The Best Ways to Make Curtains That Block Out Sunlight....?

Valances add additional sun blocking

For individuals who must, or choose to, sleep while the sun is shining, curtains that stop the sunlight are an essential part of their good nights. Even the occasional late early morning sleep-in seems to be better with a good blackout curtain. If you are making your own drapes, adding the blackout features that best suit your needs is not difficult. First choose what you need, and make your curtains accordingly.
(All for Window treatment programe)

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1. Use a "3-pass" blackout lining within your curtains. This is a thick, very effective blackout lining made with three layers of polymer applied to a thin fabric base. Light will not pass through this fabric; however , flag and needle holes will allow light to pass, so extra care must be used during construction.
2. Make French blackout curtains if you prefer all-natural materials. Add an interlining between the window-side lining and face fabric using a medium- to heavy-weight black cotton. Cut this interlining the same size as the window-side lining and treat the two as one layer.
3. Consider using fabric with built-in blackout lining, but remember which pin and needle holes will be evident in this fabric. This one-layer power outage fabric is beneficial if a lighter-weight curtain is required, or if budget is a issue. These fabrics tend to be less expensive than the combined cost of a drapery fabric as well as blackout fabric combined. If you are having your curtains made, this one-layer fabric may also be less expensive for curtain construction costs as it makes an unlined curtain.
4. Size the curtains to be at least 24 inches wider and longer compared to windows, and that much higher than the window if no valance is being made. Examination this requirement by turning off the lights in a room and holding the sheet or towel over the window on a bright day. Adjust the position from the sheet or towel until no light bleeds around the edges, top or even bottom to determine how much coverage your window needs.
5. Add a top valance mounted on a board, with returns. The return is the face fabric which wraps around the end of the valance and stops at the wall. This valance style prevents light from entering the room over the top of the drapes.
6. Make sure that the curtains have a return deep enough to touch the wall. For outstanding light blockage at this area, increase the return allowance on the curtains by one inch and sew one side of hook-and-loop tape to the right part of the side edge of the curtains. Staple the other side of the tape towards the wall at a location corresponding to the outside edge of the curtains. Fasten both together when you close the curtains. This prevents any light bleed across the edges. Do the same to the left edge of the curtains if necessary.
7. Construct center-split curtains with at least 4 inches of overlap at the center. For additional safety, sew one side of hook-and-loop tape to the wrong side of the middle edge of the overlapping curtain and the other side of the tape to the correct side of the underlapping curtain, 3 inches from the center edge. Attach both sections of tape when the curtains are closed.
8. Allow the curtains to mess on the floor at least one hem depth to prevent light seepage around the bottom hem. One hem depth creates a heavy barrier.

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