Make Your Own Shower Curtains

When you make your own shower curtain, you may start out with a plain and ordinary-looking curtain, but you can add details that will make it look much more professional and decorative. Vinyl and plastic – clear or in colors – is available now on the roll, at fabric centers and home improvement stores. The vinyl comes in widths that make it easy to make a curtain that will be the appropriate width for your shower.

Measure from the shower rod to nearly the floor so you’ll know how much yardage to get of the plastic or vinyl. Be sure to add an additional half-foot to the figure, though, since you’ll have to hem it and support the area for the rings.

Cut the plastic to the length of your original measurement, plus two inches for hemming top and bottom. Since plastic nor vinyl unravel when cut there’s no need to fold the edge once, then again before hemming. Lay the plastic out on the floor or another large surface to make it easier to hem.

You can use plastic thread to hem the shower curtain or you can use fabric glue, which works well on vinyl and plastic too. Other options include special adhesives for plastics and vinyls, which can be sprayed on, or you can use contact cement.

After hemming the curtain at the top and bottom it’s necessary to cut a strip of the plastic or vinyl to place along the backside, top edge of the curtain. This will help prevent the shower curtain rings from tearing at the holes. Sew or glue the plastic strip into place before making the holes.

Use an ordinary paper punch to make the holes in the curtain. Use a yard stick to space them evenly then punch through the plastic and the supportive strip. Hang the curtain immediately or use one of several techniques for decorating it.

Paint markers and stencils make it easy to do elaborate, elegant designs on shower curtains. They’re used just like markers but leave a particular finish, like metallic, glossy or matte. One marker covers a large area. Rub-on are a little more time-consuming but will look beautiful when finished.

Other techniques you can use include cutting out shapes from fabric and gluing or stitching them on, using fabric paints to write or draw on the curtain, making and attaching a plastic or fabric valance across the top, stitching or gluing on decorative ribbon or narrow roping and even just using “spatter paint” to make a random spatter pattern across the curtain.

With shower curtains costing nearly as much as window treatments these days, you’ll save plenty by making your own, and it’s lots of fun! Give it a try – you’ll be very proud of your creation.