Leather and Lace

With a relatively small investment of time and money, you can create the look of expensive custom treatments.

We used burlap-textured fabric, metal grommets, and braided leather laces for this rough-and-ready window shade.

You can do this project in an afternoon for under $40. Basic sewing skills will be helpful.

What You Need:

• Measuring tape
• Fabric scissors
• Fabric (yardage depends on the size of your window)
• Sewing machine
• Thread
• Grommets (available at fabric stores)
  6 leather laces (one-third longer than your window)
• 1-inch-thick wood mounting board that's slightly deeper and wider than your window frame
• Staple gun
• 2 L-brackets
• Screws

Instructions:

1. Cut the panel. Start by cutting a fabric panel that matches the outside width of the window, adding 2-1/2 inches to the width and approximately 4 inches to the length.

2. Hemming. Turn under 1/4 inch on both sides and the bottom. Then turn under and sew 1-inch hems.

3. Attach the grommets. Measure one-third of the distance from either side and begin attaching an even number of grommets 1 inch from the bottom edge, spacing them approximately 6 inches apart and ending 5 inches from the top edge.

4. Cut and braid. Cut six leather laces (we used three colors), each one-third longer than the window. Braid two sets of three. Thread them through the grommets, pulling to the outside on the top and bottom.

5. Wrap and mount. Wrap fabric and laces over a 1-inch-thick mounting board that's slightly deeper and wider than the window frame. Staple all to the top of the board near the back, wrapping corners gift-wrap style.

6. Finishing touches. Attach the board by placing L-brackets underneath and mounting slightly above window molding. Adjust length and tie laces.