I used this one to make them from towels:

http://www.myrecessionkitchen.com/Site/My_Craft_Closet/Entries/2011/5/28_Make_Your_Own_Dish_Towel_Kitchen_Curtains.html

I am an Interior Designer who also sew all my client' window treatments. I love to mix fabrics together to create that unique design that sets you apart from all the ready mades out there. Use a band of your darkest fabric at the bottom to visually & sometimes physically, add weight to the panels. Add weighted pieces to the inside of the hem to hold the panels in line properly. A fun & relatively inexpensive rod idea is to use copper tubing. I buy mine at Home Depot & they can cut it to size for you. Get other copper bits in the plumbing dept. to use for end caps. Rings & brackets can be spray painted with Krylon copper metal paint. Hope you like this tip.

Jackie from Teal & LIme used the same shower curtain to make custom curtains for her son's nursery: http://blog.westelm.com/2012/03/19/citron-stripe-nursery-curtains-by-jackie-hernandez/

and she even has a tutorial on her blog: http://www.tealandlime.com/2012/01/no-sew-shower-curtain-curtains-tutorial/

Thanks for the tips @CHARMGIRL. I made my own roman shades but they are bit crooked. Saved a few hundred bucks though so I can deal with it. Weights are a must.

I love the grey and white. Thanks for these tips. Here in Cali so many rentals come with blinds and I've been thinking about switching them out. This gives me some ideas.

Great list. I made all of the curtains in my house using Young House Love's no-sew method. I have no idea how to work a sewing machine but have custom drapes in each room - score!

It's a guy's thing to admit, but I currently have a nice $8 solid colored sheet hanging from rings with cips as the curtain over my patio door. Totally works.

Line your drapes to give them better body, prolong fabric life, and filter sunlight. Finish details are the difference between cheap and expensive looking drapes.For example, deep double folded hems at top and bottom help make your drapes hang straight and hold a tailored shape. Hang them from drapery hooks for well shaped and regularly spaced folds rather than pushing a rod through a pocket. Better quality fabric makes for better looking drapes.

I like curtains that sweep the floor but I have cats and the curtain bottoms pick up all the fur. I made curtains with the lower 16" removable (button off) so that I can easily detach and wash them without having to take down and clean the lot. Use big, visible buttons if you want to see them. Use a zipper, hook and eye tape, small buttons or snaps under a fold if you don't want to see them. It works really well.

@URBANCRICKET - Do you have tips on how to line the drapes and still use the no-sew method from Young House Love? I'm definitely interested in making my own drapes but I am stuck because patterned fabrics are always one-sided.

I covered three large windows in a very cold bedroom with polyester-filled king-size comforters, They were $12 each at an outlet mall linen shop. With rods and ring clips, it totaled about $50.

@ PI - Sure.

Hem tape is like double sided tape. So use the tape to adhere your liner fabric to the wrong side of your drapery fabric, then hem the drapery fabric & lining as if it were one piece, per the guidance from Young House Love. I suggest testing/experimenting with some 12x12 pieces to get your technique down. You might find, for example, that you want to adhere the top of the lining to the drapery fabric, and only fold it into the sides and bottom. It all depends on the weight of the fabrics you're using.

Decor fabrics are usually about 54" wide, and a king flat sheet is twice that width, so one king flat sheet can line two full-width panels, and they come in lots of colors to coordinate. A few places sell flat sheets separately such as The Company Store, LLBean, BBandBeyond. I also bought some flat flannel sheets to use as interlining for extra fullness, but haven't sewn these curtains up yet. I can sew, and it will be a big project, so for now I still have only the sheers hung. YouTube has videos on making curtains also.

Katrin Cargill's books are a good source of information for making curtains. She has a number of good books out. I recommend The Curtain Bible. Check your second hand book stores or Amazon.

Charmgirl, I did like your tips.

I have made curtains a number of times because they always end up looking more special than store-bought ones. For my daughter, I used a Laura Ashley fabric and trimmed them with lace. I still have them.

I recently added fabric appliqué to plain white curtains to make them unique and eye catching. It would be a great project for someone who doesn't sew (or is too lazy to sew a whole curtain... Like me!)

http://glimmersnaps.wordpress.com/2012/03/10/clearance-curtain-upgrade/

my mom and i made grommet top panels for my living room last summer and i love them. she finished the edges of the panels and put in deep hems for the top and bottom and then i used the dritz home grommets to finish them off. they're gorgeous.
http://www.hancockfabrics.com/Curtain-Grommets-1-9-16--Inner-Diameter-8-Pkg---Pewter-Hardware_stcVVproductId47584116VVcatId539476VVviewprod.htm

@RILEYSMOMMA - Thanks, I was wondering about how to do grommets.

The grey-white curtains in the picture are very nice.
I clicked the Young HOuse Love link above and I was immediately reminded of how I was making my own curtains. Fortunately, I have a more or less empty third bedroom (depending on much junk there is) and I had to cut the fabric on the floor, too.
I needed really wide curtains (so I had to sew two bands of 54"each together) and it was a pain in the rectum but it was worth it.
It's a good idea to use king size sheets, I didn't think of that. I used fabric that feels like suede and it has a think layer of black on the wrong side which works fairly well because I really want the curtains to keep the room (my bedroom, in this case) as dark as possible. I am a very light sleeper who has trouble sleeping as is so every little bit helps. I know have fabric for curtains for the living room and another bedroom but I haven't started on it yet. The cutting is the most painful part - more so with LR curtains as the fabric has pattern (somewhat reminiscent of Moroccan tiles) that has to match perfectly (I will redo it as many times as necessary until it is matched perfectly, i'm rather anal in this respect). At work, we have a saying: "You are like Oracle, everything has to be just so" (as, I am sure, anyone who uses Oracle, will confirm). :-)

See if your sewing machine will accomidate a "walking foot". It keeps the seams nice and flat.

I have used tablecloths to "make" curtains. Am using a Dwell Studio tablecloth from Target as a curtain in my bathroom. To make them the right length I just folded over one end and put the ring clips on and hung it. Quick and easy and the prints are wonderful. Less work than the double faced tape!!

I really liked the drop cloth DIY curtains here:

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/before-after-a-calm-creative-office-makeover-curbly-166417

@PI no problem! i was a little intimidated to get started with them but they were incredibly easy to do.

Thanks for the round up!
I've sewn all my life and so I've made lots of curtains, but I've pinned all of these articles to share with friends who haven't tried it before. When I get a chance I'll track down pictures of curtains past with a few other ideas and post them on my blog http://janmadeit.wordpress.com
Jan

@urbancricket -- I totally agree with you about the hooks. I made two sets of drapes for my sons earlier this year. They are lined and look quite good. A friend told me that the ring clips was the reason that the drapes still looked a little homemade. Last night, I quickly sewed a strip of polyester buckram to the back of each panel and then inserted drapery hooks. After hooking the hooks over each of the rings, the drapes look amazing. I can't believe I hadn't tried this before.

I learned how to sew curtains from Linda Neubaeur's "The Complete Photo Guide to Window Treatments". I recommend the book. Piece of advice: Always use drapery hooks instead of clip rings. Check in Craigslist for people who will sew the curtains for you. It may cost just $65/panel to hire someone to sew them.

Unlined draperies are not worth doing (except for something like lace). You need to consider what your window is going to look like from the outside. The surest way to say "I live in a dump" is to have the outside world see the wrong side of the printed fabric through your windows. Even worse is if the panels are haphazardly slung over whatever is holding them up. If you can sew at all, making your own pinch-pleat draperies is not that hard, certainly not as difficult as a lot of the clothes one can make, since draperies are basically straight seams on rectangles. Also you can buy easy-to-follow patterns for professional-quality swag and jabots.

Bee for Brian - I agree but only to a degree. How much of the wrong side of the printed fabric can you see if the window is, say, on the 3rd floor?
My own windows have plastic mesh on the outside (over the entire window) so you can hardly see anything inside - I can see my dogs only if they stand right by the window - and only the white dog, the brindle one is almost impossible to detect. So in that case, the wrong side of the curtain does not really matter that much. I don't know how insect screens are prevalent in other areas but here almost everybody has them (unless the window doesn't open at all).

@Urbancricket - I just bought some nice grey and yellow ikat fabric to make curtains out of. Originally I was thinking of using grommets but now that I've read about the drapery hooks/pins, that sounds more like the way to go.

Is there a video you could point me towards to show how to use drapery hooks? I don't really want to do any pleats, I'd rather have the curtains just be "flat" looking. Would I just attach buckram along the top and then slide the hooks in? Would I sew the buckram all the way through all layers of fabric (so you'd see stiching on the good side) or would I attach the buckram to the fabric before I folded the header down and sewed the single seam? I've never actually looked at buckram before - so maybe the size of the buckram would be the size of the header?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Also, Jenny at Little Green Notebook had a really good tutorial on making pinch pleat drapes, for those with some sewing skills. She started with cheap drapes from JCPenny's and they ended up looking super posh.

http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2011/08/how-to-sew-pinch-pleats-in-ready-made.html

Anyone know where the white and gold dresser/hutch is from?

Thanks for the tip Charmgirl!

Several of the window curtains in my place are actually fabric shower curtains. I've picked them up either on sale or at Goodwill- type stores. I split them lengthwise down the middle and stitch them up. If they are too long I just hem them. They seem to be the perfect size for most windows AND they come in such nice colors and patterns. Best part- MUCH cheaper than buying fabric and having to do all that grommeting and top tabbing myself!!!!

@BEEFOR BRIAN..jeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesu............'I live in a dump' haha..when I see that 'look' or solid colored drapes/curtains at the window from outside..I just say, hmmm and purse my lips....ha..that's why I only use a good material of white!....PET peeve!...

We have lots of the No Sew clip on curtains in our home. My mom has been doing this for my bedroom since I was a child and she used bed sheets initially when we couldn't afford curtains or expensive fabric. Now you can find a great flat bed sheet in a ton of patterns and do the same thing, especially if you need to cover a wide window as fabrics generally aren't that long.
We also bought black out fabric and put it behind the fabric clip on's. Instant black out curtains for way cheaper.

I used a flat sheet to make a curtain to cover an ugly open pantry area in my apartment kitchen, then I had enough leftover to make a curtain for the one window in there.

I love this roundup.

I am still challenged by my bedroom because it has four windows. Right now I have the ugly default mini blinds and then some hotel reject curtains over that, a relative's cast-off, but desperately want something fresh, pretty, and cheap in here that also provides privacy and light blocking. This round up is helpful!

I made the roman shades out of mini blinds. They look great, but I wouldn't recommend them for everyday use, since the pull cord is behind the shade and can be kind of a pain to raise and lower on a daily basis. But for a guest room, or a place where you won't be adjusting them frequently, it's a good solution.

You can see my attempt here:
http://thenestinggame.com/2011/11/02/greek-key-roman-shades/

The one type missing here is roman shades. I've been struggling to locate an easy set of instructions and/or pattern to make these myself. I hear they are quite easy, but I have yet to find anything as such. I came close once but I didn't care for the mounting mechanism, in that you basically stitch a 1x2 wood rod into the fabric, then mount that up. Meaning, you can't wash them.

I've had fabric - and lining (that's another that is missing: how to sew in lining) - for over a year now. If anyone has any ideas where to look for professionally written directions or a pattern for roman shades, I'd be greatly appreciative.

Oh, and just the simple straight "panel" style. Not the kind that pucker up and balloon out.

Really! I was totally surprised to hear that sounds from your post. I also agree to make my own curtains for window and doors.I hope that I will make my wonderful curtains by follow the instructions. @ roller blinds

Pleating tape makes pleats easy if you can sew (e.g., http://www.draperysewingsupplies.com/kb_results.asp?ID=6, and You Tube tutorials). I haven't looked, but it may even be available in iron-on form.

Grommet tip: Buy grommets and the insertion kit at a hardware store instead of a fabric store--it's a lot cheaper. For very large grommets, you may have to go the fabric store route, but for shower curtain size, the hardware store works.

What a great list of places to find inspiration! I noticed no one had mentioned this site yet, so I thought I would :) <a href->Impact Blinds</a> I love it for curtain ideas. They have a great selection of ready-made curtains and blinds, and they do custom orders too. But some great pictures for inspiration.

I was able to find some beautiful furnishing fabrics on www.fabocity.com