write this measurement down.

• 2

  Cut the mounting board to this measurement.

• 3

  Cut the male side, sticky-back Velcro to the same length. Apply the Velcro to the mounting board at the bottom of the board.

• 4

  Drill holes just above the Velcro. Holes should be spaced to support the length of the board when mounted to the window.

• 5

  Measure the length of the window and determine where you want the end of the sheer balloon curtain to hang. Write this measurement down.

Make the Sheer Balloon Curtain

• 6

  Cut the top and bottom hems off of the sheer curtains.

• 7

  Add 20 inches to the mounting board measurement. The final width of the curtain will be shorter than the actual width of the fabric. Cut the curtains to this width. If the sheer curtains aren’t wide enough, use a third sheer curtain to make up the difference by adding fabric evenly to both sides of the original curtains.

• 8

  Add 20 inches to the length of the window. This will be your curtain length and helps give the curtain its balloon shape at the bottom.

• 9

  Lay both sheer curtains out on a flat surface. If there is any sort of pattern on the curtain, make sure that the right sides of the fabric are together.

• 10

  Pin the sides of the curtains together.

• 11

  Stitch the side seams with 1/2-inch seam allowance. Press the seams open.

• 12

  Turn the curtain right side out.

• 13

  Fold the bottom of the curtain up half an inch. Press it flat. Fold the bottom of the curtain up an additional 2 inches. Top-stitch the hem. Press the hem flat.

• 14

  Lay the fabric out on a flat surface again. Measure 2 1/2 inches from the top of the fabric. Draw a straight line across the fabric. This line marks the visible top of the curtain. Everything else will wrap around the mounting board.

• 15

  Measure 3 inches up from the bottom of the hem. Mark this point at the left edge of the curtain. Do the same on the right edge of the curtain. Measure and mark up both sides of the curtain to the top of the curtain line at 5-inch intervals. Do not mark any closer to the top of the curtain line than 5 inches.

• 16

  Divide the width of the curtain by how many “balloons” you wish the curtain to have. Write this number down. Beginning at the left edge of the curtain at the first mark above the hem, make marks across the curtain using this measurement. Make sure to keep these marks even and in line with your 5-inch marks.

• 17

  Stitch curtain rings at each of these marks. You can stitch the curtain rings on with the sewing machine with the zigzag stitch set for 0 length. Hand-sewing the rings on may show less.

• 18

  Stitch one additional ring to the left side of the curtain just below the top of the curtain line.

• 19

  Pin the shirring tape to the top of the curtain, leaving 2 inches on either side.

• 20

  Stitch the shirring tape to the curtain using the zipper foot to stitch each side of the tape down without stitching through the shirring cords.

• 21

  Pick the cords out of both ends of the shirring tape 2 inches from the edge of the tape. Knot the ends of the cords.

• 22

  Pull the shirring cords until the curtain is the same width as the mounting board. Space the shirring evenly across the curtain.

• 23

  Trim the shirring tape (not the cords) to the edges of the curtain. Knot the cords and trim the excess.

• 24

  Stitch the female Velcro to the top of the curtain, lining the Velcro up with the top edge of the curtain. Stitch both sides of the Velcro down. Keep the shirring in place as you stitch.

Attaching the Sheer Balloon Curtain to the Mounting Board

• 25

  Lay the mounting board on the top of the curtain line. Mark the board where the lines of rings meet the bottom. Hammer in a horseshoe nail at each of these marks, with the nail running horizontally across the bottom edge of the board.

• 26

  Cut as many lengths of cord as you have lines of rings. For the longest cord (farthest away from the ring you just stitched at the top of the curtain line) use the width of the curtain plus 1 1/2 times the length of the window. Each cord should be measured the same way, taking into account shortening the width of the curtain as the cords get closer to the left edge of the curtain. Number the cords and tape or burn the ends to prevent raveling.

• 27

  Thread the cords through their corresponding lines of rings. Tie the bottom 4 rings of each line together with the end of each cord. Knot the remaining ends of the cords together.

• 28

  Thread the cords through their corresponding horseshoe nails. Thread cord number 1 through all of the horseshoe nails. Thread cord number 2 through nails 2, 3 and 4. Thread cord number 3 through nails 3 and 4. Thread cord number 4 through nail number 4. Thread all cords through the ring at the top of the curtain line.

• 29

  Wrap the curtain around the mounting board so that the Velcro mates.

• 30

  Hang the curtain on the window. Lift the main part of the curtain so that the mounting board is exposed. The Velcro side of the mounting board should be against the wall. Screw the mounting board to the window.

• 31

  Screw the cleat to the bottom of the window.

• 32

  Pull the combined cords to the desired height and secure the cords to the cleat.