Roman shades the simple solution !

Free Ebook

"Easy make mock roman shades"
NO SEWING
Simply subscribe to the "latest tips ezine" in the box just above. Then download straight away.

Roman shades or roman blinds as they are also called give a very contemporary look. They look very modern. They use little fabric in comparison to curtains and are great for covering windows where curtains won't do.

What exactly is a "roman shade" ?

Romans when down are just a flat panel. Then when pulled up they start to fold into pleats, how many depends on the length of your blind.

Checkout the picture below to see a window I have fitted shown with a mini pelmet over the top.

Click on image below for larger picture

What kind of roman do you want ?

Didn't not know there was more than one kind. Well there sure are. Check out below for the main kinds.

Standard roman

All the pleats are the same size and fold one on top of another.

Cascading roman

From the top down each pleat gets deeper so when pulled up you see all the pleats. Only drawback is it makes a deeper shade.

Relaxed roman

Made the same as the above shades but with no rods on the back of the shade. This makes it sag a little in the middle.

So how do roman blinds work ?

Well you have 2 ways to operate them:

1. Pull cords, several cords depending on the width of your shade. All thread into a metal or wooden cord pull.You simply pull the cords to move the shade up or down. When at the required height you wrap the cords around a cleat hook.

2. Chain lift, A loop of chain just the same as a roller shade. Simply pull the front of the loop chain to make the shade go down. Then pull the back of the loop chain to make the shade go up.

Blind in the recess or outside the recess ?

Where to fit your roman shade that's the question. Well most are fitted in the recess next to the window frame (as in picture above). This makes for a neat looking window treatment.

Sometimes it's not possible to do that, so fitting outside the recess is fine. Usually making shade 10 cm wider and 15 cm longer.

What about wide windows ?

On wide windows the fabric will probably not be wide enough to make your shade. So it will be made by sewing half widths of fabric on each side of the main piece of fabric.

This means that you will have 2 seams on your blind. On patterned fabric the pattern will need to be matched. See the image on the right. Click on image to see larger picture.

How do you make a roman blind ?

Would you love to make your own professional looking roman shades ? Then learn how to even if you have never sewn a stitch in your life ! Just click here on Easy roman shades to find out more.

Mock roman shades

I hope you like these romans in a bay window I made them recently. They do not work they are just made to decorate the wndow. They are lined and interlined to give them what I call body.

The fantastic thing about these blinds is......NO SEWING. not a single stitch was used in the making of these mock romans.

So I bet your wondering how I made them. Well I will tell you very soon. I am making an ebook with instructions as I write this. I am only releasing it free to people who subscribe to my newsletter. So just click on the link below to sign up.

Why not sign up for the FREE "Latest tips Ezine" and keep upto date without constantly checking back. I include special reports and tips just for my Ezine readers. I only use your details to send the Ezine and promise that I do not use them for any other purpose.

Can't find what your looking for then, why not search for it ?

Return from Roman shades to Curtain ideas with pictures gallery