Make An Easy Roman Blind

 Hello Readers. I wanted some window coverings that would have a clean and simple look. Let me show you the quickest easiest "faux" Roman blinds you can make in less than an hour. You just need some fabric that you like and some tension rods. These blinds do not need any hardware for installation and would be great for a rental that doesn't allow any holes in the wall.

I have been rearranging and redecorating a little in the last couple months. We found and fixed the leak but to do it we tore my older son's room apart. We had top remove the carpet, padding, baseboards and more. When we finally dried it out and put his room back together, he asked me for new window treatments. He wanted his room dark so I wasn't going to make anything sheer. I needed to make something to block light. 

 

I went with this thick dark green velvet. The windows are rectangular shaped and are 33x64. I needed to cut my fabric the same size as the window. I added 1/2 inch extra all around for the seam allowance. That means my fabric piece is 34x65. Use your window size as your measurement guide.
 

I wanted to line the blind with white fabric and I had extra lining material on-hand. You could also use any white cotton fabric you have. Even a basic white sheet would work. I could use the green on the front and back of the blind but the side that faces the window will probably fade over time. Using a lining will protect the green fabric from the sun.

 

I cut my lining the same size as my green velvet. They should be the same size because one piece will be the front and one piece will be the back. They needed to match each other in size. 

 

I sewed the lining and the green fabric together. I made sure the right sides were facing each other. I sewed all around the rectangle but I left small openings at the top for the rod. (See the next picture for clarity.)

  

I needed to have small openings at the top for the rod.
 

Those openings allowed me to turn the fabric right side out when I was done sewing the rectangle together. 

 

The rod will go in one opening and out the other at the top of the blind. The fabric could hang just like this but we can make it hang neater and smoother with one more sewing step.

 

I stitched across the top of the blind about an inch from the top to make a casing for the rod. This will keep my fabric smoother while it is hanging up in the window.

You will need 2-3 tension rods for each window. These are adjustable so choose rods based on the width of your window.

 

Now the blinds can be hung up. Put the rod in the top of your blind and squeeze the rod into the window frame at the top. 

 

It will fill in the window opening and block the light well. 

 

You can put your extra rods into the window frame where ever you want to raise your blind. 

 

Tuck the fabric behind the lower rod and let the fabric rest on top of that rod. The fabric will fold over it and will lift the blind up and allow the light in. 

 

The more rods you put in the window frame the more folds you can have when you raise your blind. None of these rods are attached or installed into the wall or the window frame so there is no damage or holes in the wall. 

The blind can stay up and open or down to darken the room. These have a very simple look without any embellishment. (Which is what my son wanted.) You can use a brighter patterned fabric with trim to make these brighter and more fun. Thanks for reading along, now go make something fun for yourself.

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

Crop A Button-down

 Hello Readers. I wanted to make a loose cropped shirt that tied in the front. I found this striped shirt at a clothes swap and it seemed perfect for this project. I went right to work.

Before and after. 

This was a men's shirt but it fit well enough. I loved the fall colors and stripes. 

I cut the bottom of the shirt off. I wanted the shirt to end at my waist. I didn't throw it away that extra fabric though. I wanted a waistband that would tie in the front. I would need to make that.

I cut that extra fabric into 2 narrow strips and connected them so it was as long as possible. I sewed it together with the right sides facing each other.

I had to turn the long waistband right side out. It was very wrinkled

so I ironed it flat.

 

Here is my long waistband now I need to connect it to the shirt. 

 

I wanted to match the stripes in the back of the shirt as best as possible. I took this to the serger. I sewed the long strip to the bottom of the shirt.

 

When the waistband was on, I could tie the shirt in front. I liked the finished look so...

 

I liked the shirt tied over this blue knit dress. Thanks for reading along, now go make something fun for yourself.
 

 

 

 

Pillow From a Shirt

 Hello Readers. Fall is here and that means I want some fall decor around the house. Sometimes clothing actually makes great decor. I think this shirt would make a great fall pillow for a chair. Let me show you what I mean.

Before and after.

This denim shirt was so well made but I didn't like it as a shirt. The leaves and vines felt very overwhelming. There were just too many, it was too busy. They were all over me.

I cut 2 squares from the body of the shirt. One from the front and one from the back. The buttons on the front of the shirt are going to be the opening to put a pillow in this cover. My squares are approximately 12 inches by 12 inches. You may need to adjust the size of your squares depending on the size of your shirt and what you are going to use to stuff your shirt pillow with. (More about that in a minute.)

I put the 2 pieces together with the right sides facing each other and sewed around all 4 sides of the squares. I closed up all around the square. Usually you leave an opening in one side to stuff the pillow but I am not going to need that because of the buttons on the front of the shirt.

I undid a few buttons and used the opening to turn the whole pillow cover right side out. 

This is what it looked like when it was done. It just needs to be stuffed. And I can do that because it has buttons down the front of the shirt.

I went out on my front porch and took this outdoor pillow from summer to stuff my pillow. You can use a pillow you have or buy a pillow form. My porch is covered so I don't have to worry about rain on my pillow but use a pillow form or stuffing that is right for your location. There are indoor and outdoor pillow forms. 

I stuffed my pillow cover with the pillow. 

I buttoned up the buttons and put the pillow on my chair. It adds a little touch of fall and makes the chair more comfortable. Thanks for reading along, now go make something fun for yourself.

A Skirt From a Jacket

  Hello Readers. I liked the fabric of this little jacket. I just didn't like it as a jacket that much. I decided to make a skirt. 

Before and after.

I cut the sleeves and shoulders off the jacket. I am going to flip this upside down and it will be the basis of my skirt. 

I cut the sleeves into strips so I could add a ruffle to the hemline. They will add some length to my skirt. 

I sewed one long strip of fabric together. I need to sew this on the hem of my skirt. I also need to gather it into a ruffle. 

 

I used clips to space out the fabric along the hem. 

 

It turned into a cute miniskirt. I liked the fabric as a skirt a lot. Thanks for reading along, now go make something fun for yourself.
 

 

 

 

2 Shirts = 1 Dress

 Hello Readers. I try to use all the clothing pieces and scraps I have for refashions. Sometimes I do a refashion project and have some scrap pieces leftover. Sometimes it takes some time for me to figure out a way to use them, but I always get to it eventually. This post is one of those "scrap" refashion projects.

Before and after.

This cut off sweatshirt was the top of a dress. I used the skirt of the dress to make sleeves for a shirt a couple years ago. 

This plaid shirt was a clothes swap find that I picked up a few months ago. I thought the blue tones of these shirts would work well together. I decided to make a dress. 

I clipped the top and the skirt piece together to make sure they would be sewn together evenly around the waist. The plaid was just a bit larger than the sweatshirt so I made sure the fabric wouldn't be bunched up anywhere around my dress.  

This is what it looked like and it's not great. Don't panic... trust the process. Things can always get better. All I needed to do was add some elastic. 

 

I sewed the elastic into the shirt, right at the waist. I stretched the elastic a bit so it would tighten up the waistband when I was done. 

 

It looks so much better with a gathered waist. It is casual and it will be comfy to wear. 

 

This dress was easy to put together and it is casual and fun. Thanks for reading along, now go make something fun for yourself.
 

 

 

Alter Your T-shirt

 Hello Readers. If there is one thing I love to do, it is cutting up and refashioning clothes. I love to alter my t-shirts because you can do it with no sewing at all. It is quick and easy. They fit better and they feel better when I do a little cutting. It's so easy. You just need a t-shirt and a pair of sharp scissors.

Before and after. 

This is just a basic t-shirt. There is not anything wrong with it but I like to change my t-shirts up a little when I can. It's fun and easy and I always like the results. Let's get started.

I like to remove the neckband. I cut all the way around the neck close to the neckband. This opens up the shirt a little. The neck opening will be a bit larger and feel more comfortable.

I cut off the armbands next. I like to do this because it makes a looser sleeve and gives my arms more room around the bicep. This can make a t-shirt fit more comfortable if the sleeve is a little tight. 

These sleeves fit well but I kept cutting. I cut sleeve again. I cut along the top of the sleeve. I tried to match the location and direction of the shoulder seam. I cut the sleeve only. I did not cut the shoulder seam or armhole seam. Leaving those seams intact will help the shirt keep its shape. 

 

I tied the corners of my new sleeve cut in a little knot. It adds some extra interest to the sleeve and looks a little more feminine. The opening adds a little ventilation too. 

 

I cut the bottom of the shirt next. I wanted to remove the hem of the shirt. I cut all the way around the shirt. This only makes the shirt about 1/2 inch shorter. 

 

I cut a slit in the center of the front of the shirt. It made my slit approximately 5 inches long. My cutting mat has measuring marks on it. You can also use a ruler to get the length of cut you want. That made 2 little corners just like the sleeves.

 

I wanted to tie a knot at the front of the shirt too. It will work well visually with the sleeves. It will also add some shape to the waistline. 

 

Thanks for reading along. I hope you have fun cutting up one of your t-shirts.