Make Your Own Shower Curtain

Making your own shower curtain can be accomplished in a single afternoon. As an alternative to a store-bought variety, a homemade shower curtain possesses charm and character of its own. You can personalize it, rather than limit yourself to what you can find in a store.

Step 1 - Lay Fabric

Measure the appropriate amount of fabric for the shower curtain. Most shower curtains are 72x72-inches, but this may differ in your bathroom. When you buy fabric from the store, it is not 6-feet wide, so you’ll have to sew it together. Get the dimensions and lay it out. Add 5-inches to the top and 2-inches on each of the other 3 sides. If the dimensions will be 72x72-inches, the fabric laid out should measure 76-inches wide by 79-inches tall.

Step 2 - Sew Pieces Together

Turn the fabric over so the backside is facing up. Make a small seam running the whole length and pin it every few inches where the 2 pieces meet on the inside edge. With either a sewing machine or old fashioned needle and thread, sew the 2 pieces together with a heavy stitch.

Step 3 - Hem the Sides and Bottom

With the backside of the curtain still facing up, fold 2-inches of fabric onto itself and iron to smooth and flatten it. The backside of the hems should be on the same side as the middle seam. Pin it along the edge and sew a stitch to complete the hem.

Step 4 - Hem the Top

On the top, fold over 5-inches of fabric and iron it. Before you pin and sew, unfold it again and using the ironed seam as your guide, iron on a strip of fabric stabilizer. This will strengthen the fabric when you make cuts for the shower rings. Once in place, fold the 5-inch flap over again, pin and sew a stitch along the top. With the hems the dimensions should be 72x72-inches.

Step 5 - Cut Buttonholes for Rings

There are 12 rings, so you’ll need 12 holes. An inch from the top, make 2 marks at either end 2-inches in. Between those 2 points, stretch the measuring tape and make 10 more marks equally spaced. At each of these marks, use the razor to make a small slit. Do not slice lower than 2-inches below the top or you will cut past the fabric stabilizer. With either the sewing machine or by hand, stitch around each of these slits to complete each buttonhole.

Step 6 - Fasten Rings to Curtain and Liner

Hang the shower curtain with liner on the shower rod and make sure the fabric drapes over the edge of the tub while the liner stays inside. It took you a little while, but you’ve just made your own shower curtain. If you make any mistakes, have a stitch ripper handy. As an extra feature, add pleats to the top of the curtain.