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DIY Roman shade hack
Transform your windows with a touch of handmade charm — no pricey custom orders required. A DIY Roman shade is one of the easiest and most affordable ways to get a tailored look for less. With just a few simple materials and under $20, you can create a shade that looks elegant, fits your space perfectly, and reflects your personal style.
Table of Contents
✂️ Materials You’ll Need
- 1 yard of medium-weight cotton or linen fabric (or repurpose an old curtain or tablecloth)
- Tension rod or small curtain rod
- Cord or thin ribbon for lifting
- Small wooden dowels or bamboo skewers
- Fabric glue or iron-on hem tape (no sewing machine required!)
- Scissors, measuring tape, and clips
Step-by-Step Instructions
Of course I have some before and after eye candy for you near the end of the post!
A renter friendly window treatment (option)
Roman shades fit inside of a window frame vs. curtains which mount on the outside of the frame.
This shade is mean to be attached directly to metal blinds so it is renter friendly, however if you do not have blinds you may use a third tension rod to connect it to the inside of your window frame.
This black stripe version was only $11 total!
Supplies for budget DIY roman shades
I used duck cloth, a cotton canvas, for my shades. I had a particular design I wanted which is the soft green stripes. To make it no sew, I used hem tape which is activated by the heat of an iron (or your flat iron if you don’t have an iron) and magnets are used to connect the shade to metal blinds.
The tension rods I used come in a pack of 6. At the time of purchase that worked out to $3.25 each. I have seen them at Walmart for under $4 each but when I needed these for my project they were entirely sold out. Amazon to the rescue!
These are the magnets I used. Where I live they can be found at Hobby Lobby and Walmart. 50 for $6 not on sale. Sale price even better!
Step 1: Measure
Measure the window width and length inside the frame. You will likely want the full length of the window covered as an option even if you think you just want it for a pretty window treatment.
If you chose a stripe make sure you have enough of solid color on either side so it fits your window without looking lopsided and allow an inch or two on either side to create a seam.
Step 2: Cut and hem the fabric
Using heatbond fabric tape create a seam along the bottom and sides of fabric panel.
Step 3: Set up window for fabric panel and create folds
Put two tension rods in place. Attach several magnets along the top of metal blinds. Use a third tension rod if you do not have blinds already installed.
I recommend testing out how many magnets you will need. 5-6 is enough for the weight of the duck cloth. They may not hold something much heavier but certainly cotton craft fabric, silky and other thin fabrics will be just fine. Heavier brocade may be too heavy.
To test, fold over a flap and match up the corresponding magnets to create a bond by sandwiching the fabric between two.
You may like home decor color trends
Step 4: Attach the roman shade and drape in tension rods to desired length
Once attached put entire panel behind both tension rods then draw up fabric between each and smooth the bottom seam so it lays flat and even.
Before and after window treatment
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