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    • Jan 18, 2011

    by Kevin

    A Quick And Easy Way To Transform Your Curtains From Tab Top to Rod Pocket

    We had a bunch questions about how we altered our master bedroom curtains on an earlier post, so I’m gonna give Kev the reigns today and let him show just how easy it was to transform them from tab top, to rod pocket. (Yep! So simple even a GUY can do it! Hee hee- just kidding!)
    Take it away Kev!

    _____________________________________________

    Hey there, Kev here.

    For the record, Layla showed me how to do the steps in this post. I always thought “tap top” had something to do with a soda can, and when she first referred to “Lenda” I thought she was talking about a new blogger friend. Ya know, Rhoda, Kimba, Linda, Shaunna. “Lenda” just kinda sounded like one of the girls.

    Oops. My bad. :-)

    First things first, we cracked open a fresh pack of Lenda’s from Ikea…

    We bought the ones that are 118″ long so that we’d be able to hang them up on rods mounted 6-8 inches above the top of our windows. (Lay taught me that little trick right after we met and man does it make a difference!)

    118″ is a little too long though, so to figure out the right length, just drape the tabbed part of the curtain up and over your curtain rod. Then continue pulling down on the tabbed end until the bottom of your curtain panel just barely touches the floor…

    Layla says if you want your curtains to “puddle”, don’t pull as much of the tabbed end over the curtain rod.

    I’m still trying to figure out what a puddle has to do with a curtain panel.

    When I think “puddle”, I think about Max.

    And a wad of paper towels.

    And then our Swiffer Wet Jet.

    But I digress.

    Once you figure out how long you want your curtain panel to be, use a safety pin to mark the spot where the new seam should be…

    Then lay the panel out on a large, flat surface, and cut off the tabbed end, just below your safety pin…

    Then (here’s the clincher) use some hardcore, washable, fabric adhesive to make your new seam and create a rod pocket!

    (We bought ours at a local fabric store)

    Pretty easy, right?
    Hmmm…now what else can I use that Fabri-tac on…..

    _________________________________________________________________

    Big ups to my husbear for tackling those tab tops with me!
    He may be more comfortable wielding a guitar,     but he’s become quite the DIY Guy over the past couple of years too, don’tcha think?

    PS- Don’t forget to wash your curtains BEFORE you alter the length of them. They tend to really shrink up in the wash! And if your curtains have a rod pocket along the bottom edge of them, you could always flip the curtains upside down and cut the tab tops off. Ours didn’t, so we chopped from the top!

    _________________________________________________________________

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    Check out this post at Nesting Place!

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    66 Responses to A Quick And Easy Way To Transform Your Curtains From Tab Top to Rod Pocket

    1. Estela @ Weekly Bite says:
      Jan 18, 2011 at 3:44 pm

      Super cute post! I love how easy this is! It gives me hope that I can do this with my curtains :)

      Reply
    2. Ashley | Domestic Fashionista says:
      Jan 18, 2011 at 4:23 pm

      Funny…because I bought those exact curtains months ago to finally open them this week to realize they were tab top. I left them as is but would love to have rod pocket instead…and here I am at my solution! :)

      Reply
    3. GIO says:
      Jan 18, 2011 at 4:40 pm

      that’s a great idea but i do one that’s easy peasy “junkin” breezy :) turn the curtains upside down, hang them from the hem & cut off the tabs!

      Reply
    4. robelyn says:
      Jan 18, 2011 at 4:43 pm

      Okay – you two HAVE to be the cutest ever!

      AND! Since ya’ll are the cutest ever… I’m sending you some curtains and my measurements… ’cause those are awesome!!!

      ;-D robelyn

      Reply
    5. teresa says:
      Jan 18, 2011 at 4:43 pm

      That’s so funny….about 3 months ago I took the very same curtains and turned them into Rod pocket. I left the taps on just folded them down…then ran the rob throught them…it gave them a little french pleated look.
      Thanks for sharing your ideas

      Reply
    6. Erin*Sparkle&Hay says:
      Jan 18, 2011 at 4:52 pm

      aaah!! so easy – maybe even i can do this one!!!

      Reply
    7. Diane @ InMyOwnStyle says:
      Jan 18, 2011 at 4:58 pm

      Layla-

      You have one cute honey – he is a keeper for sure. What a cute post.

      Kevin-

      I especially enjoyed reading about your assumption about Lenda. GReat tutorial :)

      My best- Diane

      Reply
    8. Ricki Jill Treleaven says:
      Jan 18, 2011 at 5:26 pm

      *giggles* What an adorable post. You rock the tab top and rod pocket, Kevin :D

      Reply
    9. Cindy says:
      Jan 18, 2011 at 5:56 pm

      Hi Layla and Kevin,
      I had to look at the photos again to make sure that you washed those before you cut them, because those babies shrink like crazy!!! I have the Lenda drapes and I made the mistake of not pre-washing, and I am so sorry. Looks like you are smarter than me, I’m glad somebody is.
      That is an excellent no sew way of turning them into a pocket rod drape, I hadn’t thought of that.
      Looks good, though!
      Hugs, Cindy

      Reply
      • Layla says:
        Jan 18, 2011 at 7:09 pm

        Yup! We washed them first. Rumor has it they shrink up a good 6 inches after you wash and dry them- yikes! That’s a lot! :-O

        Reply
    10. Rebecca Robinson (Army Brat) says:
      Jan 18, 2011 at 6:18 pm

      Depending on the make of the curtain I simply turn them upside down and hang them from the bottom hem (barring any crazy pattern, I usually buy plain curtains) by using a seam ripper to pop the side seam along just the hem part, then simply cut the tabs off with a razor blade. But I’m lazy like that :)

      Reply
      • Kevin & Layla says:
        Jan 18, 2011 at 7:14 pm

        Hey Rebecca!
        There isn’t a rod pocket at the bottom of our Lenda curtains. It’s just fabric that goes straight down to the floor. We definitely looked before we began our transformation to see if we could do it the EASIEST way instead! LOL! :-)

        Reply
    11. Karen says:
      Jan 18, 2011 at 6:27 pm

      Awww your so lucky to have a hubs that helps feather your nest!!!!

      Reply
    12. Felicity says:
      Jan 18, 2011 at 6:31 pm

      Don’t you think it would be faster to just run that simple straight seam through the sewing machine instead of messing around with the glue? Come on Kevin, work the machine! :)

      Reply
      • Layla says:
        Jan 18, 2011 at 7:07 pm

        Hey Felicity- Kevin and Layla here!
        You mean pin the folded over fabric in place all the way across the curtain panel, drag out the sewing machine, plug it in, load it with thread, learn the hard way that we loaded it incorrectly, re-load it and then hope for the best ’cause neither of us feel confident about sewing?
        I think we’ll stick with glue! LOL! :-)

        Reply
    13. katelyn says:
      Jan 18, 2011 at 6:32 pm

      hahaaa much enjoyed.

      Reply
    14. Tara says:
      Jan 18, 2011 at 7:23 pm

      for people that i’ve never met…you guys are awesome.

      doing exactly what you just did on my daughter’s windows.

      Reply
      • Nan says:
        Jan 18, 2011 at 8:13 pm

        Nice job Kevin! I actually have the same curtains from Ikea and I did it a little differently. Not knowing if I would someday want to use those curtains as “tab tops” again, I just folded over the tabs so the curtains were the correct length and the used “ring clips” evenly spaced along the fold. No cutting, no sewing, and no Fabri-tac! Once you get them all clipped up and then adjust them off to each side, you can’t even tell that there are tabs back there.

        Reply
        • Kevin & Layla says:
          Jan 18, 2011 at 8:18 pm

          Hey Nan!
          That’s what we did in our dining room. LOL!
          Such a great quick fix! :-)

          Reply
        • Sarah says:
          Mar 25, 2012 at 11:09 pm

          Thanks! I’ve been contemplating doing exactly that, while scratching my head and wondering if I could get away with such a thing or if the tabs would drag the top of the fabric down….
          So glad you posted your reply – I’m going to try that!!!!
          By the way, after I washed my Lendas, I put them in the dryer on “wrinkle release” which is basically just cool air – then took them out while still damp and hung them to finish drying. They still shrunk A LOT – thankfully, just the right amount that I won’t have to get them hemmed:)

          Reply
    15. Geri Greco says:
      Jan 18, 2011 at 8:13 pm

      I am with you Layla and keV.
      Glue is my best friend too.
      I don’t have that glue though,will get some
      Asap.
      I bought 3 packages of them.
      Got frustrated with the tabs and all the screwy long.
      Material.
      Bless your hearts I think I will get them out of my
      Car and keep them after all.
      You made Hemming them look so easy.
      p.s. I am so excited about the duveut cover I found.
      It is a pretty blue ticking cotton cover with matching shams.
      Love, love my purchase and the price of 29.99. Yahoo

      Reply
    16. kathy says:
      Jan 18, 2011 at 8:31 pm

      Great job! Love the tats too!

      Reply
    17. Jacqueline says:
      Jan 18, 2011 at 9:14 pm

      I bought those same curtains and I also didn’t care for the tab tops and cut them off and made a rod pocket, I sewed them not glue but good to know that glue works great.

      Reply
    18. Nancy says:
      Jan 18, 2011 at 9:27 pm

      Thank you so much for this post! Very helpful!

      Reply
    19. Shaunna says:
      Jan 18, 2011 at 10:42 pm

      Of course, the curtains are gorgeous….or totally wicked if it’s Kevin reading…and I pretty much laughed out loud at the beginning. You had me at Lenda/Shaunna. -shaunna (not Lenda) :-)

      Reply
    20. Melissa says:
      Jan 18, 2011 at 10:54 pm

      Love it! I cannot sew whatsoever, so I love tips with fabric adhesives. Thank you all so much! Oh! And I love the “puddle” part hahaha. Thanks for brightening my evening! =)

      I think I e-mailed you back in August sometime, but we remodeled our bathroom and I used the custom light blue paint color on the walls that you previously used in your kitchen. I thought you might want to check it out! =)

      http://princesscrownsandpearls.blogspot.com/2010/08/master-bathroom-reveal.html

      Thanks for the inspiration! God Bless!

      Reply
    21. Sandra says:
      Jan 18, 2011 at 11:53 pm

      Oh, you two are geniuses! I bought curtains from Ikea TODAY and have been struggling all day with their measure/iron/sticky tape method of hemming (I got only one of four panels done and it leaves much to be desired!)….I’m going to go to the fabric store tomorrow to buy a bottle of fabric glue!

      Your timing is PERFECT!!

      I’ll send you the before and afters once I’m done! Thankyouthankyouthankyou!

      Reply
      • JoLynn says:
        Jan 27, 2011 at 4:41 pm

        Or, you could cut the tabs off and take a seam-ripper and carefully cut open the hem on the tab-top end to be able to stick your rod through. {That’s what I did anyways, but I am pretty lazy!} :)

        Reply
    22. Sandra says:
      Jan 18, 2011 at 11:55 pm

      In case you’re wondering, I bought the Matilda sheers to be layered under the brown/cream flecked Ranby’s…

      Reply
    23. Carmell says:
      Jan 19, 2011 at 7:40 am

      What a great idea! I love it! Anything I can do without sewing is aces in my book!

      Reply
    24. Libby says:
      Jan 19, 2011 at 8:30 am

      Hey Kevin and Layla,

      A suggestion for you. If you use pinking shears instead of regular scissors, your fabric will have a stronger edge and not fray as bad when you need to wash them. This is a trick my Mom taught me.

      Love your blog!

      Reply
    25. mypatsyann says:
      Jan 19, 2011 at 8:32 am

      I JUST bought those LENDA curtains at IKEA with the plan to do just that! Of course, my curtains are still in the package…. it’s good to know that my crafty LENDA plan has been tried and proven already by the “pros.”

      Reply
    26. katie says:
      Jan 19, 2011 at 9:30 am

      Hey there you two!
      I have been following your blog for a few years now, but never comment. I have been admiring your kitchen for so long, i finally decided to give mine a transformation. You kitchen posts were the factor in changing my husbands mind. I have wanted to paint, and take some doors off for a while, I finally finished the transformation last week.
      Now to save for new counter tops…..
      thanks so much for sharing such great ideas!
      Katie

      Reply
    27. Beth says:
      Jan 19, 2011 at 9:56 am

      Kev – who knew you were so funny? Great post! Thank you!

      Reply
    28. Heather @ REOlisticRenovation says:
      Jan 19, 2011 at 12:16 pm

      I have those EXACT curtains sitting in a closet. I didn’t realize they were that style until I got them home. Now I can fix them! Cool!

      Reply
    29. Leah says:
      Jan 19, 2011 at 1:54 pm

      Went to Ikea last weekend and thought of you guys – next time I’ll check with you before I go to see if you need anything! Maybe more Lenda curtains. You know, just to have on hand..
      Leah: )

      Reply
    30. Justine says:
      Jan 19, 2011 at 1:57 pm

      Hilarious post and informative. Good job, Kevin.

      Reply
    31. Stephenie from Decorating Addiction says:
      Jan 19, 2011 at 3:42 pm

      Thanks for the tutorial, and for making us laugh, Kevin.

      Reply
    32. Lisa says:
      Jan 19, 2011 at 5:32 pm

      Loved this post! Great idea and simple enough to follow. Thank you (and thanks for the cheap entertainment. LOL sitting here! You two are great!)

      Reply
    33. Amber says:
      Jan 19, 2011 at 5:45 pm

      Coolest rulers ever!

      Reply
    34. Melinda says:
      Jan 19, 2011 at 6:41 pm

      Cute (um I mean very manly) and informative post! DIY should always be this easy : )

      You two are the perfect pair – can’t wait to see your addition(s)!

      Reply
    35. Lemonade Makin Mama says:
      Jan 19, 2011 at 11:33 pm

      You Palmers are just a handful of fun! :)

      Reply
    36. Ally says:
      Jan 20, 2011 at 8:15 am

      You guys make this look like a piece of cake! You rock! thanks for the swell idea!

      Reply
    37. the nester says:
      Jan 20, 2011 at 8:27 am

      Fabri tac is one of my favorite tools–did you see on the back? it says “throw away your glue gun!” what a BOLD statement, but, kind of true!

      Reply
    38. carolinaheartstrings says:
      Jan 20, 2011 at 8:54 am

      Love this easy idea. Good post and yeah Kevin!

      Reply
    39. sarah@realestatestyle says:
      Jan 20, 2011 at 9:24 am

      this is good to know! i don’t love tab tops, and affordable versions seem to be everywhere!

      Reply
    40. Pat says:
      Jan 20, 2011 at 10:35 am

      One funny post.

      You guys work great together–cute couple (couple of nuts!) Y’all are gonna make great parents, I know!

      Kevin- You keep the wad of paper towels handy– those kiddos get messy sometimes.

      Layla- you gotta a sweetie pie of a hubby.

      Reply
    41. Dana @ Cookin' at Cafe D says:
      Jan 20, 2011 at 2:08 pm

      I seriously didn’t know that “hardcore, washable, fabric adhesive” existed!
      Living under a rock, I tells ya.
      I’m so excited!!

      Reply
    42. julianna says:
      Jan 20, 2011 at 3:30 pm

      Thanks for the tutorial! Do you use the fabric glue instead of the hemming tape that comes with the curtains because the tape isn’t strong enough, or do you just think the glue is easier to use? And have you washed the curtains since gluing them (curious how the glue held up in the wash)?

      Reply
    43. Robin says:
      Jan 20, 2011 at 6:51 pm

      Great idea! As a person who sews quite a bit I’ve always wondered how well fabric glue worked!

      Reply
    44. heather says:
      Jan 20, 2011 at 8:16 pm

      Ahh Fabritac! I have used it many a year! It works on ALL kinds of stuff. Of course I find it just as easy to sew a straight line, now; but there were times when I was not as confident with a sewing machine! Great job Kevin! Ever thought about having a carpenter guitar strap?

      Reply
    45. Shawna says:
      Jan 20, 2011 at 8:54 pm

      Awesome tutorial! Even though I don’t have a near by Ikea, I am positive you could almost use any brand curtain.

      Reply
    46. LLH Designs says:
      Jan 20, 2011 at 9:14 pm

      How sad is this: I’ve had those curtains in my closet for six months. I had big plans (even bought the glue!), but life happened (that and three crazy months of custom Christmas card design). Maybe I’ll get this done sometime in 2011! Knowing Kevin could tackle this gives me hope! ;)

      I love how much fun y’all have together! Keep it up!
      Linsey

      Reply
    47. Kimba says:
      Jan 21, 2011 at 8:46 am

      I love it! Lenda is my new blog friend too.

      I actually have 2 packs of Lenda sitting on the table right now! They were on sale at my IKEA for $15.99 for the pair this week!!!! $15.99! For the PAIR!

      I couldn’t decide if I liked the tab top. I might have to try your trick. BRILLIANT!

      Reply
    48. elizabeth says:
      Jan 21, 2011 at 10:05 am

      you guys are super cute! thanks for the how to :-)

      Reply
    49. Kim says:
      Jan 21, 2011 at 12:41 pm

      Okay, Kevin is officially the cutest thing ever. I love it that a tattooed guy can know about hanging your curtains high above the window. :)

      Reply
    50. Carol says:
      Jan 22, 2011 at 5:10 am

      Very clever non-sewing trick!Way to go!! Thanks, Kev!
      Carol in GA

      Reply
    51. Kira =] says:
      Jan 24, 2011 at 9:58 am

      mighty awesome timing there. I needed to do something about retaining the heat in the liviing areas with the kiddos during the day and thought I’d put up some curtains on a shower rod in a large empty doorway. They were tab tops and that made them just a bit too long. Enter your post- so I flipped them over and the edge on the bottom was big enough! So I flipped them and cut off the tabs. Perfect! and SIMPLE! Thank you!!

      Reply
    52. Bev says:
      Jan 25, 2011 at 1:13 pm

      ohhhh i wish i had read this before putting up my Lenda curtains….i didn’t wash them! ok, lesson learned. BUT what a great idea for the tabbed to rod pocket – for the next set of windows i was wondering how i would do that – THANK YOU

      Reply
    53. orrobbins says:
      Jan 27, 2011 at 10:50 am

      Creepy – I just bought Lenda curtains this weekend, and am layering them with some floral sheers for my daughter’s room. The sheers have a pocket, and the Lenda has tabs, so I was going to convert the Lendas to pockets too. Thanks so much for the quick and easy tutorial! Great timing on this post!

      Reply
    54. Marnie says:
      Jan 28, 2011 at 4:27 pm

      I love this idea. Thanks. Still lovin this blog. X Marnie from Australia

      Reply
    55. kinga at blueloom says:
      Jan 29, 2011 at 12:51 pm

      Hi Kevin

      What a great idea. Thanks!
      Love your night and day transformation pics :)

      Kinga

      Reply
    56. Jamie says:
      Feb 2, 2011 at 2:29 pm

      So simple, yet so genius! I have tap top curtains sitting in the corner of my daughter’s room and have been trying to figure out what to do with them for six months. I can’t wait to try this and finally hang them up!

      Reply
    57. Monica Karafotis says:
      Feb 18, 2013 at 6:31 am

      I am sure you must have the info here somewhere but I am wondering about the bamboo looking blinds on these windows… are they from Ikea? Somewhere else? What color/style are they? THX!

      Reply