How to make a blackout blind that works

[Chrysanthamum]

As much as I love the longer days my kids won't go to sleep as early and thats with a roller blackout blind already and blackout curtain linings in the room! We've an old blackout blind that I was going to cut to the size of the window and try and attach on with velcro or the wee sucker things. Anyone else tried this? I've seen the baa baa blinds but they're way overpriced.

try easyblinds (google it). You will never look back. We even have them in our room now.

We have a piece of blackout material that we have sown velcro onto then fixed the other piece of velcro onto the frame of the window, the only problem we have found is that light can come through the sewing holes. When we get a blackout rollerblind DH is going to put magnetic strips onto the window frame then all we have to do is put the corresponding magnetic strip onto the other side of the blind and hey presto! no light.

there is no way of doing it

it is impossible

I need to rebuild my house from all my attempts

You need to sellotape that awful black paper you had at school to the window frame or get your kids to wear the sleep masks you get for free on the plane.

oh god, we went down a very much simpler route since it's temporary:
big piece of blackout fabric
2 screw-in hooks a few inches diagonally out from the window corners
make 2 little holes in fabric, the right distance apart so the fabric will be stretched tight and not sag
Hang fabric on hooks, job done.

If you just brick out the window, that might work

we had a piece of MDF cut to size...drastic, but it blacked out the room...child still woke early, but i'm gessing that's not what you want to hear!

Ha lots of good ideas! where would you get velcro or magnetic strips though? Can u hem blinds without a sewing machine?

Ha ha this made me laugh. We're currently have our baa baa blind stuck to window plus a black out roller blind plus black out curtains... The things you'll do for a good nights sleep Im liking the magnetic strip idea!

Chrys... There's something called bondaweb or wonderweb or something like that that just irons on.

LOL@ bricking up the window - that solves it pretty well. Nothing to contribute - we're stuck for ideas too!

yes wonderweb is no sew and you iron it on, I even think there is stick on stuff now!!!

We have baa baa and the material is NOT blackout, you can see all the pinpricks of light like normal material.

It is better than nothing, we only use it for travel nd we double up! I did have an argument with baa baa people over their "black out" claim.

They stated that normal actual blackout material was "too heavy" to be portable, whether the suction cups couldn't hold it I dont know or whether they were thinking that their customers were the type that take all holidays abroad I don't know either.

I agree with sunshineandshowers, easyblinds are the velcro round the frame type so nothing is getting in.

I don't agree that normal GOOD blackout material is too heavy for travelling - I have just got a 'go anywhere' portable blackout from easyblinds and it uses suction cups but they are stronger than the baa baa ones and yes, the material is heavier and it is a bit bulkier, but it works, so frankly who cares, especially if you are travelling in the car...

Just had Easter break at parent's in law and the go anywhere blind was great, even my mother in law couldn't complain this time - no more big towels and blankets over her window poles. The suction cups are unusual - one cup inside another, works really well, no falling down in the middle of the night!

Can't remember website but google easyblinds for it.

The strong proper make Velcro works. If you do this my tip is when placing the sticky velcro on the window, make sure you don't put it everywhere, as it can be a pain if you have to take down. My homemade blackouts worked well for a number of years and was better than anything bought. I purchased from a company and found that the velcro was the same idea and a lot cheaper.

We had a similar problem in our daughter?s bedroom with the early morning sunlight. Luckily we already had a pair of curtains up, not blackout lined ones though, so we just bought a made to measure blackout blind online to put up at the window. The combination of the two seems to have done the trick so far, fingers crossed anyway!