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Updated on July 3, 2024
Tension Rod Blackout Curtains. Sew blackout curtains that can be installed with a tension rod behind your blinds or curtains.
Imagine yourself drifting peacefully off to sleep in your freshly made bed at the end of a long day. You get eight glorious hours of uninterrupted sleep and wake up refreshed and ready to start the day! Now, enter my reality…
Spend 30 minutes each night after lights out to tend to my two-year-old’s never-ending needs – “I need to go to the potty,” “I lost my blanket” after she throws it out of her crib, “I need another drink,” “I need my jammies” even though they were on when she went into her crib.
Finally, I spend an hour with my husband and drag myself to bed, only to be woken up at least two to four times per night by the above-mentioned two-year-old. I wake up groggy, cranky, and not ready to start my day.
In my quest to get everyone in this house some more shut-eye, I knew I needed a way to block light from entering her window.
They cost at least $10 per panel, plus a new curtain rod. I didn’t want to spend over $20 on curtains when she already had perfectly good curtains and blinds in her room!
How to Make Tension Rod Blackout Curtains
While reading Martha Stewart magazine, I found an article showing how to make a simple curtain and attach it to the window with tension rods.
Brilliant! This would be the perfect solution to make these blackout shades, which I wanted to remove easily during the day.
A tension rod is an adjustable rod containing springs. As you twist the rod, the pressure keeps it in place in the window casing.
Supplies:
- Blackout Lining Fabric
- Scissors or Rotary Trimmer
- Pins
- Sewing Machine and Matching Thread
- 2 Tension Rods
You can make these curtains in different sizes depending on your particular window.
Measure the Window
Measure your window’s length and width inside the frame where the tension rods will go. Add 1 – 2″ to each end’s length (to create a rod pocket).
I added 1 1/2″ to each end of my length measurement to account for a 7/16″ tension rod. Depending on the size of your tension rod, you may need to add more or less fabric.
Cut Fabric
Cut the fabric to the size you need.
Since we use blackout curtain fabric, stitching or sealing the edges is unnecessary. It is a vinyl-type material, and the edges don’t fray. One more reason this project is so simple!
RELATED: More Sewing Projects
Sew the Rod Pockets
Fold your fabric with the wrong sides together at each end and pin. You will fold it over for whatever measurement you added in step one.
For example, I folded each end over 1 1/2″. You do not need to fold under the raw edge—you will see why in the next step.
Set your machine to a zig-zag stitch.
Place your fabric in the machine so the unfinished edge of the fabric runs right down the middle of your presser foot. Sew down the length of each edge.
This will attach the fabric and create your rod pocket.
You can see in the picture below how the fabric is attached using the zig-zag stitch.
Hang Tension Rod Curtain
Remove the pins and add the tension rods. Hang the curtains in your window!
I added my shade between the window and the wooden blinds secured in the wooden window frame. Start by securing the tension rod at the top of the window frame. Then, tighten the bottom.
This makes the room dark, and you can’t see the blackout curtain with her blinds and curtains closed.
You could also hang the blackout fabric from double curtain rods. In this case, you would only need a pocket at the top to slip through the rod that was in the back.
This little addition has made it much easier for her to fall asleep at night while it is still light out and to sleep a little more in the morning.
It is so hard to take pictures of a dark room, but here is a comparison of with and without the shade. The only light comes from the hall and the natural light from the window. You can see on the right side how much darker her room is.
Would you rather buy blackout curtains? You can find them at Walmart, Target, and Amazon. Some options look like regular curtains you hang from a standard curtain rod or with clip rings. You can also find some that attach with velcro to the window frame.
I used a coupon for the fabric at JoAnn’s to make this project less expensive. The entire project cost me less than $10. This was the cheapest option for getting exactly what I wanted.
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Interior decor Zone says
Thanks for sharing such amazing information. Really Appreciated.
Interior decor Zone says
Thanks for sharing.
Curtains Perth says
The type of color you buy for your window curtains will make all the dissimilarity in the earth. If you are continuously on the move then your move toward will be dissimilar that a person who just bought a new house.
Kris Pietz says
Do you really need a tension rod at the bottom, too?
Laura Silva says
Kris,
I suppose you wouldn’t need the one at the bottom depending on your particular window. For ours, by placing both the rod at the top and the bottom I am able to get the blackout material to stay more securely against the window to keep out the most light. You could certainly try it with just one and then add the second one if needed.
xo,
Laura
Michelle Smith says
The Rod balckout curtains given here are beautiful. Know all bout it
Curtains
Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom says
Very, very smart!
~Jamie
Kathy@DandelionsandDustBunnies says
I put a blackout shade in my boys’ room so when they go to bed during the summer and it’s still light out, they acutally go to sleep. Helps them to sleep in later too becuase it’s still dark in their room when the sun comes up early. Works great for nap time too – my 3 year old lays right down and goes to sleep. Hoping you get some more sleep too. Sounds like it’s been rough the last couple years – yudos to you for hanging in there!