Herringbone Pelmet Tutorial

Isn't pelmet a funny word?

Well I think it is, and I decided it was the perfect solution to my kitchen window dilemma. I'm not a kitchen curtain person- and if you are, I'm not judging. I'm just saying, they're not for me. I saw a pelmet tute ages ago from Cassie, and filed the idea away for later.  Today, my friends, is later!

Wanna know how to make one? {This is where you start skimming if you don't care how to make one of these bad boys!}

Here's how I did mine. You Need: Fabric, Foam Core, Exacto knife {or something like it} Ruler or Carpenter's Triangle and Batting, L bracket or Curtain Rod Hardware

1] First, measure your window and determine the measurements of your pelmet. I used two pieces of foam core- then taped them the length of the window with packing tape.

2] Measure your curtain rod hardware, then cut the top of your board the same amount as your hardware is long. Like my hardware was 2.5 inches, so I cut down the board 2.5 inches.  Make sure you don't cut all the way through the board. I cut through the outer layer and the foam so I could bend it.

  3] Then cut out the corners. You can cut them all the way through, then remove the piece.  

 4] Then bend the sides and the top down and secure the corner. Again, I just used packing tape. I also taped the tops and sides to reinforce them. You can see from the pic on the right what mine looked like.

5] Once you have the pelmet shape, you can cover it with batting. I used a spray adhesive to secure the batting to the board. Then again, I just used tape to adhere the batting to the back of the board.

6] Lay out you fabric, and repeat the process of the securing it to the board just like you did the batting. This time I used a combo of staples and tape because I wanted the fabric to be stretched tight.

About this time- I looked over my finished pelmet and thought my linen looked a bit plain. So although I had already secured the fabric- I decided to spice it up a bit.

I wanted a herringbone print- but I couldn't find a place that sold a stencil resembling anything like I wanted. So- I made one with Word. I just manipulated rectangles and their angle, until I made something I liked. I wanted an abstract herringbone with a Native American flair. I love how this resembles the feathers on an arrow.

If you want to make your own print, here's what you need: Freezer Paper, Paint, Fabric Additive, Exacto Knife, Cutting Board, Brush, Container, Spray Adhesive and a pattern

I] Make a pattern or download a template.

II] Once I had a pattern I cut it out using my Exacto knife, then used that as a template to cut a stencil from freezer paper. It didn't take long at all, and if I did anything differently, I would have spent the time to cut out a bigger stencil. That would have saved time in the end. 

III] Mix your fabric additive and paint

IV] Use the spray adhesive to coat the PAPER side of your new stencil.

V] Your ready to use your stencil, make sure you're stencil is straight and using a foam brush apply the paint. Make sure the stencil is pressed down firmly and that there isn't a lot of paint on your brush.

And that, folks, is how you do it! I wanted a slightly handmade look. Like I the end product to look like it was hand done or done with block printing. You know- how the color will have variations and each line will look different? So I was careful to load the brush differently here or there, or apply different amounts of pressure.

I used the same gray paint that I used to stencil the damask curtains in the rest of the room. I wanted something that tied in- but that stood out. Damask is such a timeless print, but I wanted something more fun and current for the small kitchen area. 

And remember, you cannot judge these glorious {yeah right} honey oak cabinets. You guys know we rent this place- so what you see is what you get! Though I did try to convince Z that the landlord would never notice if they were suddenly turned white! Sadly, he was not on board! ;-)

Now for the money details! I purchased my supplies mostly at Joann's. With several coupons for "March Madness" the supplies totaled around 15 bucks. I bought a linen fabric (2 feet, half off, coming in at $8.) At the time I thought linen was important {to tie on with the linen-like Ikea curtains}, but now that I see the final product- I think a drop cloth would have looked almost the same. If I had used the leftover dropcloth this would have cost $6. 

Now who wants to make one of these bad boys!?

Looking for places to link up your projects? Check out my Party page.

I'm also linked up here.