DIY Roman Shades With Cordless Blinds
Learn how to make DIY Roman shades from a shower curtain and cordless mini blinds for under $20. This easy, no-sew budget window treatment includes blackout lining.
HOME DIY & DECOR
9/16/20265 min read
How These DIY Roman Shades Work
Want the look of custom Roman shades without spending $150 or more per window? This easy DIY Roman shade tutorial shows you how to turn inexpensive cordless mini blinds and a fabric shower curtain into functional, no-sew Roman shades for under $20. They raise and lower like the original blinds, look far more custom than their price tag, and can be lined with blackout fabric for bedrooms, nurseries, or any room that needs more privacy
Table of Contents
Before You Start: Use Cordless Mini Blinds
This method only works if your blinds raise and lower with a cordless lift (the kind you just push up or pull down with your hand), not the old pull-string kind. The string ones won't work for this project, so check that before you get attached to the idea. You can also just purchase cheap cordless blinds which would still save you money over buying a roman shade.
DIY Roman Shade Supplies
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One fabric shower curtain, drop cloth, curtain panel, or medium-weight home décor fabric
One set of cordless mini blinds sized for your window
Fabric glue or hot glue, depending on the fabric and blind material
Fabric tape or iron-on hem tape for finishing the side edges
Blackout fabric liner or blackout curtain panel, optional but recommended for privacy and light control
Iron and ironing board
Fabric scissors or rotary cutter
Measuring tape
Ruler or straightedge
Pencil, washable fabric marker, or Sharpie for marking the blind slats
Optional: binder clips or clips to hold the fabric in place while glue dries
Step 1: Measure the Window and Cut to the Fabric
For an inside-mounted shade, measure the width and height of the blind itself rather than only the glass portion of the window. Add approximately 2–3 inches to each side of the fabric width so you have enough material to fold and finish the edges. Add about 2–4 inches to the fabric length for the top and bottom edges.
Example: My blinds measured 35 inches wide by 58 inches long. I cut my shower-curtain fabric to 41 inches by 62 inches, which gave me 3 extra inches on each side and 2 extra inches at the top and bottom.
Step 2: Size the Cordless Blinds to the Fabric
Lay the blind on top of your cut fabric and stretch it out to the same length as the fabric (which is your window length plus that extra seam allowance). Most mini blinds come longer than your actual window, so this step matters — you want the blind sized to your fabric, not left at its full factory length.
Once it's stretched out, use a Sharpie or pen to mark which slat is going to be your "last" one. Everything below that mark is getting removed.
Step 3: Remove the Extra Mini Blind Slats
Starting below the slat you marked in Step 2, remove every slat that hangs below your finished fabric length. Gently bend each unwanted slat near one of its cord holes until it snaps, then slide the broken slat off the ladder strings.
Be careful not to cut, knot, or damage the cords and ladder strings that keep the cordless blind mechanism working. You are removing only the slats—not the structure that allows the blind to lift and lower.
Step 4: Mark and Space the Remaining Slats
Now go back through and mark your slats every 5–6 apart for a relaxed Roman-shade fold. Then remove any extra slats in between the same way you did before (snap at the hole, slide off the string), so you're left with just the slats at your marked intervals.
Step 5: Glue the Blinds and Slats to the Fabric
Center the blinds on the back side of your fabric with the front of the blinds facing the fabric. Start by attaching the top rail, making sure the blind is straight and centered. Then glue each remaining slat in place, working from top to bottom. Finish by securing the bottom rail.
Keep the ladder strings and cordless mechanism free so the shade can still move. Let the adhesive cure completely before testing the shade.
Step 6: Press and Secure the Fabric
Run your iron over the glued areas to help everything adhere properly and lay flat. This step matters more than it seems like it would — don't skip it.
Note: Follow the adhesive manufacturer’s instructions before ironing. If you use iron-on fabric tape, press according to the package directions. If you use fabric glue or hot glue, allow it to cure fully first and use a pressing cloth between the iron and fabric if needed. Always test your adhesive on a fabric scrap before committing to the finished shade
Step 7: Finish the Side Edges
Fold your excess fabric over on the sides of the slats and secure it with fabric tape. This is what gives it that clean, finished, "I did not make this in my living room" look.
Step 8: Add a Blackout Liner
Cut your blackout fabric insert to size and attach it to the back using fabric tape. This hides the slats from view when you're looking at the window from outside, so it just reads as a clean shade instead of "curtain with mini blind guts taped to it."
And That’s It: My $20 DIY Roman Shades
And that’s it—custom-looking DIY Roman shades for under $20. If you already have fabric, blackout liner, glue, or fabric tape on hand, you may be able to make them for even less.
I just made and installed mine last week, so I can’t speak to long-term durability yet. Right now, I’m really happy with how they look and how the cordless blind mechanism works, but I’ll come back and update this post if anything changes—whether that means they hold up beautifully, something comes loose, or I discover a better way to make the process easier.
One thing I already know I want to change: I plan to add a simple valance curtain across the top of the window to clean up the overall look. I’m not completely crazy about how the top of the blinds looks right now, and I think a valance will hide the hardware and make the finished Roman shade look more polished and intentional.
For now, though, this feels like one of those budget DIY projects that gives a room a much more custom look without the custom window-treatment price tag.
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AngelaMarie@mommakeshome.com
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