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No-Sew DIY Star Drapes~Tutorial


Today, I'd like to share how I created semi-custom star drapes for my boys room.  These no-sew drapes were a quick, simple project that only set me back $35.  The process I used is similar to my DIY Striped Drapes.








 Here is what I used...

One pair navy blue cotton twill drapes, one large cotton twill white tablecloth, and two tubes of liquid stitch.  If you decide to use white fabric by the yard in place of the tablecloth, heavy cotton canvas or twill would work best.  If the fabric is too thin you may be able to see the fabric glue through the white fabric {these drapes aren't looking to win any t-shirt contests}.  










Here is how I did it:


1.  First, I found a star shaped object to trace.  If you don't have a dusty tin star, you could print a star from your computer and trace it onto cardboard to create a template. 










 2.  Using a sharpie, I traced 14 large stars on the tablecloth.  If you would like to prevent black marks all over your white table, place newspaper under your fabric.  
{Luckily, I had that glass of wine before I noticed it}.












3.  After the stars were cut out, I pressed each one using heavy spray starch.  












4.  After a few coats of heavy starch they were nice and stiff.  I folded each one in half and gave it a gentle press down the center.














5.   I ironed both panels and starched them as well.  Then, repeatedly folded them in half, ironing a gentle press with each fold.  This created a grid for lining up the stars.  















6.  By lining up the press marks on the stars with the press marks on the panel, they were straight and {almost} perfectly spaced. This saved me a ton of time measuring. 













7.  The next step was gluing the stars to the panel.  I put a bead of fabric glue around the perimeter of each star.  You could also use Stitch Witchery fabric tape if you wanted to avoid glue.  If your fabric is thin,  fabric tape is a better option.














8.  To keep the glue from drying too fast,  I went tip by tip.  I applied the glue one tip at a time and ironed as I went along.  It's important to follow the instructions on the fabric glue for heat setting and use of a press cloth.  














9.  After the stars were attached, I ironed out the press marks and trimmed the excess fabric from the stars along the sides. 














 The boys love how the star pattern on both panels line up when they are pulled shut at night.  They create a really cool starry night effect. 












Please let me know if you are making these,  I'd love to see photos of your finished project.  

My facebook page is a great place to share photos and tell us about your decor projects.



For information on my affordable online design service, please click here. 

43 comments:

  1. Love this!! You are so creative!! Do you have a tutorial for the striped boarder you did on their walls? I would love to do something similar in my sons room but I don't even know where to begin! Ha!

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  2. Great project..his room looks great!!

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  3. So darn cute!!!! Might have to try that in my sons room.

    Thanks for sharing the tutorial!!

    Jen
    athomeinthenorthwestblog.com

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  4. This is such a cool room! I love it!

    Becca
    homeiswheremystorybegins.com

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  5. Oh my gosh!! I just about died at the cuteness of this! I love it. So perfect for a boys room.

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  6. Hi Sarah-

    LOVE your blog...you have such great ideas. I was wondering if you are going to share the tutorial on whitewashing the fireplace this week by any chance. I loved it and want to cover up my ugly, dated red brick before a party next week. Just thought I'd check. Thanks again for sharing all your great ideas.

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  7. Oh my, fabulous. You are too cute! Please link it up at my place Wednesday so I can feature you! I'm a new fan!
    Melody

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  8. What a great idea! I am thinking big polka dots for my girls room now!!

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  9. Sarah you are amazing!!!! Thanks for reminding me you can do so much with little $$

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  10. Thanks for the tutorial, Sarah! As I mentioned the other day, I LOVE these, and I'm going to try this technique some day soon, but perhaps using polka dots! (The options are endless!) ~Kerri, A Pop of Pretty

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  11. ROCK IT girl!!!!! and thanks for sharing.

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  12. Awesome curtains and great tutorial! Amazing room! Thank you so much for sharing your design talent, Sarah!

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  13. I love this project. My husband loves all things patriotic. In twenty years when all the children move out of the house (or we move into a MUCH larger house), one of their rooms is going to be his office. I can make these curtains. I think it would look neat if I mounted the curtains at the top of the wall and put some horizontal stripes on the bottom - red, white, red.

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  14. Thank you so much for this tutorial...love these drapes! I like the HERO throw pillow, too!

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  15. Love this idea!!! Your room looks great!! You gave me some good ideas for my boys room!
    Thank You:)
    Renee

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  16. Where did you find the blue cotton twill drapes? Awesome job by the way!

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  17. These are so cute! I can't wait to try it for my son's room. I love the HERO pillow on the bed.

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  18. Where did you purchase the navy cotton twill curtains?

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  19. Hi!! Where did you find the navy curtains? I can't seem to find a good navy curtain without spending boatloads of money... Thx!!!

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  20. Thanks everyone, the blue cotton twill drapes came from Walmart. They also have them at JCPenney. Thanks!

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    Replies
    1. I attempted to recreate these curtains using the same brands of products and technique as you did and I had the worse time with the edges of my stars fraying! Yours look amazing with little to no fraying...any secret tips? My curtains are still adorable, but with a much more "rustic" look. Thanks for the tutorial!

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    2. Aimee, thanks for sharing. My star edges are frayed also. It adds to the look in my opinion. I actually pulled a few threads to fray them a little more. :) Thanks for stopping by and sharing your experience with the tutorial! I would love to see a picture! Feel free to share on my facebook page.
      Best, Sarah

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  21. Thank you for the tutorial! They look great! I am planning on applying it to pinks and purples with hearts for my girls' room! Hope it turns out just as well! Thanks again!

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  22. Gorgeous, just gorgeous! I've got this linked to my no-sew curtains roundup post as well, for inspiration!

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  23. I found this while looking for curtain ideas. This is really cute and looks so well done!

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  24. Most of the curtain panels I'm finding to do this are 100% polyester, or a cotton/polyester blend. Can I use either of those materials? Or do you think the curtains have to be cotton twill to work appropriately?

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    Replies
    1. Hi Caity! It can take a little shopping around to find cotton panels these days. I found mine at Walmart (mainstays). I have only done this project with cotton. Maybe a little poly is ok but mostly cotton. 100% polyester would not work. I would keep looking until you are able to find chino, twill or 100% cotton. Best, Sarah

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  25. Thanks for the inspiration! I have Fourth of July babies and this would be fun for their room. :)

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  26. Could you tell me what color paint you used for the navy walls?

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  27. Hi! I just found this blog through pintrest. I really think the stars added so much to this room. I am going to try it in my sons drab red curtains. I do sew but im not going to here. I am going to try iron on fusible webbing. I use it when I make appliques for shirts and it should cut down the amount of fraying. I will post a picture! Thank you!

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  28. I want to see the rest of this room. Working on my son's room now. This is a great tutorial! $35 is awesome!!! Do you have the rest of this room on your blog somewhere?

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  29. Totally annoying grammar Nazi here (blame my mother, the English professor). In step nine, you should have trimmed off the EXCESS fabric, not the access. Please don't hate me for pointing out out!
    Happy blogging!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Liz. I appreciate you pointing out the error. It has been corrected :) Take care, Sarah

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  30. Hi,
    I am working on curtains like this but with smaller stars (about 9 inches point to point). I have 2 windows with 2 panels per window. (4 total). Looked at walmart/target and did not find curtains. Went to Savers (THRIFT STORE) and scored 4 panels for only 12 dollars. All matching blue. I am having 4 half stars on each side and 3 stars down the center. I traced out 7 stars per panel and just cut the half stars in half before I started. One thing I am doing different is before I cut the stars out I Ironed on The no-sew adhesive 2 sided on there. My hopes is that when I cut it, then I iron it on and it should not fray. Very tedious process but they are looking vintage and patriotic in which I like. Thanks for the great idea. Super intersting to DIY but really the 4 panels are only costing me about 24 bucks. (I used 4 rolls of the " HeatnBondULTRAHOLD")

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  31. WOW-- what a fantastic, graphic look!! I'm totally stealing this idea. I'm creating a "captain america" bedroom for my 4 year old son, but want a more sophisticated take on it. These will be perfect! I found a bold red striped canvas fabric from ikea for a roman shade and was trying to find a large print star curtain panels. (Ikea also sells heavy navy cotton panels.) I'm snowed in and am glad to have a project I'm excited about. Thanks so much for sharing your creativity.

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  32. how big are the stars? I like the size and want to find something close to it. Thanks!

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  33. LOVE this! How big are the stars?

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  34. what size are the stars in your tutorial?

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  35. What the paint colors on the wall I would like tom do this for my nursey

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    1. Hi there, the main color is Martha Stewart "Wrought Iron". The stripe is white and Martha Stewart "Barn Red".

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