Do you love the look of fabric shades but don’t want to fork over the cash?
design by Coddington Design, via Desire to InspireShades can often cost you an arm and a leg (especially custom fabric shades). When my cheap white IKEA shades were safety-recalled, I decided to figure out a way to repurpose the old {ugly} mini blinds that had previously hung in our bedroom windows. The result was better and easier than expected, not to mention even cheaper than the cost of new IKEA shades.
Here are the basic instructions. If you need more details, feel free to comment or email.
–Supplies–
Tape measure
Scissors
Fabritac (or comparable fabric glue – NOT HOT GLUE!)
Mini blinds (like the $3 Target mini blinds)
Fabric (yardage depends on the size of your window)
Trim (optional)
1. Measure you windows carefully. Then do some math and figure out how many folds you want in your shade. I like the look of a fold every 9 inches, which meant I only needed 6 slats for my small windows.
2. Let out the blinds all the way, making them the longest they can be. Carefully cut away all of the thin tilting/ladder-like strings, being very careful not to cut the thicker lift cord. I simply ran my scissors along the top of the slats, cutting away the tilt strings and avoiding the lift string altogether.
3. Take out the plastic plugs from the bottom of the miniblinds and remove and put aside the thick bottom slat piece (you’ll need this later). Then simply pull off most of the slats, while leaving the few you’ll need for the folds of the shade. Like I mentioned before, I only needed six slats for my shade.
4. Make sure the blinds are still let out all the way. Measure carefully and reinstall the thick bottom slat so that the length of your window and the full length of the shade are roughly the same. I decided to make my shade about 1″ longer than my window measurement. Just to make sure it would be long enough.
Trim the extra cord away off the bottom.
Now cut out your fabric, using the shade skeleton as your pattern and leaving a 2.5 inch (or so) border on all sides.
5. Congrats! You’re done with the hard part! You should have something that looks like this:
It’s time to start gluing.
6. Start with the top of the shade. Fold over and glue the fabric together to make a clean edge and glue that to the front of the big top rail mount. **NOTE: Do not glue the folded hem to the very ends of the rail mount. You need to be able to slip the rail into the wall-mounted brackets, so the fabric needs to stay unglued on the very ends.
7. Measure 9″ (or your preferred fold length) from the top of the rail. Adjust and glue a slat into place. Continue all the way down, gluing the slats to the fabric. I glued the rounded, convex side of the slat to the fabric so there was more slat-to-fabric contact. Make sure not to glue the lift cord to the slats or the fabric.
8. Glue, turn in and glue again the three other sides of the shade to finish off all the edges. Let it all dry.
9. (Optional) Glue on some trim to the bottom slat. I picked up some super, super tiny ball trim at JoAnn’s for less than $1 a yard. (only needed one yard)
10. Hang up the shades just like hanging up mini blinds. The cord still functions the same way and, as long as you didn’t glue the lift cord to your slats or fabric, the shade should lift and fold beautifully.
Here’s my finished shade. The fabric is a blue-gray burlap that I bought a while back on eBay for about $6.50 a yard. I think I used about a yard and a half total for two shades, but I have small windows.
I’m happy with the look of the burlap. The dark color helps with light control (it filters), but I still feel like the room is bright and cheerful when the shades are down. It’s a good balance for me. Some of you might want to add black-out fabric to the backs of your shade to completely block out the light. It’d be like living in a hotel.
Please let me know if you need clarification or elaboration. And don’t forget to send me pictures if you make your own shades! I’d love to see them!
I love this project! And, Congrats to you, too on the Washington Post – We Boston girls had a good week!
xx-
Gina
Oh my you are a genius! I’ll have to put this on the list.
This is so perfect. We have five windows in our bedroom, all covered with awful mini blinds, that I have had no idea what to do with for the longest time. Genius. I will have to try this once I start working on our bedroom.
One question though. Is the burlap private enough at night? Can you see in from outside?
Sarah –
We tested out the burlap to make sure it provided enough privacy at night. We didn’t have any problems there. You could see light coming through and maybe a bit of a shadow if someone was standing right up against the window, but I felt like it was not really an issue.
There are so many different fabrics to choose from though, so go with a fabric that would look good in your room. The burlap was a little stiffer and maybe a bit trickier to work with than other fabrics would be. Not bad, but not the easiest either.
I’m doing a post on Monday all about different fabric shades. Hopefully you’ll find some inspiration there.
Jenny
i am beyond impressed. they look fabulous!
brilliant! thank you :)
have i commented before? I’m friends w/ terese and also your sister-in-law kristine :)
Just genius. I had to feature and link this on my blog post.
http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/
I’m saving it for when I am ready for this project, because I know I will needed.
I’m excited to make my own shades.
Jenny,
oh my word girl. you are a genius. what a fabulous idea! I LOVE this blog of yours. You have such amazing taste. i LOVE everything on here. When we get a house one day, I’m totally going to fly you out to decorate it:) i wish.
congrats on the Washington Post recognition. That is pretty darn cool if you ask me. You’re amazing.
Jennica, you are seriously brilliant! I really dig the burlap – using that in a home would never have crossed my mind in a million years, but it’s complete unexpectedness is so rad!
This is an amazing blog!
Thank you for this project idea. It is definitely on my list of things to try. It’s great to find things you can accomplish on a budget!
http://nicolehill.blogspot.com/2009/02/hurray-for-little-investigation.html
i didn’t know if you knew or not, sussy gave you a little shout out.
this is so brilliant! Thank you so much for the idea!
great idea!! I can’t wait to try it!
Beautiful! Thanks for sharing.
I’d like to know if one could glue a fabric backing/lining on these?
The only little thing I don’t like about them is the unfinshed appearance on the backside. I know that’s a bit uptight, but I’d like the view of the windows from the outside to be as lovely as the view from the inside.
-Kim in SLC
Kim-
It would be so, so easy and inexpensive to simply glue some white muslin fabric to to back of these shades to unify the look of your windows from the outside.
J
Thanks so much for posting this ingenious tutorial. So simple yet amazing!
can’t wait to try this. fabulous!
and PLEASE SOMEONE help me ID the scalloped patterned rug in the first photo.
must. have. must. have. must. have….
i had to do a post on this … too fantastic!
http://katyoh.blogspot.com/
This is so incredibly smart and simple. I’m so impressed and I will be doing this to all my windows. I’ve made roman shades before and it’s a little too tedious and ends up being a little pricy so this is crazy genius. Well done. I HATE miniblinds.. Windows around should thank you.
I’m so impressed. I’m definitely going to try this! We bought our house in September and I’ve been trying to figure out what to do with the windows w/o a lot of cash.
I’m so excited! I might actually run out and try it this weekend!!! Thanks :)
I wonder if you could do this without totally dismantling the blinds. Perhaps you could leave all the slats in place, but only glue the fabric to every 10th one or so? My condo building requires that we all have the same metal miniblinds so that all the window coverings look the same from the outside of the building. If I could somehow create the shade without changing the exterior look, this would be a great way to cheat the rules!
I wonder – would this approach work with applying a liner fabric to the back (to help block light and provide a more finished look)?
I love this project – a stroke of genius. Nice to come across a new-to-me Boston blog as well :)
I am completely impressed! Thank you so much!
We have ugly roll up shades on every window and we have a lot of windows. I just bought a pattern for roman shades, but I’m so excited to try your instructions instead.
Wonderful! I am linking to this post today on my e-roundup. Can’t wait to try this for our new house…a great way to add colour or a fun pattern into decor.
I have been looking for something like this my entire adult decorating life! THANK YOU!
LOVE IT! My son was born almost 15 months ago and he still has (be prepared to gasp) PAPER SHADES (you just gasped, didn’t you) in his window because I haven’t been able to decide what to do. We have odd shaped windows so anything custom (other than cut-to-size white blinds from a home store like Lowes or Home Depot) is upwards of $200 (yikes!). I am SO GOING TO GIVE THIS A TRY! Once I have completed it I’ll share pictures. (crossing fingers it will be in the next few weeks….)
i must have missed it… did you re-add the bottom piece before gluing?
Someone high up led me to your creation. You have saved my living room from another set of ugly cut to fit mini blinds. The ones that came with the house were old and my kids have demolished them. There are 3 windows in a slight curve, one is down completely and the other too have broken strings and rods so you can’t open them or turn the blinds… My husband is going to want to kiss you for keeping me from spending a ton on special order blinds!!!! My only question is do you glue the outside fabric facing the window on the same strips as the inside?
I made three of these today – 2 for my daughter’s room and 1 for the kitchen…two more to go there. They are super easy and look so nice! Thanks for the detailed instructions and superb pictures!!!!! I will be visiting your blog often!
Thrilled to see this idea. Need to make thermal backed shades to replace these awful miniblinds. This idea is perfect.
I love this project and would like to try it. Is there a way to print from tour site without coping and pasting. Thanks, Shirley of Va
I love this and would like to try this project. Is there a way to print from your site without just coping and pasting. Thanks, Shirley of Va
Hi Shirley – Sorry, the best way to print this post is to copy and paste into a word doc. (at least that’s the best way I know how).
Thanks or stopping by!
I love this tutorial! I was wondering if there is a way to adapt it to take a Relaxed Roman shade?
Thanks!
this just changed my life. for real. we have mini blinds on every. single. window and I’ve been dying to upgrade, but the cash just isn’t there. omg. I’m trying it this weekend!
Effin’ brilliant, girlfriend! Really. You should go on Design Star and WIN! You have cheap, good ideas.
Kristina on February 23 asked if this could be done without totally dismantelling the blind. I was wondering the same thing. Do you have an opinion on that?
This is a supercalifragisticexpealidocously wonderful idea! Thank you for sharing!
Hi anon and Kristina,
I’m not sure that it would work to not dismantle the blinds. It would be tricky to get the glue to stick right and I think the other blind slats will lay funny.
Kristina mentioned that she has to keep the metal miniblinds hanging in her apartment windows. You could just hang a shade (made from mini-blinds) on top of your metal mini blinds?
Good luck!
This is an absolutely great DIY and your instructions are so easy; love the finished look. Thank you for sharing this. Found via tweet from Michelle of vertigodesign; thank you to both of you.
I need to read more of your blog but this is great. warm regards, ajan
I almost blew it! I was going to use mini blinds but remove all the slats & then make pockets for dowels. What a waste that would have been! I love love love your idea! Thank you so much.
This is really a great idea. A lot of my blinds are nasty this could make them super hot. Thanks.
I really like this project and I think it’s wonderfully smart of you to come up with it! However, I need to know how in the world do the slats not bend unless you use really light fabric?
I love this! My Kitchen windows have been bare since I put new windows in my home because I just can’t decide what to do with them knowing full well it’s not worth spending too much on curtains for a window that sits right above the sink. But I know this is what I will do now! The possibilities are endless when you can choose your own fabric!
Ingenius!
This is a brilliant idea! I’m having a great time going through your blog.
Josie
Thanks so much for sharing, we are moving in August, and I’ll definitely will try this, great project. Let you know…
Great idea! My husband and I can never agree on window treatments and this is an inexpensive way to create a new look. If you get tired of it…just redo! Thanks.