Are you looking for a DIY decoration project that requires little sewing and can be managed without a pin or a pair of scissors? Look no further! Gharpedia brings the DIY calico drapes project, for which the only mandate is an additional pair of hands and a stepladder.
About Calico Fabric
The calico fabric has been in use since the twelfth century. The Britannica Encyclopedia has authenticated that the word ‘calico’ originates in ‘Calicut’, the English name for Kozhikode, a city in Kerala, the southernmost state of the Indian subcontinent, where the fabric was first discovered.
The calico fabric, also referred to as a ‘loom state’ textile, is a 100 per cent cotton fabric that has a natural cream/grey tinge. It is unbleached and undyed.
Calico textile has many advantages – it’s got a feel that is somewhere between being soft and coarse material. It is affordable, versatile, natural, untreated and absorbs dye well. Moreover, calico fabric characteristics that can make it sustain general wear and tear much better, makes it solid and durable compared to other fabrics. From an array of materials to figuring out what drape material suits you the best, check out how to
DIY Project – Calico Fabric For Curtains
Calico curtains are an unconventional but practical and economical way for DIY window covering ideas.
The idea is simple enough–to use a single, long length of unbleached calico upholstery fabric as two curtains and a draped heading, which is attached to the window frame using a staple gun.
A batten fixed above the window will serve the same purpose as calico drapes, if there is no wooden window frame. Beyond the battens, a complete curtain rod guide is available to ensure that the right ones are chosen.
Things Required For Calico Curtains
Here are the objects that are needed for DIY calico drapes:
- Unbleached calico upholstery fabric
- Tie-back hooks
- Stepladder
- Staple gun and staples
- Iron-on bonding tape or double-sided tape for hems
Safety is very important, and using appliances while proceeding with a DIY project can be dangerous for both the people using them and the people around them. Check out these safety tips to make sure everyone is safe.
Material Tip: Fionna B[386] Editor of “The House Book” advised that calico textiles should be wide enough for two curtains to cover the window. Measure from the floor to the ceiling and multiply by four. This allows for a generous draped heading and some billowing of the curtains onto the floor.
DIY Calico Drapes: The Step-by-Step Process
This is such a stunning window treatment, and it’s much easier to do than to explain! It’s like riding a bicycle–once learned, never forgotten. So let’s look at the whole process of Calico fabric for curtains in detail.
01. Fix one raw edge, and with a generous amount of this end resting on the floor on the left side of the window, take the rest of the calico fabric up the ladder with you. Line the fabric up with the top of the window frame and fold it over, allowing the excess to drop. Staple the fabric to the frame to overlap the centre of the window frame by 2.5 cm, and then staple the other side to the window frame on the left. It will depend on the type of window frame, but the aim is to conceal the top of the frame under the fabric.
02. If the calico fabric’s width exceeds half the window, you will need to pleat the curtain. To do this, find the middle and staple it to the middle of the frame. Next, do the same on each side, and then again until all the slack is taken up in evenly stapled pleats. Now move the ladder to the other side of the window.
03. Drape the length of fabric across the top of the window until you reach the right edge of the frame. The line between the corners should fall in a gentle curve. Now, twist the fabric over, taking the right edge under the drape and into the centre so that the rest of the fabric falls to make the second curtain. Staple this right side curtain pleating across the top in the same way as the left side.
04. Finish off the draped heading by gathering and stapling the fabric in the middle, so it falls in even drapes. Make sure that all the staples are concealed by the folds of the cloth. Finally, fix tie-back hooks into the sides of the window frame, so the curtains can be gathered up and tied back during the day.
Beyond this template, there are a few more ways to drape; check out these stunning different ways to hang curtains for the same.
Ultimate Calico Drape Drop
Calico fabric is a humble material that is accessible to DIY drape, giving an elegant look to your home. Now sit back and enjoy your handcrafted DIY calico drapes!
We have also created an infographic, which compiles this article and is easy for you to save. Please click on the link below:
https://gharpedia.com/infographic/calico-drape-for-humble-window/
If you are looking for more ways to drape the curtains, then check out
Decorate your House with Various Types of Curtains and Drapes!
Image Courtesy – Image 2, Image 3, Image 4
Author Bio
Huta Raval – An English Literature and Journalism Topper, Huta Raval has graduated from the L D Arts College, Ahmedabad. Post serving for 23 years in the NBFC and Public Library Sectors her desire for ‘writing the unwritten’ brought her to the creative field of content writing. Her clientele comprises of NGOs, Blogging Platforms, Newspapers, Academic Institutions, et al.
