skip to main content

Window valances

Rose Pekelnicky

last year

I made some new valances for my living and dining rooms. Thre were for single windows and one was for a double window. The singles were 85" wide and the double was 145" wide. Glad to be finished with the job.

Featured Answer

Lars

last year

Here are a couple of valances I made for my brother's bedroom in L.A.

You can see the seam on the corner on this one - the fabric was not as wide as I needed. I got the fabric and silk trim at work. We sold the trim through our furniture showrooms, but this fabric was from remnants leftover from an upholstery project.

Here's a valance (of sorts) in my kitchen:

Kuba cloth from Africa - no sewing required on my part, but someone else hand-stitched all the pieces together, and the fabric is hand woven. I like that it lets some light in.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (6)

Rho Dodendron
last year
Glad to see someone besides me is still sewing and using valances. They are a lot of straight sewing. Lookin good on your window.
Rose Pekelnicky thanked Rho Dodendron
kathyg_in_mi
last year
Nice!
Rose Pekelnicky thanked kathyg_in_mi
Related Discussions
Trash these window valances!
Q
Comments (20)
Wow - thanks everyone for some great ideas! Funny that painted conduit with finials and painter's drop canvas can actually substitute and look so good. One would have to find them completely seamless however - (some say Home Deport sells them this way) There's so many ideas to consider here. The issue with the old valances are - dated, tacky, giant/bulky, obtrusive, poorly executed - so trying to salvage them somehow just seems to be a waste of time and work IMHO, though some people may love them... I think pulling those down and live with it to see how we use the blinds - will be key. I suspect we will never close them - day or night. If that's the case then all we'll want to do is take them down and dress it up with dummy panels on each side for a nice finished look. That would also save a lot of money. I too, really liked the look of the curtains that go all the way up to the ceiling (1st idea I posted). while you maybe can't tell from the photos, these rooms have high ceilings. Due to the height, custom panels made may be the most economical option. Glue gun, no-sew iron-on hem adhesive, or sewing machine maybe... Canvas material would go well for the panel's look, as would anything like jute, sisal, bamboo - really any sort of airy/earthy "texture" category fabrics. Washable would be amazing! The white tile and red carpets are coming out. In place - dark wood floors, and a tan berber/sisal carpet area in the family room area... This post was edited by karyn on Sat, Jul 27, 13 at 4:59
...See More
need help with window valances
Q
Comments (5)
Here are a couple of other options. I think it would bother me to have them so close together and have the tops just barely not line up. One option would be to not even try to line them up. Picture below where they did that. You could put a valence on the door as you've shown, and then on the window (not sure if you have only one or if there are more), use a similar valence, but mount it much higher so that the bottom of the valence comes down just below the raised blind. That way you have more light coming into the room and still get to enjoy your valence. Or if that bothers you--on the door, what if you used a small white wood style valance as in the link kjolley posted and then use a valence on the window? Since they would be different styles, the height difference wouldn't be an issue so much. Here's the picture of the window and door valences at different heights.
...See More
How do you make window valances?
Q
Comments (19)
A simple valance is not a hard project if you have basic sewing skills. Chances are good that your local library would have several curtain making books available that would be full of inspiration and directions. There are also tutorials on Pinterest, YouTube,etc. You can probably do this! There are some rules of thumb regarding length of valance to window size and such. If this is a project you want to tackle, you try can posting a picture and dimensions of your window, and folks here can help you get the sizing to be pleasing proportions.
...See More
window valance measurement
Q
Comments (8)
What's not clear is if the 72" is the flat size, before gathering, or after it's gathered. I'm going to guess at that price, it's probably the flat width before gathering, so you should be fine with the 72". You want your rod to be 1" to 2" wider than your window and you want a gathered valance to be at least 2x that size, so the 72" gathered up will be 36". Should be just right.
...See More
msmeow
last year
It looks very nice! I like the color.

Donna
Rose Pekelnicky thanked msmeow
Fori
last year
Those of us who cannot sew straight salute you!
Rose Pekelnicky thanked Fori
claudia valentine
last year
Very nice. I dont think that valances are at all as popular as they used to be. I used to sew them as part of a business that I had, so have made quite a few of all differnet styles.

I took down all of my soft window treatments in prep for a move that didnt happen. Since I had patched up and repaired the walls from the rods. I never put them back up and I have to say that I quite like the window without them now. But, I am clearing the deck of any and all unnecessary anything, so a bare top of the window fits the bill. I went to simple clean lines of cellular shades.

It used to be that I could easily find and buy a seemingly endless supply of lengths of beautiful deco fabrics, so I used to sew a lot for myself and change them out. But, that plentiful supply of nice deco fabrics just dried up and the last time I browsed the selection at where I used to buy so much, they all look pretty darned dreadful both as to the fabric and the print. The choices used to be so vast that I could spend hours just browsing and touching and just admiring all that I had to choose from. It is all a distant memory now, as it is mostly all gone. I folded up all of the curtains that I made and had hanging and put them all together in the top shelf of a closet. I made mostly curtains, not pleated drapes. And some of them are so darned beautiful that I just cant get rid of them. Everything is made with professional standards and of good quality lining and fabric. I am hoping that one of the kids might find some use for them when I am gone.

Probably not.

It is a nice way to use a bit of pretty fabric and give some beauty to the room. Many styles require so little yardage.

Related Stories

WINDOWS Window Valances for Every Style

Save a Little Cash, Add a Bit of Flair by Dressing Just the Top of Your Windows

DECORATING GUIDES 13 Ways With Window Valances

By The Inman Company

A swoop of fabric above the window hides the hardware and frames the view in style

DECORATING GUIDES The Art of the Window: A Valance for Every Look, from Country to Glam

By Jess McBride

Which of these 11 top treatments is right for you?

DECORATING GUIDES Cornice Boards Strike a Strong Top Note

By The Inman Company

Structured and sturdy yet just as elegant as valances, cornice boards slip neatly into classic, eclectic and modern spaces

WINDOWS Find Your Window Treatment Style

By Jason Ball Interior Design

Whether your look is traditional, contemporary or somewhere in between, make your window treatments match your design personality

WINDOWS Treatments for Large or Oddly Shaped Windows

By Steven Corley Randel, Architect

Get the sun filtering and privacy you need even with those awkward windows, using panels, shutters, shades and more

DECORATING GUIDES How to Get Your Window Treatment Right

Here's the lingo to know to get the draperies you really want

WINDOW TREATMENTS Great Ways to Dress a Bay Window

By Becky Dietrich, Interior Designer

If you’re hemming and hawing over curtains and shutters — or nothing at all — these bay window treatment ideas can help

WINDOWS Awkward Windows and Doors? We've Got You Covered

By The Inman Company

Arched windows, French doors and sidelights get their due with treatments that keep their beauty out in the open

DECORATING GUIDES How to Work With Awkward Windows

By Judith Taylor Designs

Use smart furniture placement and window coverings to balance that problem pane, and no one will be the wiser

Sponsored

28 Reviews

Franklin County's Preferred Custom Cabinetry & Design Studio

More Discussions

I replaced the pressor foot lift cam in a Wilcox-Gibbs 500-IV

0

denim, our "mother fabric"

4

huck toweling, anyone?

3