As you guys well know, I will stretch a dollar as far as I possibly can.
And then some.
The same is true with fabric.
When I started the colorful porch makeover, Grunt Labor had one request:
Curtains.
Well he had other requests too, like a fireplace and a television, but at the current moment, those aren’t attainable.
He was adamant on the curtains though. He thought it would make the space feel more homey.
Yes, that coming from a male who even refers to himself as Grunt Labor is a little odd, but he was right. And really, the man rarely asks for anything around here – there was no way I could say no.
My problem was that I only had three yards of fabric for the curtains. Typically, I would be lucky to get two curtain panels out of three yards – and they would be skinnier panels at that.
My other problem here was that even though the porch is screened-in, the curtains were still going to get dirty at the bottom pretty quickly.
Luckily at Home Depot one day, the lightbulb went off.
Does anyone else have moments of genius at Home Depot? I swear sometimes that’s the only place I get them. I will have ran in for one can of spray paint and by the time I get to the checkout line, I’m struggling to hold onto everything that I’ve picked up and apologizing for knocking over a display with the 10 foot piece of pipe I’m barely holding under my arm.
Yep, I’m that girl.
But it was that stroke of genius that solved both problems – I would make Floating Curtain Panels.
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DIY Floating Curtain Panels
If you can sew a straight semi-straight line (my lines are never totally straight) and make a couple of simple cuts with a hand saw or electrical saw, you can totally do these. Seriously, they aren’t hard at all.
Materials Needed:
-3 yards of fabric of your choice (I used this outdoor fabric and it made three panels for me that were 19 in wide x 89 in long before being hemmed. I did have a little leftover. If these are going outdoors and you don’t find an outdoor fabric you like, you can always waterproof, color protect, and stain repel the fabric yourself by using this tutorial.
-10′ piece of 1/2″ PVC pipe
-Regular Hand Saw or Circular Saw or Miter Saw (I used our Miter Saw)
-12 Screw Eyes
–Neon Pink Cord (or other color of your choice – you guys know I love my bright flashy colors)
-Scissors
-Sewing Machine & Thread or Stitch Witchery
-Straight pins
-Measuring Tape
Steps
Step 1
Cut your pipe down to whatever your desired length is. I was fitting my pipe between the 2×4 supports on my porch. Of course, no measurement between the 2x4s were the same. That’s just what you get with older houses and foreclosures, people. I thought it would look funny to have different size panels, so I opted to make all my pipes the same size, which was 19 inches. I marked my pipe and cut it with a miter saw.
Most of the pipe will be covered by the panels, however, the ends do still show. I didn’t want them to be white, so I spray painted the ends gold.
Step 2
Lay out your fabric and cut it into panels. Each of my panels were 19 inches wide x 89 inches long.
After you have cut your panels, pin down the long side edges only (not the top or bottom edges) and hem them. If you want to go the no-sew route, use the stitch witchery here.
And by the way, if I can sew a decently straight line on this….
Anyone can sew a decently straight line. That sewing machine was my great grandmother’s, my grandmother’s, and now mine. I’ve cursed it, hit it (that hurt), ran my finger through it on more than one occasion (that hurt more), but I wouldn’t think of sewing with anything else.
We have a history.
Step 3
Now you need to hem your top edges, but leave an opening for the pipe to fit through.
Do this by placing the pipe long the top edge, then pulling the fabric over the pipe and pinning the edges in place (#1 in the photo above). Remove the pipe and pin down the rest of the edge (#2 above). Finally, sew the edge down (#3). Repeat this with the top and bottom edges for all the panels.
Step 4
Take your screw eyes and screw one into each corner where your panels will hang from (top and bottom). Since my pipes were 19 inches long, I put my screw eyes about 19 inches apart.
Next, thread the nylon cord through your pipe and tie each end onto the screw eyes.
Stand back and observe your amazingness.
Go grab a cheap beer or a cocktail.
And relax in the shade of your new floating curtain panels that you made all by yourself.
Because you are a superstar.
Do you have any DIY curtain hacks?
See the full porch makeover here and this little DIY flamingo wreath that embellishes these curtain panels now!
Love a good curtain hack? Be sure to see these duck tape trimmed curtains too!
You know you don’t wanna miss any of this crazy.
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Patty says
That is genius! I don’t know how you come up with such great ideas, but keep it up for people like me. You continue to inspire me and give me ideas for my home.
Jenna @ Rain on a Tin Roof says
Thank you, Patty! Honestly, I just came up with it because I was trying to figure out how to stretch my fabric.
Lindsay says
Looks amazing! I’m so loving the porch.
I’m going to teach you to sew with a pattern. If my non-crafty self can do it, you’ll be a pro.
Jenna @ Rain on a Tin Roof says
Thanks, Lindsay! I’m totally anti-patterns though. I tried it once, it ended badly. haha
Lisa says
Love this idea! Very different take on curtains…
Jenna @ Rain on a Tin Roof says
Thanks, Lisa!
Leslie @ House on the Way says
I am so going to use your pipe and cord idea for my daughters curtains for her dorm. With concrete walls that you can’t nail or screw into, I have to get creative.
Thanks!
Leslie
Jenna @ Rain on a Tin Roof says
Oh, that’s a great idea, Leslie!! I bet she will love them too!
chris aka monkey says
i can totally see you running around home depot lol.. i am glad you did this for grunt, he has to put up with you lmbo xx
Jenna @ Rain on a Tin Roof says
I know, Chris, he at least deserves curtains! haha!
Stephanie C. says
This looks awesome!! I love that you don’t have to worry about the bottoms getting dirty, or the panels catching a breeze and knocking stuff over. Great job!
Jenna @ Rain on a Tin Roof says
Thanks, Stephanie! Yes – those are a huge plus for us!
Zena Thomas says
Lovely and inspiring! I have similar fabric and may do the same thing for a house being built in FL.
Jenna @ Rain on a Tin Roof says
Thanks, Zena!! They are really easy to do and super functional!
Aunt Peaches says
Holy cats! These are cute. Simple too. That’s a lot of atmosphere for not a lot of money. Go you!
Jenna @ Rain on a Tin Roof says
Thanks!! Yep, it wasn’t that much money at all – just a little thinking outside the box!
Cassandra says
Love it! Love it! Love it!
Jenna @ Rain on a Tin Roof says
Thank you, Cassandra!
mary ballerin says
Very cute, Jenna. If your ‘studs’ were evenly spaced would short tension rods have worked? I’ve been saving cheap tension rods in lists on my frequently-visited websites as filler items to hit the free shipping threshold, or if I have free (surprise) points to use or lose. Those rods have so many great uses, like arranging cookie sheets in a cupboard or hanging trigger spray cleaning bottles, this is another one. I know the PVC pipe is cheaper but I hate not using free points, or searching for something low-priced to hit the free shipping mark. I’m with Grunt Labor, I want a little privacy when I sit outside but roll-up bamboo blinds are pricey. I have my grandma’s old Singer treadle sewing machine in its ornate oak cabinet, my mom used it. My newer Singer machine sits on top, I’m not that patient. I taught myself how to sew in 8th grade and paid for a car by being a seamstress from age 19-22. I made Halloween costumes for friends’ children for many years, without patterns. Doesn’t it feel good to finish a sewing project? I love your fabric, orange has a hold on me lately. Two $3.04 orange ‘corduroy’ zippered pillows covers from eBay are my latest satisfaction.
Jenna @ Rain on a Tin Roof says
Yep, Mary, I’m sure short tension rods would work too!
Meg @ Green With Decor says
Great idea! And I love that you use your grandmother’s sewing machine – how special!
Jenna @ Rain on a Tin Roof says
Thanks, Meg!!
Hannah Schott says
I was searching everywhere for an idea for my previously screened porch, and I’m so glad I found this! It’s going to work perfectly for my house. I’ve got the panels ready and all the screws in place, but I was hoping you could tell me what knot you used to tie the ropes? I tried a simple knot and it doesn’t hold too well. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again for this cool idea!
Jenna @ Rain on a Tin Roof says
So glad this was helpful to you, Hannah! I’ll be honest – I’m not a great knot maker. I think I ended up tying about two knots on each end of these strings which seemed to work well. I didn’t know any “fancy” knots to try out.
Stephanie says
You are sew smart and sew easy to make. love your great grandmas treadle. Thank you for the tutorial.
Jenna says
Thanks, Stephanie! Your comment was sew sweet! 😉
Jane says
These panels look great! Such a nice easy project that affords some privacy on your porch.
Alice says
I really like this idea think it’s a great way to add curtains while still allowing natural light. Thank you for linking this post up with us at #omhgww
Leanna says
Your colour choices for this project is fantastic. It’s different, edgy and stunning. Love it.
Sarah @ The DIY Mommy says
Beautiful! I love the fabric you chose – great splash of color!
Barbara Chapman says
These floating curtain panels are wonderful, Jenna! Thank you for sharing at last week’s Share Your Style, I’ll be featuring your post at today’s link party! Thanks again and your daughter is SO CUTE on the video! (I can see her and now your hubby as I write!)
Happy spring hugs,
Barb 🙂
Marie says
What a smart, and pretty, way to get some privacy! Love the color of your fabric too.
Kippi says
Great idea and so pretty too.
Pinned, Kippi
Hannah says
What a great idea! I love the way they turned out. If you’re looking to join another link up we just started a new one today. I think that our readers would really love your content.