Roman blinds are one of those styles that just never seem to go out of fashion. They have been around for a long long time, in fact, many people believe that roman blinds were first invented by, you guessed it, the Romans. This may be true, or it may be that they have been around even longer than that and were simply popularised by the Romans. Either way, they have stood the test of time, and continue to favorite in many different settings around the world.
The roman blind is a very basic design. The most popular styles of roman blind consist of a single length of material that is pulled up by a cord, causing it to fold into pleats as you roll it up. The end result is an effective wavy look when they are up, and a nice flat material covering your window when they are down. There are many different types of material that roman blinds can be made from, ranging from the expensive silks and cottons, right down to the more affordable (but still effective) linens and plastics.
Ready made roman blinds from your local curtain specialist can turn out to be quite a costly venture, especially if you have more than one window to cover, but this doesn’t mean that you have to go without. If you want to save money and still have that classical look in your home, there are a couple of options still available to you. You can find more inexpensive blind solutions online, or you can make your own.
If you are considering buying cheap roman blinds online, there are a couple of things that you need to keep in mind. The first, and most obvious one, is the fact that you may be purchasing from overseas. Make sure that you know where the factory or shop is based, and that you factor in the price of shipping into your equations. A cheap roman blind may look cheap on paper, but by the time you’ve paid for it to get to your place, you may end up paying even more than buying it locally. Another consideration when buying online is that you make sure that you are purchasing from a reputable company. If possible, look for testimonials from other people that have purchased from them, and do a search to see if there are any disgruntled customers complaining about them.
If you are a little handy with a sewing machine, and not scared to operate a pair of fabric scissors, another option you have is to make your roman blinds yourself. For an in depth guide on how to make roman blinds, there are many good books to be picked up at your local library, as well as how to videos online. For now, here is a brief overview. Firstly, you will need to measure the width of your window, and the length that you want your blinds to hang. You will need two lengths of material. The first is the front fabric, that is, the material that you will see from inside your home. The other length is the backing. The type of material you will use will vary depending on your situation, but a good linen fabric can be inexpensive and still look great in your home. If there is a lot of sun that comes through the window that you want to cover, then it would be best to invest in some good quality blackout material as your backing. This can be a little more expensive, but will save your front material from fading, saving you money in the long term.
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You will also need a thick dowel for the bottom of your blind. This will give it some weight so that it hangs straight when it is pulled down. To create the pleated effect, you will need some thinner “ribs”. You can get these ribs from any good fabric retailer, and there area variety to choose from. The plastic ribs are a little more expensive than the wooden ones, but the wooden ones have been known to warp in damp environments. Finally, you will need some rings and cording, which can also be found at a fabrics shop such as Spotlight.
Once you have hemmed up your fabric, simply sew the front and back fabric down the sides, leaving the top and bottom open and creating a “tube” effect. Turn the whole thing inside out, and glue at regular intervals along the inside of the front fabric. If you are using a delicate fabric, you may want to test that the glue doesn’t show through on a little sample to begin with. The ribs should be glued at about 300 mm apart, and this is what gives your curtains that pleated effect. When you pull your blinds up, they will naturally bunch up around these ribs. You should leave the glue to dry for at least 6 hours before moving on to the next step.
When your glue is dry, turn your material back the right way so that the ribbing is inside the tube. now all you need to do is sew three columns of rings on the backing fabric at every second rib, one either side and one in the middle. Sew some velcro to the top hem of your fabric, and glue the other side of the velcro to a two inch headboard, this will hold your runners. The cord then simply goes through your rings and up through the headboard, all three lengths coming out the same end. That’s just a brief rundown on what’s involved in making roman blinds, but I hope it has helped you to see that it doesn’t have to be an impossible task.
Regardless of whether you decide to buy made to measure roman blinds, purchase them ready made on the Internet, or try your hand at making your own, I hope that you see that there are a few options available to you that will not break the bank and still give you a classical roman blind look for your home.
Really motivating interpret this. When cleaning my window blinds I take them down and put them in the bathtub using Dawn dish washing liquid. I let the soak and the rinse till the water runs clear. You might have to do this a couple of times. The blinds are easiest to handle when they are pulled all the technique up once you take them off the window. Loosen them in the tub.