Do you have a difficult odd sized window to dress? In this post you will learn how to customize an inexpensive IKEA Hilja Curtain with this easy diy IKEA curtain hack. This is an easy tutorial that requires very basic sewing skills. Transform your window with minimum effort and enjoy a little bit of privacy at the same time allowing the light to filter through.
Almost all our windows have a standard size and most of them are all dressed with day curtains. These day curtains allow us privacy during the day without compromising the daylight. During the night, I have also night curtains in addition to strong window blinds on the outside. This filters out any artificial light completely. This was a lot of work to do it by myself in this home, therefore, I outsourced all of it to a professional for this house.
For all of my previous homes, I used to sew all the curtains by myself. With the exception of the panorama window in the office all the windows in this house have curtains. When you look at the picture below you will see how impossible it is to make a curtain as tall as 3.5 meters with such an odd shape.
WHY EASY OPTIONS FAILED ?
Initially, we had some window stickers in the lower part to give us some privacy, but after a while it started peeling off.
The upper half is next to impossible due to the triangle shape and moreover, we like the view from this window.
It is also difficult to fix blinds to it. This window is a great feature in our home, but it offers too little privacy. So, I needed to dress only the lower part of the window to afford us some privacy which was easiest thing to do.
This easy DIY IKEA curtain hack addressed that problem. Moreover, I could be within my budget.
TIPS TO MAKE DIY IKEA CURTAIN HACK
- If you are not experienced in sewing, choose the cheapest possible curtain to experiment on. I used Hilja curtains from IKEA.
- If you have solid walls with brick and mortar like ours, it will be difficult to drill a hole into it, so use tracks below the window sill to make it easier. Our windows are made of plastic, so I stuck the tracks with a double glue tape.
- You can buy the tracks at a DIY store but the track rings are easily available in IKEA.
- Use a 50 m Transparent Translucent Net 2 Pleat Tape Width 25 mm curtain tapes for easier pleats.
- Measure everything before hand before cutting the material to avoid mistakes. Try it with some tapes to see if the cut is right before actually cutting it.
TOOLS YOU WILL NEED
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Transparent Translucent Net 2 Pleat Tape Width 25mm
Ceiling Track or Curtain rod ( you can also buy this in IKEA )
Curtain rings ( you can get this also at IKEA )
2 IKEA Hilja curtains
How to measure the curtains ?
Measure the length and height of the curtain before cutting the material.
Measure the length that you want for the curtains. I wanted two pieces so it is easy to sew and manage. You could also do it as one piece, but you will have to sew 2 pieces together. I have done that in the past for smaller windows.
Tips:
- If you are using cotton or linen, first wash and dry your fabric before sewing. Iron them so you can cut the fabric easily. I usually wash all cotton and linen with cold water and hang to dry before sewing. You don’t want the fabric to shrink after you’ve already sewn it.
- Always double-check your measurements. Stick them on the window before cutting, this is what I do. Nothing is worse than cutting out the wrong size and having to run back to the store for more of the same.
- Duplicate the first panel you cut as a template for the next panel. This makes life easier.
How do you hang the DIY Ikea curtains?
You can use a tension rod and use the existing curtain pleats given by IKEA and easily hang it if you have smaller windows.
Our walls are made of concrete and it was not possible to make a hole either in the wall or on the frames. The frames are a mixture of metal and plastic. It would have been damaged badly if we had drilled a hole to fix a rod. So, we used a double sided 3M strong glue tape and stuck the curtain track below the window sill.
HOW TO MAKE EASY DIY IKEA CURTAIN HACK
Find the length and cut out fabric
Since these curtains come with the stitched pleats. I cut out the pleats that came along with it to customize to my requirements. I switched the height to width and width to height.
In my case, the window had a width of 290 cm and height of 96 cm. I used both pieces in the package after cutting out the given pleats and left 4 cm for the side hems.
For the height – since I had extra material it was easy to convert. I went with a double fold hem so left 20 cm for a bigger fold yet made it long enough to touch the floor.
Since the window was 290 cm in width and 96 cm in height, Hilja was easy to modify. Hilja measures 145 x 300 cm. I just used it the other way round than how it was meant to be hanged. I used a transparent 2 pleat tape, so you if you are using a pleat tape, double the measurement of the width.
Sew the hems
Fold over the long sides about a cm for the top hem and press it. Fold it over another cm and press, so the raw edges are nicely tucked in and you are left with a clean edge. Do this on both vertical sides before sewing the hem. Use pins so the fold is not easily disturbed while sewing. This is practical especially if it is a synthetic material. Cotton or linen is easy to fold and stays that way.
For the bottom hem, fold over the bottom edge 4 cms and press. Since I decided to go in for a bigger hem, I folded 7 cm.
Fold that bottom over again by another 7 cm to hide the raw edge. Press and add the pins and sew them.
Sew the 2 pleat transparent net tape
After folding the first hem for the top end where you want the rings or pleats, fold a second hem measuring the same size as the transparent pleat tape. You can first sew the hem and then sew the tape on to it to be sure it stays in place. On the other hand, if you want to avoid sewing it twice on the same side, you can fix the pins and sew them. Sew both length ends of the pleat tape and not the width of the tape. ( I usually, leave it )
How to finish your easy DIY IKEA curtain hack
After sewing the pleat tape, pull out the thick thread at the edge of the curtain and draw the pleats together. Adjust the pleats for any creases and then tie the thick strings and cut of any extra string. Fix the curtain ring in between the pleats in the given slot.
Now you can enjoy the privacy this easy DIY IKEA curtain hack affords.
PIN IT FOR LATER
Find the length and cut out the fabric Since these curtains come with the stitched pleats. I cut out the pleats that came along with it to customize to my requirements. I switched the height to width and width to height. In my case, the window had a width of 290 cm and height of 96 cm. I used both pieces in the package after cutting out the given pleats and left 4 cm for the side hems. For the height, since I had extra material it was easy to convert. I went with a double fold hem so left 20 cm for a bigger fold yet made it long enough to touch the floor. Since the window was 290 cm in width and 96 cm in height, Hilja was easy to modify. Hilja measures 145 x 300 cm. I just used it the other way round than how it was meant to be hanged. Important Note I used a transparent 2 pleat tape, so you if you are using a pleat tape, double the measurement of the width. Sew the hem Fold over the long sides about a cm for the top hem and press it. Fold it over another cm and press, so the raw edges are nicely tucked in and you are left with a clean edge. Do this on both vertical sides. Use pins so the fold is not easily disturbed while sewing. This is practical especially if it is a synthetic material. Cotton or linen is easy to fold and stays that way. For the bottom hem, fold over the bottom edge 4 cms and press. Since I decided to go in for a bigger hem, I folded 7 cm. Fold that bottom over again by another 7 cm to hide the raw edge. Press and add the pins and sew them. Sew the 2 pleat transparent net tape After folding the first hem for the top end where you want the rings or pleats, fold a second hem measuring the same size as the transparent pleat tape. You can first sew the hem and then sew the tape on to it to be sure it stays in place. On the other hand, if you want to avoid sewing it twice on the same side, you can fix the pins and sew them. Sew both length ends of the pleat tape and not the width end of the tape. Finish After sewing the pleat tape, pull out the thick thread at the edge of the curtain and draw the pleats together. Adjust the pleats for any creases and then tie the thick strings and cut of any extra string. Fix the curtain ring in between the pleats in the given slot. Now you can enjoy the privacy this simple hack affords. 
Ingredients
Instructions
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