Decorating

Ready-made curtain panels can be turned into custom drapes with the simple addition of colorful grosgrain layered in an eye-catching pattern.

Materials
• Ready-made curtain panels in a color or pattern that matches your room's decor
• Ribbon*
• Scissors
• Fabric tape measure
• Sealah tape
• Burnishing tool
*Ribbon quantity will depend on the size of your curtain panels and the pattern you wish to create. For the 84-inch panels, I used approximately 13 yards of wide green ribbon, 10 yards of wide brown and cream ribbon, 18 yards of dark brown ribbon, 16 yards of pale blue ribbon, and 2 yards of polka-dot ribbon for the tabs.

Instructions
1. Ready-made curtain panels are sold in standard lengths (72 inches, 84 inches, and 96 inches lengths are the most common). Begin by selecting the size that fits your windows.
2. Next, choose ribbons in colors and patterns that fit the look of your room. For example, if many of the furnishings in your room are in shades of brown, cream, green, and blue, then look for grosgrain in the same colors. Adding a patterned ribbon to the mix (like the brown-on-brown polka-dot grosgrain that I used for the tabs) can help give your panels a more relaxed look. For interest, select ribbons of varying width, and layer narrower ribbons over wider ones.
3. Lay out your pattern first, then affix the ribbons to the fabric with Sealah tape and the burnishing tool.

Planning Tip
Don't waste ribbon. Instead, sketch out possible panel patterns on a piece of paper, using a different color pencil or marker for each type of ribbon you want to use. When you arrive at a design you like, calculate the amount of grosgrain you need by counting the lines of the same color and multiplying by the length or width of the panel, depending on the direction in which the ribbon runs.

Redo your drapes, pillows, and more with ribbon.