Crafty Home: How to Make a Shower Curtain

I found this great vintage cotton sheet at the thrift store a while back and I immediately thought of making a shower curtain for the spring and summer months. I love the print and I really think that it is a fun, light option for my otherwise dark bathroom.

If you have a sheet that you will like to make into a shower curtain, here is what you'll need to get started:

Supplies
1 twin or double size flat sheet
thread to match
straight pins
tape measurer
sewing gauge
seam ripper
iron
sewing machine

Your Fabric
Measure the length and width of your finished sheet to confirm that it is adequate to make your shower curtain. A twin size flat sheet that is approximately 72" x 100" will work; however, a double size sheet will give you a little more to work with. Your sheet will already have a finished top and bottom edge. Your sheet may also be finished on the sides as well, or you may simply have selvedge edges. If you have a sheet with a decorative trim or edging, consider how you will like to use the sheet to keep this decorative element.

Hemming
If your sheet already has a finished edge you may want to use it as is. However, if you are hemming the bottom of your shower curtain, start by folding up the raw edge 1" toward the wrong side of the fabric and press. Turn up another 1" and press again. Edge stitch along the interior folded edge. If you will like to hem the sides, proceed using the same method as the top.

If the top of your sheet already has a "band" you can; a) undo the existing stitching with your seam ripper, b) use as is or c) cut it off to create a new top. The sheet I used had a narrow hem, so I simply cut it off to create a new raw edge. If you have decided to make a new top, you will have to turn in your new raw edge by 2" and press, turn under another 2" and press again. Finish by edge stitching along the interior folded edge.

Tip: If your sheet has a finished end that is already 2" wide you can choose to use this as is. If the folded end is decorative, this can add a beautiful touch to your shower curtain. However, if your fabric is lightweight with more than two layers of fabric, inserting a strip of interfacing to the top edge will provide extra stability to support the weight of the curtain.

Buttonholes

Getting your shower curtain holes laid out nicely can be tricky as you want the shower curtain holes equal distance apart, but you do not want excess fabric at the ends of the curtain. For my curtain, the fabric length was 70 inches, finished and I have a set of 12 shower curtain rings. For those math types, here is a formula that my husband came up with to figure out where to lay out the holes:

Distance Between Holes = (F-2E)/H

where:

F = Fabric Length
H = Number of Curtain Ring Holes
E = End Length

For my project, the measurement looked like this:

F = 70 inches
H = 12 curtain rings
E = 1 inch

(70-2*1)/12
=68/12
=5.66
= or approximately 5 ⅝ inches

You will also have to consider how far from the top edge of your curtain you want the button holes; I made mine a ½ inch from the top and each button hole was ¾ inches long. You can also use your shower curtain liner as a guide, using a fabric marker or chalk to mark out where your holes will be. Mark the placement of the top and bottom points of your buttonholes. Using the buttonhole feature on your sewing machine, sew your buttonholes in a vertical direction. Check your sewing machine manual for instructions on how to make buttonholes. To open you buttonholes, pierce the fabric with your seam ripper and gently glide it down the center of your stitch lines cutting the inside of the buttonholes.

Tip: You can use grommets instead of buttonholes; however, I used buttonholes rather than grommets, because I felt that the weight of the cotton would hold up better to buttonholes rather than grommets.

Now you are ready to hang your new shower curtain!