Thanks to Premier Prints for sponsoring this review. This post contains Amazon affiliate links.
You may have read that almost two years ago I got a full-time writing job with a company that I love! Since I am a remote worker, I really enjoy outfitting my home office to make it as efficient and as pleasant to work in as possible. My “officemate” is my 5-year-old Shih Tzu pup, Mochi, so I recently made a DIY cushion for a two-person loveseat from Amazon so he and I can sit together while I work. (Check out this DIY cushion tutorial for details on how to make a cushion like mine for your desk or loveseat.) I used a beautiful bird print fabric for the cushion from Premier Prints from ShopFabrics.com. The fabric is a Bird Toile Brazilian Yellow Slub Canvas fabric. Since I had some of the super-cute fabric left, I decided to make a matching cute tie-up curtain for the window in the room. I have a sewing machine but don’t have advanced sewing skills, so this is an easy project that just about anyone can do.
Materials
(These instructions don’t include exact measurements – this was a quick project, and I estimated how much fabric, etc., I would need as I went along; how much fabric you’ll need will depend on the size of your window and how long and wide you want your curtain to be.)
One piece of fabric (that’s wide enough to allow at double-folded 1/4-inch hems on the top, bottom, and sides, with a few extra inches at the top to create a pocket for your curtain rod and a few extra at the bottom of the curtain to fold up accordion-style.)
Sewing machine or hand needle (or you can use a Hem Iron-On Adhesive and an iron if you don’t want to sew)
Coordinating thread (that matches your fabric)
Sewing clips (these clips are fantastic and make any sewing project so much easier—you won’t get pricked while working with these clips—I almost always prick my fingers when working with sewing pins!)
2 Pieces of Ribbon that’s longer than the length you intend for your finished curtain; you need enough to be able to tie a bow with each piece of ribbon. (My ribbon is about 2-inches wide.) I actually centered one ribbon on top of another and sewed the ribbons together to create two pretty decorated ribbons, but you can use just two pieces of plain ribbon if you like. The ribbons need to be long enough so you can loop it over the top of the curtain rod and tie a bow in the front of your curtain.
Instructions
Measure your window and figure out how many inches wide and long you need your finished curtain to be.
I decided to make 1/4-inch hems on the two long sides of the curtain. I created these hems by pinning down 1/4-inch of the fabric down on each side of my piece or fabric and then sewing them to create a hem. I then folded each hem over another 1/4-inch and sewed them down so the hems would have a finished look to them. **If you don’t want to sew, you can simply use Hem Iron-On Adhesive and a warm iron to create your hems.
I created a wide pocket for the curtain rod to go in by first pinning 1/4-inch of the fabric down on the top of the fabric and sewing it. I then folded it over another 1/4-inch to create a finished edge. I then folded the fabric at the top down to create a pocket three- to four-inches deep so I could slip the curtain rod in it.
I also created a 1/4-inch hem at the bottom of the curtain by following the steps I used to create the other 1/4-inch hems. (Note: all my measurements are approximate—this was a very quick and easy project, so I was a bit lax about using a measuring tape! That’s the beauty of this project—you don’t have to be very exact; it’s very forgiving.)
After my curtain was completed, I simply hung it on my curtain rod. Then I took my ribbon (that I customized by sewing a decorative piece of ribbon over a plainer one) and looped a ribbon over each end of the curtain rod. I carefully folded up the bottom of the curtain accordion style until it was the length I wanted. (You can temporarily pin or clip it in place until you tie your bows.) ThenI just tied a bow with each ribbon. My ribbon is wired ribbon, so my bows are a bit stiff and have a bigger and firmer shape—if you prefer softer, delicate bows, you can use non-wired ribbon.
That was the extent of my project! These curtains are so simple that you can easily make them in just an hour if you like. Be sure to check out the line of Premier Print fabrics on ShopFabrics.com! They have such a beautiful line of fabrics—I have used fabrics from Premier Prints in several of my home decorating projects.
What’s Next for My Home Office
I have an amazing Flexispot Kana Desk in my office that I need to use more!
Since breaking my ankle a year ago, I have been enjoying having my pup snuggle up next to me while I work these days—but I do need to do some more standing!
I am hoping to maybe at some point get an under-the-desk Sunny Health Walking Pad to use while I am writing. I have read that it’s an excellent treadmill for walking while working at a standing desk! Until I do, I might put an Aerobic Step under my desk to at least get some exercise while I work, or while I attend Zoom meetings. I know I need to spend less time sitting during the day to be healthier—at the moment, I’m sitting at least 7 hours a day next to my puppy during my work day. I am a lot less active than I should be—my daily walks with my pup are about the only exercise I get.