We are currently in the midst of our second camper renovation. (You can see our first one here.) There have been plenty of decorative decisions to be made, but the fate of the R.V. curtains had already been decided. I made these curtains for our last R.V. and I absolutely loved them! Actually it would seem a ton of readers loved them, so I finally took the time to write up the process I used to create these R.V. curtains that add a ton of character.

Tools Used

• Rotary Cutter
• Cutting Mat
• Straight Edge
• Sewing Machine
• Upholstery Needle
• Straight Pins
• Drill
• Saw
• 1/8″ Drill Bit
• 1/4″ Drill Bit

Supplies Needed

• Drop Cloth
• Brass Lobster Clasp
• 3/4 Brass D- Rings
• 5/8″ Leather Strap – Amazon
• White String (Thin)
• DAP Rapid Fuse
• 1 1/4″ x 1/4″ Button Head Screws
• Gold Spray Paint
• Oil Rubbed Bronze Spray Paint
• 1″x 2″ Select Prime Boards
• 3/4″ Dowel Rods

R.V. Curtain Panel Material

Measure the total width you would like your curtain to be. (I determined the width of mine by measuring the window and adding an additional 1 inch on each side to allow some overhang.)

Window Width” + Overhang “(Opt.) + 1.5″ Hem + 1.5” Hem = Fabric Width

Window Height ” + Over Hang “(Opt.) + 6.5″ Top Rod Pocket + 5” Dowel Rod Pocket = Fabric Height

After measuring, double, and triple checking we are ready to cut.  Before cutting any piece of fabric I like to iron the fabric.  When cutting large pieces of fabric I use a rotary cutter, a straight edge and cutting mat.  If you do not have access to these tools,  you can always use scissors, a tape measurement and all of your patience. 

R.V. Curtain: Side Hem

Once the fabric is cut establish the orientation of the curtain. We are going to being by hemming the sides of the curtains. (Not the top and bottom.)

When hemming the sides I turned over the edge 1/2″ and then ironed it to create a crease. After that I did this same process again, only this time I turned it down 1″ then ironed to solidify the fold.

Once the sides were both ironed down I proceeded to stitched the pressed hem. I stitched about 3/4″ from the edge on the front side of the curtain. I repeated this on both sides of the curtain.

R.V. Curtain: Top Hem (1×2 Pocket)

Next up is the top pocket that will house the 1 x 2″ board that will serve as the curtain rod.

To do this I turned down the top of the fabric 1/2″ and ironed the fold to create a crease.

I then turned down the fabric an additional 3″ from the edge of the iron crease, pinned in place, and then ironed again. This will be the pocket that the 1×2″ board will slide in.

Once securely pinned, flip front side facing up and stitch approximately 2 3/4″ inches from the edge of the fabric. (This will be stitching the fold shut.)

R.V. Curtains: Bottom Hem (Rod Pocket)

Next I hemmed the bottom edge while also creating a pocket that would house the dowel rod. I first measured 1 1/2″ from the edge of the fabric, folded up and used and iron to crease the fabric.

I then repeated the same step again, folded up 1 1/2″ from the bottom hem and then used an iron to crease the fabric.

Once the hem/pocket was precisely measured and crisply ironed I flipped it front side facing up and ran it through my sewing machine. I stitched approximately 1 1/4″ from the bottom crease. This will create a long pocket for the dowel rod to slide into.

R.V. Curtains: Straps

Next up, the straps that will hold the rolled up curtains in place! This is my second camper that I have used this method in and I love it! I have also looked high and low for different options when it comes to hardware and straps and I finally found my favorites. I ordered these leather straps online. The straps are originally 72″ long, I found that I could get two full curtains from one 72″ roll of leather strips. So, I cut the strap into 4 equal parts, creating x4 strips roughly 18″ long.

Once the straps were cut I headed out to the work shop. While it is possible to sew through a leather strap with a lot of effort and patience, I opted for an easier route… a drill. I turned the strap over on itself and using an 1/8″ drill bit I drilled two sets of holes. I did this on both ends of each strap. So there should be a total of 8 holes in each strap, 4 on each end. (See images below for clarification.)

Once all the holes were drilled I was ready to secure the “D-Ring“. Again I searched all over and I found these antique brass ones online. In order to sew these d-rings in place, I used an upholstery needle and some thick thread (Cross-stich floss should do the trick). Below I show the steps I used to sew the d-rings in place.

Once all the d-rings are secured on one end of the strap it is time to install the brass lobster clasp on the opposing end.

Pro tip: I like to secure the final knot with just a dab of DAP RapidFuse glue. It ensures that the knot, and the hardware aren’t going anywhere after all of that hard work!

R.V. Curtains: Installing Rod

Next up the “curtain rod”. Not really are curtain rod at all, but it is the system by which the curtain panel will hang. For this I used a standard prime 1×2 pine board. To determine the length of my board I measured the finished width of my curtains and added 3 inches. (Allowing 1.5″ to be exposed on both sides.)

Before installing pick a stain or paint color of your choosing. I opted for Briarsmoke by Varathane. (You can stain the whole board but only the last few inches on either end will be exposed.)

Once the stain was dry, I used a 1/4″ drill bit to pre-drill a hole through the ends of both boards. I placed mine approximately 3/4″ from the end of the board centered. I did this on both ends.

Prepping Install Hardware

At this point the board can be installed using your own choice of faster. I wanted mine to have a vintage industrial vibe so I opted for a large button head screw and utilized some spray paint.

If you want to achieve that vintage brass look for your R.V. curtains, here is what I did. I sprayed all my screws with Rustoleum Metallic Finish Gold Paint, once it was dry I lightly dusted the gold screws with a spritz of Oil Rubbed Bronze. It seemed to do the trick and was a nice match for the d-rings and lobster clasps I used on the curtain straps.

Once the 1×2″ board is dry, slide it into the top (wider pocket). If all your calculations are done properly, the 1×2″ board should hang about of the pocket with about 1 1/2″ exposed on both sides.

In order to prevent the curtain panel from shifting on the board I used small screws to hold the straps and the r.v. curtain panel in place.

Using a drill drive the screws through the 1×2″ board into the the wall. (Depending on what type of wall/placement you may need to enlist the help of a mollie to help secure the curtain in place.) 

Last thing you need for these R.V. curtains is to slide the bottom dowel in place.

In my opinion these are the perfect option for a R.V. curtains! They are low profile and still add a lot of character to an otherwise bland space. In general there aren’t that many places you can add decor to a camper, so this is a great way to add some pizzaz!

Looking for more inspiration? Make sure you check out the rest of this toy hauler renovation and our first camper makeover below.

• R.V. Makeover Painting with a roller
• R.V. Bathroom Makeover
• R.V. Sofa and Dinette Makeover
• R.V. Makeover Reveal
• Kitchen- Toy Hauler
• Living Area- Toy Hauler (Coming Soon)
• Master Bedroom- Toy Hauler (Coming Soon)
• Bathroom- Toy Hauler (Coming Soon)
• Dining/Garage- Toy Hauler (Coming Soon)

The post How to: R.V. Curtains appeared first on Sawdust 2 Stitches.

You may have seen this luxurious look on the pages of major designer catalogs, they also come complete with big price tags.  So today  I showing you how I created these cheap white curtains for less. WAY LESS,  try $5 a panel!  You read right, $5 a panel.

 Here is what I did.  I made a trip to every single Walmart in the surrounding area and bought every single twin size FLAT sheet available. Unfortunately, you cannot order these online,  so you will need track them down.

Cheap White Curtains – Curtain Rings With Clips Tip

The great part about these panels is that they are a no-sew option.  I would highly suggest these Curtain Rings with Clips (1″) , they are an unbeatable price.  You will need approximately 9 rings per panel.

Before you start clipping the rings in place I would suggest removing some of the major wrinkles. To make life easy, I sprayed them with a spritzer water bottle and tossed them in a dryer.  It didn’t remove all the wrinkles,  but it removed most of them. We would later use a steamer on them,  but you might want to consider ironing them if you are a perfectionist.

Alright, let’s clip these things!  I spaced these approximately 7.5 inches apart.

Cheap White Curtains – Continous Rod

That’s it! It’s a one and done kind of deal!  Now, if you are loving the continuous curtain rod,  good news it was cheap too!  It is actually several Ikea rods that I used together. In order to do this I just removed the plastic cap on the ends of the rod  and slid into another curtain rod, and repeated as necessary.   Easy Peasy.

On this wall I used two panels per grouping.  I wanted these to be fairly full. So for this full wall we only  spent $50 on all of the curtain panels. That could easily spend more on just one curtain  panel from a designer store! Boo-yah.

 Want to see the rest of the space?  Make sure you check out the family room here: 

The Kitchen is just as good, if not better.  Check it out here:

If you are looking for more ideas for cheap curtains, make sure you check out these other easy-sew options.

Muslin Curtains

Take Luck,

Corey

The post Cheap White Curtains appeared first on Sawdust 2 Stitches.

 It is CHEAP, easy to make,  dries quickly, sand falls right off, stores compactly,  it doesn’t  blow away, and doesn’t slowly  end up in a small shriveled pile when in use!  It is perfect!

 Just pull it out, stake it down, enjoy,  shake it out, fold it up and go! So easy.

Supplies used:

• Twin size flat sheet
• Shoelaces
• 4 tent stakes
• Sewing machine (or it can be done by hand, it will just take a little more time.)
  

Begin by cutting (4) 12″ sections of  shoe lace.   Then tie knots in the 12″ sections of shoelaces.    Then fold the corners of the sheet over the loop of shoelace.   Pin the sheet in place and then sew!  Make sure you really reinforce the stitches!  That is pretty much it!   Told you it was easy!

 It is ready for it’s debut.  Just bring along 4 tent stakes!

( Of course, make sure you drive the stakes in completely, don’t want to stub you toe on those!)

 There you have it, now you can sit back and relax.

The post The BEST Beach Blanket ever! appeared first on Sawdust 2 Stitches.

Last week we learned how to make these beautiful Muslin curtains. Not only are these panels CHEAP and easy, they are versatile!

As promised,  here is another way you can use your Muslin Curtains. You can add TEXTURE!

 You can create awesome texture by tying  the panels in knots. Then toss them in the washer.

You can let them air dry if you want to avoid any shrinking. But I live and Florida, and with humidity, it  would mold before it would ever dry, so  I put mine in the dryer…

Once dry unravel and you can have a totally different look!

 

The post Cheapest and Easiest Curtains EVER. (Part 2) appeared first on Sawdust 2 Stitches.

Alright people…lets talk about muslin curtains

See these drapes?

They are beautiful right? Flowy, light, long, and perfect.  Of course they had better be for the  $129.99 PER PANEL at Restoration Hardware.

I am going to let you in on a little secret,  you can make these same drapes for less than $15.00 for a SET of floor to ceiling drapes…

Ok, get your Joanns coupon,  and measure the height of your ceilings.

When shopping for material you will be looking for a material called “Muslin”.  This stuff is great!
They have several widths (starting at 36″  all the way up to 120″)   and traditionally, a bleached (white) and unbleached (linen).

DIY Muslin Curtains!

Pick the width  you would like your curtain to be.  I believe mine are 45″ but in retrospect I would have gone wider.  ( I think the next increment up is 90″)
I have 10′ ceilings so I needed  right around 3 1/2 yards per panel,  for a total of 7 yards.

So you have a better idea:

45″ Muslin  =  $2.99 x 7= $21.93 – (50% off coupon) = $10.46 !!!
or
90″ Muslin   = $5.99 x 7=  $41.93 – (50% off coupon) =$ 20.96 !!!  ( I should have done these…)

Ok,  so that was the cheap part, here is the easy part…

Since you bought the fabric in the width you needed ,  you do not need to cut it,  therefore you do not need to sew the edges!  Half of the reason I love muslin is it’s selvage edge (factory edge).

The only cuts you will need to make is the height.  This is a basic formula you can  use to calculate   your height:

Example:   ceiling to floor height  + 3″ for bottom hem + 4 ” (for a standard rod)= Total fabric length.

So layout your fabric and measure twice and cut (preferably with a rotary cutter),  this will ensure a nice straight cut.

( If you do not have one, and you want to become a more efficient seamstress or seamster,  I would definitely  invest in one!)

So lets start with the hem….

If you started having a panic attack,   there is a tutorial here…  ( I swear basic sewing tutorials will be up eventually).

You just completed the bottom hem, flip it over and do the exact same thing only leave 3.5″ and the .5″ folded under.   Deep breaths you can do this without a picture.

FYI make sure your hems are both facing back,  I have several times gone to hang up a panel and realized I have sewn the hem on the opposite side and had to take it out and re-do it…

Once both ends are hemmed you can either  use a rod, or attach clips to hang.
I have used both rod version and clip versions in my home…  It all depends on the look you want!

Stay tuned for second way to use Muslin curtains with a twist!

The post Muslin Curtains – Cheapest and Easiest Curtains, EVER! appeared first on Sawdust 2 Stitches.

My addiction could be an expensive one,  but I have mastered a few tricks to keep  my boys dapper and my bank account (Husband) happy.

There are  quite a few tutorials available for making little boy ties from scratch,  this is not one.  Granted they are cute,  but I like them to look like a ” little mini man tie”, I am not a huge fan of the cotton.

Here’s how:
If it is true what they say “A picture is worth a 1000 words” then this would be a VERY long post.

#1  The Necktie:

 

2.   The stabilizer  (white thick material)  will run through the whole tie, push it to the side (leave attached).

3.  Take an iron and create a new width,  simply  iron out the existing pressed edge and make the tie more narrow.

4. Do this on both sides so that the tie is even.

5. It should look like this now.

6.  Now is time to size down the stabilizer… ( the white piece seen in step 2)  You will use your new  ironed tie as a template.  Simply put the stabilizer under the tie and mark the new size.

7.  Now that it is marked,  cut down the stabilizer.

8.  Then put the stabilizer back  in the tie.

9.Now  use a blind stitch  to finish the seam in the back.  There is a great tutorial here.

10.  You  should now have a  adult length skinny tie…Simply tie a basic knot ,  either recruit your husband or follow this diagram.

11.   Your tie should now look similar to this,  (keep in mind you will want to tie it according to the height of the wearer).
Once you have it tied at the correct  length you will  cut off the excess about 2 inches above the knot.

12.  The excess will become the 2nd tie.

13. Fold in the edges of  the cut off ends and insert elastic.  Measure the recipients neck  to get the measurement  of the elastic needed.  For my son I only needed about 5″ of elastic.  Keep in mind this will need to fit over his head…
Repeat on the other side…

 

3. Now use the remainder of the original strip. Simply tie a knot around the loop you just created.

5.  Now repeat step 15 in the neck tie tutorial and you are done!  Booyah.

 

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