12.15.11
I’ll be honest. This is one of those projects that if I had to do it over again, I would just… well, I wouldn’t. I would buy curtains. I love, love, love the way that they turned out, but let me tell you — getting this project done in my teeny tiny Manhattan apartment was a challenge, to say the least. But in the true spirit of DIY, I’m here to tell you all the dirty details of how we got it done. And so, without further ado, I present to you: DIY Painted Stripe Curtains.
I sewed curtain panels from simple muslin material, and decided how wide I wanted my stripes according to how tall the panels were (this will take a little math on your part). Then, I taped off the areas that I wanted striped. Keep in mind that when the tape is down, some stripes will look wider because you’ll have to allow for the width of the actual tape.
I laid the taped panels on a dropcloth (which was actually a dollar store plastic tablecloth) and started painting. The paint I used was a color that we had previously used on our walls, so it was straight-up Benjamin Moore. I mixed in a bit of fabric medium (found at Michael’s Crafts) so that the paint wouldn’t stiffen or crack when it dried. Lots of online tutorials say to use a roller for this part, but I found a paintbrush to be much more effective and just plain faster.
Okay, dudes. Now paint. Paint like your life depends on it. I had six panels, and I ended up having to split the painting over a couple of days because the project started taking (waaaay) longer than expected. Let the paint dry a bit and pull off your tape.
Phewph! We made it. I mean, they’re lovely. Really. I absolutely think they’re great. But I’m not saying there wasn’t a point in the project where Mr. Lovely had to literally come and hold my face in his hands and be like, “Dude. We’re gonna make it.” Curtains! xoxo
They’re lovely! Great color combo. And yay for husbands who talk their wives off the ledge. My husband usually just shakes his head and wanders away bewildered!
AWESOME!!! I have always wanted to try this – you are so brave and they turned out FABULOUS!!! YAY!
Aw, thanks girls! I guess they were worth it in the end.
I love them! And Jenny actually did try to talk me into painting striped curtains earlier this summer and I was too chicken.
wow, these turned out amazing! even if making them almost killed you i’d say the payoff was worth it. well done!
Chelsea . . . I get a kick out of your willingness to tackle anything . . . everything . . . never giving up (yea Mr Lovely) . . . and loving the results . . . you go girl . . . don’t quit taking the challenge !!
sooo cute! I’ll totally quote that in http://www.lacyniqueromantique.com
xx from Italy
[...] sbirciare per trovare qualche idea da riciclare per il futuro trasloco ho trovato il meraviglioso Lovely Indeed che propone un tutorial che dire veloce è un eufemismo. Basta un pennello, della vernice per [...]
What a great way to spice up some curtains. I have two plain white next to our bed and I might just have to give this a try! Thanks for sharing. Well done!
I am so impressed! I attempted this myself – and failed, miserably. I wanted nearly the exact same thing – but vertical stripes. I tried painting, but the sunlight shining through the curtains showed every brush stroke and it looked terrible. (I blogged about my “journey” here: http://ourdreamforeclosure.wordpress.com/2011/02/27/curtains-in-my-dreams-as-in-not-in-reality/)
My hat is off to you… GREAT JOB!
They were definitely a challenge, Michelle! I was almost ready to scrap them too but pushed through. They’re not perfect, but we’ll call it a learning experience.
[...] to really enjoy it. And as far as the never-again DIY – I would never, ever, ever decide again to paint stripes on fabric curtains. Biggest mess [...]