Tablecloth Repurposed as Faux Balloon Shade

by Betty

$5.00

2 Hours

Easy

Another tablecloth to window valance conversion.

window shade tablecloth repurposed, window treatments, windows

This tablecloth was approximately 50" square. I decided to make a faux balloon shade with this one. The window is about 30" wide.

For the rod pocket, I cut two strips of muslin approximately 4" x 36" (width of the fabric) and sewed them together. I then shortened the length to about 48". On each of the long edges, I turned and pressed a ½ " hem. I sewed this strip about 2” below the top of the tablecloth. I decided I wanted 4 rows of rings spaced 7" apart. I marked this on the back of my tablecloth using straight pins. I then sewed on the rings using a zigzag stitch on my sewing machine. I "clipped" the rings together using short pieces of wire (following this post http://www.instructables.com/id/Paperclip-Binder-Ring-Type-Thing/ ) since I was unable to find reasonably priced split rings.

When I initially bought the curtain rods, the only positive thing I can say is that they were cheap. The hardware to attach them to the wall was poorly designed and finials were mostly an afterthought.

To increase the appearance of the finials I hot-glued spire-shaped Christmas ornaments onto ½” diameter pvc tubing that I cut about 6” long sections which I slipped over the existing rod (minus the original finials). I painted the tubing/ornaments oil rubbed bronze.

To hang the rods, I used J hooks that I purchased from Lowes. I painted them oil rubbed bronze to match finials. To provide clearance for the finials, I cut small blocks of wood (about 1" wide) from a 1x3 leftover board and painted them the same color as my wall which I used as spacers between the wall and the back of the J hook.

The J hooks were less $1 each. The rings were about $3 for a package of 24. The Christmas ornaments I bought at a thrift store at the Christmas in July clearance for $0.25 for the pair. I had the paint, PVC and board.

Enjoyed the project?

You can do it! Saved to your projects

Frequently asked questions

Have a question about this project?

Ask a Question

Comments

Join the conversation

3 comments

Miriam Illions on Sep 29, 2014
this is fantastic!

Like Reply
Mary Anderson on Nov 05, 2014
Neat use of a tablecloth!

Like Reply
- Betty on Nov 05, 2014
  Thanks. I have a lot of old, vintage linens from my mom. I'm trying to repurpose them. Any suggestions for other uses would be appreciated; not pillows - my dog is a chewer.
  
  Like