How To Make A Valance
The Pro's and Con's of DIY

So you have decided you want to learn how to make a valance. Are you sure? That can be very creative, very frustrating, very difficult, and very disappointing - but also extremely exhilarating and self-rewarding. Why? First things first.

You will need to know certain things before you can begin. The most obvious is the type of valance idea you have. You have probably seen a picture of a valance pattern you really like and decided you can do that, right? Well you can!

But first, before you can learn how to make a valance, you need to have a grip on a few specific things that are important, like the width and length of the windows you will be covering. What widths do you need for making valances? Will they have returns to the wall? Are there obstacles in the way, like the molding on the top of the kitchen cabinets or other immobile items? How much are you going to overlap the window, if any, on each side when making valances?

How long will your DIY valance need to be for your window? Will this length be aesthetically correct for the area you have to work with? Will it be straight across at the bottom or be curved or have "tails"? If it is curved you will need to know your shortest length measure ( short point ) as well as your longest length measure ( long point ).

Will this valance pattern be mounted inside the window or over the top on the outside? Is this valance going over an existing window treatment? How far out from the wall/window is the current window covering projected return? So, how much do you need to add for the depth of that window treatment and your valance idea? Will the valance be mounted on the wall or on the ceiling? What kind of hardware will be needed to hang the finished DIY valance?

Are you still thinking you want to know how to make a valance? Okay, then, there are just a few more things you should think about before you decide for sure.

Just because you love the fabric you selected, are you sure you are choosing the right valance pattern for that specific type of fabric? Is it too heavy? Is it too light weight and in need of interlining as well as lining? What type of header will you use? Will it be pleated, tab top, shirred, mounted on a board? Will it need to be stiffened with b buckram or fiber-fill? Will it be gathered or draped on a pole? What type of pole? What type of finials and brackets will you need for making valances? Or will you need decorative wall sconces for the valance idea of scarf valances?

When you are thinking about how to make a valance, does your fabric have a straight perpendicular pattern to it and you want a swag valance swag valance ? Is your pattern suitable for diagonal placement of swag patterns? If not you might get "kinks" in the curve part of your swag. If swags are cut with the straight of the grain to accommodate your straight pattern, you will have to stretch them out in width in order to avoid the kinks, and there's no guarantee even then. Swags were meant to be cut on the bias or with the "give" of the fabric. Is this your valance idea?

Does your fabric have a random large pattern that you want to show on every face pleat of a box pleated valance? Then you will need to "pattern match" each swag and use more fabric than normal. When considering your valance patterns, are your windows wider than your fabric? Then you will also need to pattern match the selvage edges, or railroad the fabric. One final thing to consider before embarking upon how to make a valance is to consider your equipment vs your fabric. Will your sewing machine do the job for the fabric you have chosen? Remember, there is often several thicknesses of fabric to go through when making valances, so make a test-run of the thicknesses to make sure you are up to par on your equipment.

How To Make A Valance

Yes, there is much to know prior to beginning to learn how to make a valance, isn't there? But if you are not discouraged yet, read on. However, if you have now decided this is not for you; then you can stop here and skip over to selecting a designer to do it all for you; or visit the other valance and cornice pages from the brief menu below to see other options.

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