Quick and Easy Crafts: Character Curtains for Kids

When we moved into our new house, my son's favorite character was Thomas the Tank Engine. He had a big window that needed curtains, so I asked him if he would like Thomas curtains. He was so happy all he could do was smile and giggle. (He was around 4 years old at the time.) My mission at the local fabric store was to find Thomas fabric and make the best curtains he had ever seen. Mission accomplished! The fabric I chose had a red and blue checkerboard design with Thomas all over it. I knew my son would love it. Please see the following directions to make one for yourself. The curtains I made came out to two panels at 43"x32" each finished. This fit his 43"x 30" window perfect. The key is you want to double the width to give proper room for the curtains to hang nice and gather properly at the top.

Supplies for the Thomas the Tank Engine Curtains

Thomas character fabric 43 ½" by 32 ½" (two panels)
Red fabric 43 ½" by 2 ½" (two strips)
Matching thread
Scissors
Sewing machine (unless you want to do it by hand)
Iron and pad/board
Quilt pins
Ruler or measuring tape

Making these curtains is so easy; you will find yourself making this style for just about any window in your house, or to give a way as gifts. There is a more complicated style, but that is for a later article. These Thomas curtains are very simple and great for any crafter, from beginner to advanced levels.

Making Your Seams

The first step is to iron your fabric. It is important to get the wrinkles out or it will gather and bunch while you sew your seams. Next take one of your panels and sew a ¼ inch seam all the way around. You will want to match up your thread to the color of your fabric. I used white, and sadly, didn't notice it until I was done and hung them up in his room. He loved the new curtains, but I saw the mistake of using white thread on a red and blue design.

Complete this for both panels and set aside.

Next, take your red fabric strips, and one at a time and iron a ¼ inch seam around the entire strip. Next, sew the ends of the strip to make a nice seam. Do not worry about sewing the length just yet as that will be done in the next set of steps. We are only worried about the ends right now. This will make it easier to attach to the finished panel.

Finishing Your Thomas Curtains

Take your full panel and lay it flat on your table. Next, take your red strip and place it at the very top of the panel. Use two quilt pins to mark the width of the strip from the top. Or, you can just measure 2 inches from the top. Either way works. Place the red strip and pin in place. Make sure the ends of the strip match up to the ends of the panel. Sew in place, but do not sew the ends (you did them already). The ends are where the curtain rod will placed when you hang up your new curtains.

There you are: new curtains for your window in just a few simple steps. I loved this simple project so much; I made some adorable curtains for my bathroom. This is a great project because not only is perfect for odd shaped windows, but it gives you the chance to make any character or pattern design and not settle for what the store will sell you. Happy sewing!

Sources:
Personal Experience