Create an Easy, Custom Ruffled Shower Curtain

Materials Needed:

• white fabric shower curtain
• 2 king-size 200-thread-count cotton flat sheets
• white cotton all-purpose thread
• sewing machine

• scissors
• ruler
• no-fray glue (optional)

Launder Fabrics, Then Cut Ruffles

If you'd like your completed shower curtain to be machine washable, first launder all fabrics — both the ready-made shower curtain and king-size sheets. Cut hemmed edges off sheets, then cut sheets lengthwise into strips 10 inches wide.

Enlarge Photo+Shrink Photo-

Sew Ruffles

Measure the height of your shower curtain rod and length of the ready-made shower curtain. If you'd like a longer drop on the finished shower curtain, simply start the ruffle at the bottom of the shower curtain to add length. For example, to add eight inches of length to the curtain, position the first ruffle two inches from the bottom. If no additional height is required, sew the first ruffle 10 inches from the bottom of the curtain. Using the sewing machine, stitch strips of the sheet onto the fabric curtain, gathering the fabric while sewing to create a ruffle. Tip: A shower curtain should hang a couple of inches off the floor to prevent the curtain bottom from collecting water.

Layer Ruffle Rows

It should take approximately 2-1/2 strips of sheet to complete one row of ruffles; gathering the fabric should help to hide seams where strips meet. Overlap ruffles, working from the bottom of curtain to the top (Image 1). Tip: Buying a pre-made fabric shower curtain with a striped or plaid pattern will provide a line to follow when sewing (Image 2). If the curtain does not have a pattern, measure and mark a line to follow that runs horizontally every nine inches. So no fabric is wasted, cut excess fabric at the end of each row and use it to start the next. Continue adding rows of ruffles with approximately one-inch overlap to cover the stitching on the row below (Image 3).