So You Want a Unique and Homemade Shower Curtain?
How to Make a Shower Curtain
Truly the bathroom is an odd place. In some homes, it looks like an after-thought. In other homes, it looks like the indulgent centre of all things opulent! At some point in the life of every renter or home owner, the time comes to do something about the way it looks. One of the biggest changes a person can make without engaging in full renovations, is to change up the look of the shower curtain. There are two ways you can do this. The first is to shop around various home hardware and home interior decorating stores to find the perfect curtain at a price you deem reasonable. But if you are the creative type and like to sew, you can create a masterpiece that will make you proud to show off your bathroom to your next set of visitors.
Here is the list of items you will need:
- Sewing machine
- Sharp sewing scissors
- Lots of sewing pins
- One 6 foot measuring tape
- Note paper and pen or pencil
- Decent cutting surface such as a table, deep freeze or linoleum floor
- Iron and ironing board (preferably the full-size version)
- Bolt of cloth
- Shower curtain liner
- Access to a washer and dryer
Preliminary steps involved in creating your very own shower curtain from scratch:
The first step is to measure the opening you will be covering. Most shower curtains are 72”x72”, but to be safe, measure your opening in case it is larger or smaller in some fashion. Write down the measurements.
The second step is to consider the hemming. You will want to add another four inches to the top, right and left sides, and another 8 inches to the bottom for the thicker double-hem. Again, write down the resulting measurements.
The third step is to visit the local fabric store to buy your cloth. Most bolts are only 54” wide, so you’ll need two panels of the same length. If you are buying patterned cloth, perhaps add extra yardage to allow you to match up the pattern prior to sewing.
The fourth step is to pre-wash your fabric so that if there is any shrinkage, that is done before you begin measuring and cutting the cloth.
Now we get down to the actual creation of the curtain:
After the pre-wash is complete, one of the panels needs to be cut in half length-wise, then matched and pinned to the centre panel. Remember to match up the pattern if there is one.
Create a 1” seam for each panel, and sew a straight line down the length. When complete, use the iron to fold over the seam allowance twice, and run through the sewing machine again. This prevents fraying.
On the two sides, using the iron and your sewing pins, create a 1.5” fold, then a second 1.5” fold, and sew down the length of the edge. Again, we want to prevent fraying.
Across the top of the curtain, using the iron and pins, create a 1.5” fold, then a second 1.5” fold, and sew across the edge of the fold.
Across the bottom of the curtain, create a 4” fold and iron it into place. Fold it another 4”, iron, and then sew. If you chose a light fabric, you may wish to insert some fabric liner before the second fold to give it more weight.
The last step is creating the button holes to add the shower hooks. Mark out on the top hem, button holes three inches from each end, and then space the remaining holes equally at roughly 6” intervals. Use the holes in the shower liner as a guide. Using the sewing machine’s button-hole feature and a seam ripper, create the button holes, and you’re done.
Once you’re hand-crafted shower curtain is ready, match it with the liner as you place the shower hooks into the button holes. If you did everything correctly, the holes will all match up, and your curtain will hang beautifully across the length of your tub.
These instructions are the same for making a shower curtain for a shower stall, just remember the measuring and note-taking steps and go from there.
Sometimes your own creative ingenuity can save you a bundle when changing up the look of your bathroom. Have fun with it and see how it looks.
Happy shower making.
