DIY Dorm Room Curtains!

Hi! Welcome back to my blog!

This time I decided to sew curtains for my dorm room! I thought they would make my room feel a little more "homey." I love how they turned out! I hadn't done anything like this before and kinda just made it up as I went. It was really simple, so if you'd like to learn how to make your own curtains, follow along!

Step 1

Gathering the materials! I got 1 1/2yds x 44" of a simple cotton fabric at my local craft store. I used a sewing machine, a tension rod, fabric and thread scissors, a seam ripper, a ruler, two Command hooks, and thread. I also used sewing pins, though they aren't pictured.

Quick Tip: Measure the area of your window before you buy your fabric! This helped me make sure I bought enough fabric and that my tension rod was the right length as well. Your dimensions may be different than mine. The width of the window, or the horizonal length, is going to be the height of your fabric if you buy it on a roll at a craft store. The width of my window was about 42.5", so I got fabric that measured 44" tall, as it was the closest in size. The length comes down to personal preference. I got 1 1/2yds, but if you measure the height of your window you can adjust that to whatever your length preference is.

Supplies!

Step 2

First, I cut my fabric in half the long way, so I had two pieces that each measured about 22" x  56". I then trimmed the raw edges off of the fabric. I didn't plan on hemming the sides, so I wanted to remove any frayed pieces for a cleaner look.

                                                                    

Original frayed edges!

All cut off!

Step 3

I then used my tension rod to measure how much fabric I would need to fold over and sew. I folded the edge over the tension rod by about 2". I used a straight stitch to hold the fold in place. Since I liked the look, I went over the stitch with a tight zigzag stitch. This added strength to the original stitch. I did this for both pieces of fabric.

Measuring with the tension rod!

Basic straight stitch!

Zigzag stitch for strength!

Step 4

Next, I trimmed 2" off of the short, unstitched end of both pieces. I used these strips of fabric to create loops that would hold my curtains open. I wanted the loops to attach to the curtain, wrap around it, and pull it open onto a hook. I first folded the strips in half, then sewed each of them along all of the edges with a straight stitch. I marked an opening on each strip where I wanted to cut a hole. These holes would loop onto the hooks. After marking the openings, I used the buttonhole settings on my sewing machine to create an opening. You could also sew the holes by hand. I then used my seam ripper to tear the holes open. 

Cutting 2" strips off the bottom!

Folded strip in half! 

Marking the buttonhole!

Ripping open the buttonhole!

Completed loop strips!

Step 5

Next, I hung the curtains on the tension rod and placed them in my window. I was testing to see at what height I wanted the loops to be. I ended up sewing mine 16" up from the bottom of each curtain. I used the zigzag stitch to secure the loops to the fabric. I sewed one loop on the very edge of each curtain, on opposite sides for each. This is important! When your curtains are hanging, the fabric strip for each curtain should be on its outer side.

Measuring where to put the loops!

Securing the loops to the curtains!

The straps are on the outer sides!

Step 6

The last step was to place Command hooks on the wall where I wanted the loops to attach. I played around with wrapping the loops around the curtains. When I liked the layout, I attached the hooks to my wall. I turned the hooks sideways so the buttonhole wouldn't slip off. Once the hooks were secured to the wall, I looped each strip around the curtains and onto the hooks. 

Placing the hooks!

Step 7

I looped both sides so that my curtains would be open. Ta-da! Simple, easy curtains. Perfect for any dorm room or to add decoration to windows. 

Close view of completed curtains!

Completed curtains from a distance!

I tend to keep my curtains open all the time, since they're more decorative than functional. I didn't hem mine, but of course you could hem yours! 

Let me know if you give these curtains a try! They're really simple and don't require too much sewing. I love seeing them when I enter my room. They make the room feel so cozy!

Thanks for following along! Have a fantastic day!