Hemless Blackout Curtains

The most current photo of our living room (although missing our 2x4 Jalousie Rear Media Console), sports different curtains than the free bedsheet fold top curtains I sew before we moved upstairs.

In April, as we were settling into our unfurnished apartment, we installed a home theater system and blackout curtains.   I ordered 54'' Wide Roc-Lon® Blackout Drapery Lining from Amazon.com at about $6 per yard.  Using 10 yards, our new living room blackout curtain fabric cost me about $60, which is $60 more than our free bed sheet fold top curtains now in the nursery.

Clothespins to Clip Rings

Originally, I clipped the blackout curtains with clothespins until we purchased the first set of curtain rings I've ever used: Levolor Classic Clip Rings, Set of 7, Brushed Sienna, also from Amazon.com, which cost a total of $32 for 4 sets, the same price as the curtain rod and finial sets I purchased from Ross.  

This has put a defined dent in our living room furnishing budget, in the shape of $92 for our blackout curtains, or $124 if you include the cost of the rods.  I spent $124 to cover my windows with blackout fabric?  Ouch.  

Our living room furniture budget (costs rounded up to the next dollar):

• Purchased Papasan chair:  $223 Purchase
• Hand-painted floor cloth:  $40 Project
• 2 - 120" curtain rods:  $32 Purchase
• 2 - Small end tables: $5 Project
• 3 - Hanging Wood Lanterns: $25 Project
• Wooden Lantern Tree: $4 Project
• Reclaimed Wood Coffee Table:  $5 Project
• Reclaimed 1x6 Topped Media Console: $29 Project
• 2x4 and Jalousie Rear Console: $10 Project
• C End Table: $1 Project
• Hemless Blackout Curtains and clips:  $92 Purchase

$34 left for repairing and slipcovering those sofas...uh oh.

Although the price is not favorable for my budget, the blackout fabric is great because I learned I didn't need to hem it.  It doesn't fray at all.  I cut leftover pieces into a curvaceous bracket shape for my watercolor blackout shades, and the fabric has held the shape of the cut.




Easy DIY Blackout Curtain Installation
The 54" width was perfect for each of my windows, so all I did was unroll the bolt of blackout liner, cut 90" lengths per panel, and string the rods with the clips to prepare for hanging.  

 I used an 8" wide envelope to help guide my clip spacing.

Hemless edges

When the curtains were hanging, I straightened the bottom "unhemmed-line" by simply pressing the fabric against my baseboard, marking a line in the crevice, and running scissors through the line I marked.  So simple!  Sooo sweetly lazy.

Taking photos with blackout curtains drawn proved to be difficult, but I did capture a photo during the process (please excuse the disorder).

After everything was installed, the room became deep and moody and I then missed my free, wispy bedsheet curtains.  The blackout liner does serve its purpose in our living room home theater and blocks out considerable light.

Keeping the End Clip in Place
The clip rings glide over the rod fairly smoothly, but when I would draw the curtains, the end clip would draw closed with the rest of the fabric.  I'm not sure if it's the best way to keep the curtain ring in place, but here's how I solved my problem:

I love the lazy way to do things, especially if it works out to not look so lazy in the end. :)

Have you done something the lazy way and didn't regret it?  :)