DROP CLOTH VALANCES

Not long ago I looked out the door at our 3 season porch and was horrified to realize it had old lady curtains. I began researching ideas for new window treatments, and started a board on pinterest called “sunroom ideas”. I found several people have made curtains and drapes out of paint drop cloths. The porch has 14 windows, plus a door, so the idea of large amounts of fabric for small amounts of money was appealing. I went to Harbor Freight with my husband and found 4 foot by 12 foot canvas drop cloths for $7.99. Drop cloths are quite a heavy fabric, so it isn't necessary to use double the width of the window, like you would with a thinner fabric.

I love the look of the rustic off-white weave, but I was concerned about sewing through several layers of heavy fabric, and that it would be too plain. I found some cotton duck at Hobby Lobby with a gray French theme and the same background color for $8.99 a yard, and used a 40% off coupon. After a little experimenting, I decided to make box-pleated valances, similar to some I found on countrycurtains.com called Parisian Note Lined Pleated Valance. I decided to wash all the fabric before beginning. The sunroom’s combination windows let the dust in, so the valances will need to be washed now and then, and I didn’t want the fabrics to shrink at different rates. I decided not to replace the existing curtain rods, in the interest of saving that expense, and spray painted the finial ends a hammered bronze to update the look from the shiny gold. With the way the curtain rods are hung, and the fact that there is more than one window size, I was forced to custom size each valance to each window. The four foot width of the drop cloths is wide enough for most of the windows, so I started with trimming off the existing hem and cutting a 14” piece to make the first valance. I left the side hems in place and allowed a half inch seam allowance for everything. The trim fabric is a one way design with an 11 inch repeat. I cut 11 inches off and then made a four inch strip for the rod pocket, and a seven inch strip for the hem trim. This makes a valance that hangs 16 inches.

 1. I began by ironing the hem trim in half the long way, wrong sides together. Then I folded in the raw edge that will be on the front 1/2 inch and pressed it. I pinned and stitched the hem trim to the bottom edge of the wrong side of the valance, leaving 1/2 inch on each side to fold in the raw edges. After ironing and pinning the front side to the bottom of the valance I stitched through all the layers on the front.
 2. One window width is 37 inches, and I want two pleats, so I divided the measurement in 3. I measured and marked 12 inches in from each side. I folded the fabric in half, and measured and marked six and 1/2 inches in from the fold. The fabric between the marks forms the pleats. This valance ends up with 12 inches of fabric, 4 inches for pleat, 13 inches of fabric, 4 inches for pleat, 12 inches of fabric.

Using a soluble marker, draw a line 3 inches down from the top edge and stitch the pleats, right sides together. After stitching the pleats I measured the width of the valance to double check that it was 37 inches wide. Iron the pleats in place. For a more crisp pleat, you can edge stitch the folds. I edge stitched the inside folds. The drop cloths are not a "crisp" fabric, so pressing and using some starch helps hold the pleat folds.  
3. Iron the raw edge of the trim fabric that will form the bottom edge of the rod pocket. Stitch the other edge to the top of the valance, right side of the trim fabric to the wrong side of the valance. Iron the trim and seam allowance up, then stitch along the edge of the trim, through all the layers. Pin the casing in place, press to the front of the valance, then stitch through all the layers on the bottom edge of the rod pocket casing.

This project is an intermediate level, and assumes basic sewing skills. There is really as much measuring and ironing involved as sewing.  Give drop cloths a try for your next window project, especially if you have a lot of windows to cover. I'm thinking up additional projects to use the leftover fabric on. And let me know how your valances turn out.