Making curtains - sew or bonadaweb?! Have I forgotten any ingredients?

[mogs0]

I have been planning to make curtains to hang on my draughty front door and living room window.

I was thinking I'd sew them but when I was reading through one of my books it had a pattern for making them using bondaweb - genius as I haven't used a sewing machine since I was in school 15 years ago! However, I'm a bit worried that the bondaweb won't hold the weight of the material and it'll all fall apart.

Has anyone tried this method?

Also, I'm going to put eyelets through the top of the curtain and hook the curtain onto the wall over the door/window as and when I need to. Do I need anything special for the top of the curtain? I know my other curtains have a strip of something (I don't know what it's called) along the top where the curtain hooks are attached).

I have to make a start on it soon otherwise it'll be Spring before I know where I am!!

Never used bondaweb so don't ahve any advice on that, however I made some eyelet curtains recently and used eyelet tape which I think is what you are referring to.

It's like a thick strip of binding with eyelets in. I sewed it to the top of the curtains on the window side iykwim, then cut out the material in the eyelet holes and snap on the eyelet covers on the front and you get a very neat finish.

It was the first pair of curtains I'd ever made and it was very easy to do.

You buy the tape by the required length and choose the eyelet cover colour - cheapest I found was on ebay here and instructions were included

I used bondaweb to turn up the hems on some cheap cotton lightweight Ikea curtains. It burnt on my iron and the ironing board cover and after I finally managed to get it to stick up the hem it fell off in the first wash. It would have been quicker and easier to hand or machine stitch the hems. I can't recommend the bondaweb method.

However, the eyelet tape Jcee recommends is a v good product.

Thanks for the tips. My mum gave me her sewing machine last Christmas so I should really have a go at using it - at least I only have to sew in straight lines!

I saw eyelet tape in Dunelm this morning when I was buying the lining stuff but couldn't find a price on it so left it. I'll have a look on ebay, thanks!

Also, for a curtain behind a door you can get a special curtain rail called a 'portiere' that lifts as the door opens so the curtain is kept clear of the bottom of the door.

I have my gas meter right next to the door leaving no space to fit a rail - I have thought of every possible way of attaching something and the only solution is to have a curtain with eyelets and screw some hooks to the wall above the door to hang the curtain off. It sounds a bit rubbish but I hope it'll turn out ok - especially as I have just spent rather a lot on the lining and padding material!

Can you attach a rail or fitting to the ceiling? I think IKEA do a fitting like that.

I have looked at this option also! Again, because of the position of the gas meter it wouldn't fit flush with the wall. Also, I'm not sure the ceiling would hold - the whole house is a little unstable !!