Design your own Roller Blinds

Roller blinds are available in a wide variety of styles, colours and fabrics. From blackout to sheer to fancy to plain, you are sure to find the perfect match for your home and décor. However, if you are one of the few who shies away from mainstream designs and wants to incorporate a little originality and character into your furniture, then why not attempt at making your own roller blinds? Alternatively, if you are decorating on a budget and are struggling to obtain the ideal finish to a room or home then this is the thing for you.


Here is a step by step guide of how to design and create you very own custom made
window treatments:

Step 1

First you will need to purchase a plain roller blind and a DIY kit. Browse through online
clearance sales to get the best deal for your blind, preferably choosing it in the colour
that you wish the background of your design to be or one which will match the interior
décor of your room. DIY kits for roller blinds can be purchased in most hard ware and
large department stores as well as online. These will include their own instructions and
suggestions.

Step 2

The next step involves creating appliques to apply different patterns, shapes or pictures
onto the fabric of the roller blind. These can be purchased readily made or, alternatively,
be made from scratch. Double sided iron on applique fabric is the best tool for this type
of design as fabric glue, which is still acceptable to use, has the potential to clump in
places or cause the fabric to fray at the edges if the shape has not been firmly pressed
down enough onto the blind.

Appliques: Iron a piece of applique fabric on the back of another piece of fabric and
begin cutting out interesting and pretty motifs. These could be of birds, flowers, leaves
or other designs. Once cut out, iron onto the fabric of the roller blind and repeat the
process for each motif or blind you wish to design.

Painting: For the extra creative, why not personally paint the blinds? This will not only
allow you to be as innovative as you wish and really create a sense of achievement when
completed. Stamps can be purchased if you are happy with the designs and shapes.
Simply dip the stamps into the coloured paint of your choice, allow excess paint to
drip off before firmly pressing onto the fabric of the roller blind. Stamps can also be
hand-made using everyday household objects such as potatoes, soap and blocks of
wood. If using stamps in the shape of leaves or flowers, it may be an idea to use a thin
paintbrush and create vines and stems. This can also be a great way of hiding up any
unwanted drips that occur from stamping; simply convert the drips into patterns.

Step 3

After allowing the blind to thoroughly dry, it is now time to fit your roller blind to the
window frame. The original purchased blind should have come with instructions and
fitting mechanisms. Usually consisting of brackets and screws, these fittings are placed
on either the underneath panel of the frame or at either side of the window. Once up,
sit back and admire your very own, custom made roller blinds. These can be the perfect
addition to your personalised home.

This article is submitted by Nicola Winters