London curtains by their own hands: step-by-step instruction

London curtains are considered one of the best curtains for interior decoration. To their indisputable merits can be attributed an original laconic form, along with traditional English restraint. Such interior elements are undemanding to care and take up little space. In this material, you will learn all about what a London curtain: how to sew, choose fabric and make a cornice, and much more.

Description of the elements

Curtains in the London style look assembled as graceful lambrequins attached to a sturdy cornice. In the ordinary state, such curtains look like a simple canvas, but everything changes when you decide to raise the curtain. After that, deep, but at the same time, elegant bow folds are opened. They are the "highlight" of these decor elements.

London curtains (photos presented in the article) perfectly fit into any interior and will become an excellent decoration of the window in almost every room: bedroom, study, nursery or living room. As for the style of decorating rooms, then such curtains should not be used in interiors of high-tech or loft. In addition, London curtains are not suitable for small rooms with narrow window apertures, because these curtains cover part of the window. Also, these curtains do not look very good in rooms with a large number of windows, especially if they are made of variegated fabrics. In this case, the bright color of the curtains creates an uncomfortable feeling for the perception of the entire interior in general.

How to make a curtain with your own hands

Before embarking on the tailoring of London curtains, take advantage of a few tips:

• Refuse sun-burnt fabrics. Due to its design, the material will look inaccurate after a while, because the places of draperies will remain bright and untouched by the sun, while the straight sections of the canvas will fade. This will give a slovenly look to the curtains.
• London curtains look particularly impressive with a vertical pattern, when one of the types of stripes goes inside the folds and opens when the structure is raised. In addition, perfectly look and curtains of fabric, combining monophonic bands with ornament and pattern.
• Before cutting the fabric, it must be well moistened and ironed, which will avoid further shrinkage of the material after washing.

Material selection

When choosing the material for the curtain, it must be taken into account that it must be sufficiently rigid and opaque. In this case, the curtains will have strict and flat folds. Especially impressive are the English London curtains, made of such materials:

• linen;
• Artificial and natural silk;
• jacquard;
• reps;
• taffeta;
• wool;
• Dense cotton.

You can choose any of these fabrics, but before you start cutting, it's worth considering your sewing skills and the characteristics of the fabrics. If you are trying to create something like this for the first time, it's better to start with plain flax or cotton. These fabrics are rather undemanding, but they quickly wrinkle, and they should be used on the curtains, which you plan to keep in the assembled state. Otherwise, you have to iron them daily. Wool and reps are too naughty, and it will be difficult to sew the curtains from them to the beginner. Excellent options will be jacquard and taffeta, with the first fabric is very easy to work with, and the second material looks slightly crumpled.

Recently, London curtains, made of light and air fabrics, are very popular. Create the most similar curtains will be very difficult, this will require considerable experience in sewing curtains. So for this work it is not necessary to be accepted to the beginner. If you still want lightness, then for curtains it is better to choose crepe. This material perfectly fixes the folds and at the same time it looks very airy.

If you want to give the finished product more charm, then you can trim the edges of the curtains with small brushes, fringe or glass beads. But in any case do not use jewelry from ribbons, ribbons or cords - in this version they look tasteless.

London curtains. Master-class for tailoring

To create curtains you will need such tools and materials:

• Special tape with rings;
• sewing machine;
• Accessories;
• Lacing from nylon;
• A curtain ring;
• Curtain fabric.

The curtain itself is created in several stages. And each of them should be conducted in accordance with certain features and criteria.

Cutting of fabric material

In order to calculate the size of the canvas, you need to measure the length of the cornice and add to this value 60-80 cm, if the curtain is assumed to be 2 folds. If you want the curtain to have 3 folds, then add 90-120 cm. The width of the bow fold is 30-40 cm. To measure the length of the panel, you need to measure the height of the window opening and add to this value 6 cm for the edging. If you make a lining, then its dimensions should match the parameters of the main portier.

How to make a London curtain with your own hands: a step-by-step instruction

1. Fold the base fabric with lining facing each other and stitch them along the side seams. Next, the resulting workpiece must be turned outward and gently stitch the seams along the outer edge.
2. Now you need to deal with folds. To do this, move away from the edge of 20 cm and mark with a chalk or a piece of soap a vertical line - this place will be the beginning of the fold. After 15 cm mark the middle, and after 15 cm - the end. Next, we form our crease: fold both ends to the middle and fix them with an ordinary stitch along the upper and lower edge of the fabric.
3. The next step in the tailoring of the London curtain will be the processing of the edging. To the upper edge of the curtains we sew the tape with Velcro. Further we curtain the lower part of the curtain. To the central part of the folds, on the wrong side, sew plastic rings, each of which should be located at a distance of 15 cm from each other. First we have five centimeters from the bottom of the floor of the curtain. If desired, in any sewing shop you can buy a ready-made ribbon with rings.

How to make a lifting device

Sewing London curtains is almost complete, it remains only to create a lifting mechanism. To do this, fold the nylon cords in half and tie them on the bottom ring of each created fold. Now stretch them through the entire drape belt to the very top of the curtains. Fasten the curtain on the cornice with a Velcro, then thread each cord (from left to right) through special self-tapping rings that are fixed to the end of the bar. The cords should be pulled out from the right edge of the eaves, after which they are tied with one knot, braided in a pigtail and fixed to the end in a curtain ring. Sewing is finished, you can enjoy the results of your work.

How to make a cornice

London curtains look great only on specially designed cornices for them. And since similar models are quite difficult to find in stores, we suggest you create an interior detail yourself. For this, not so much material and time will be required, and almost any mistress will be able to cope with the task.

Necessary materials:

• Wooden plank (cross section 2.5 x 5 cm);
• Finishing fabric or paint;
• Glue gun;
• Velcro tape;
• Self-tapping hooks;
• Fixing accessories;
• Stapler and staples.

First you need to measure the size of the window. Similar curtains can be located directly above the window or slightly bulge along the outer edge. In this case, add 5 cm on both sides in order to cover the opening. The bar for baguette can be both zadekorirovat cloth, and paint over the paint.

If you decide to paint the baguette, then first treat it with a primer on wood or a solution of water and PVA (2 to 1). Also for this purpose, it is possible to use the dissolved food gelatin, which will cover the product with a thin layer and reduce the consumption of the dye. After the primer has dried, you can proceed directly to painting. In this case, the best option will be acrylic quick-drying enamel. After that, you need to attach the Velcro tape with an adhesive gun and in some places fasten the connection with a stapler for greater reliability.

Cornice decorated with fabric

In order to decorate the cornice with a cloth, open a strip with the length of the bar plus 5-6 cm for the hem. The width of the workpiece should be 18 cm (2 x 2.5 + 2 x 5 + 3 cm per fold). Wrap the bar with a cloth and secure the seams of the assembled side with a stapler, in the same way handle the side joints. After that, attach the Velcro tape with a glue gun and secure with brackets for reliability every 15-20 cm.

It only remains to attach the cord cords and the rest of the fasteners. If the curtain is located inside the window opening, then the corners can be used as the fastening details. If the curtain is hanging outside, then it is worth using hinges. Next, attach the rings through which the cord will stretch. With this task, the self-tapping hooks, which need to be squeezed into the ring with the help of flat-nose pliers, will also perfectly handle, and then screw into the lower end of the baguette approximately in those places where the rings are sewn on the curtain itself.