Learn to sew attractive & practical curtains custom-made for campervan

05/24/2023

Adventures await so your house on wheels has to be ready for action, and that means making it as comfortable and functional as possible. The interior of a campervan or caravan can be tricky to decorate, with its awkward sizes, shapes and quirks. But curtains can transform any space, especially when they’re bespoke, so follow this step-by-step guide and make your own!

Pati, behind @la_asilvestrada, shows you how to give a personal touch to your home away from home with her free tutorial and Katia’s fabrics. Her love for sewing first came from her grandmother but it was her daughter who sparked her inspiration to get really creative and start downloading patterns (just like this one!).

The materials you will need to complete this project are:

• Vintage style plumeti fabric (this is what’s used for this pattern)
• Fabric scissors
• Pins
• Thread in the same colour as the fabric
• Tape measure
• Tailor’s chalk or erasable pen
• Iron
• Sewing machine or by hand if necessary
  
  

Useful information for this, and any other, curtain project

• When choosing your material, keep in mind the amount of light that you want to filter through and the atmosphere you want to give the space.
• Lighter weight cotton fabrics such as dot tulle create a more romantic vibe.
• Canvas fabrics are a great choice if you’d rather have less light coming in.
• Instead of making a single curtain, split it in two so you can gather them at either side of the window.
• To make hemming easier, use pins and iron the hem so that it is well pressed and easier to sew. You can also baste it if it feels more secure.

Prepare to sew 

Measure the window:

Measure the width and height of the frame, from where the curtains will be hanging from to below the window frame.

Cut the fabric: Length

• Transfer the measurements you’ve taken to the fabric. 
• Add a few more centimetres to account for the curtain loop for the pole to go through, and for the bottom hem. Add around 14 cm in total: 10 cm for the loop (this will depend on the width of your curtain pole) and 4 cm for the hem.

Cut the fabric: Width

• Add 2 cm to each side for the hem. 
• For the curtains to have ‘waves’ instead of hanging flat, you’ll need to add half the width of the window to each curtain. For example, if the width is 50 cm, you should add 25 cm more, so there’s enough extra fabric to form the waves.

Create your campervan / caravan curtains

To make hemming easier, use pins and iron the hem so that it is well pressed and easier to sew. You can also baste it if it feels more secure.

Now it’s time to use your sewing machine or start hand-sewing if you don’t have one.

• Sew one of the side hems first. Fold 1 cm in and fold it in on itself again. Repeat for the other side.
• Do the bottom hem, folding 2 cm in, iron it down and fold it in on itself 2 cm more.

• Sew the loop at the top (where the curtain pole will go through).

• Iron your work so that your curtains are perfect.

• Repeat the same steps for other curtains for any other windows.

And just like that, your house on wheels is even more homely! 

Inspired to make more charming pieces for your interior (on wheels or not)? Here are some wonderful patterns!

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