How to Make a Laminated Shade

Laminated Shades offer a simple, clean and cordless solution for your windows.  Begin with a stable face fabric, cotton, cotton blends and linen blends work best.  Fabric shown is from Greenhouse Fabrics, 10807 Heather, 55% Linen/45% Rayon.  Test fabrics with the laminated adhesive before starting your project.  Laminated Shades can be operated by a spring or clutch roller.

Supplies:

Laminating Adhesive

Two, low-nap paint rollers

Room Darkening Window Shade Cloth

Masking Tape

Aluminum Roller Tube

Wood Slat or Weight Bar

Fringe Adhesive

Spring & End Plug or Clutch & End Plug

End Brackets

(Bead Chain Loop if using Clutch)

Scissors or Rotary Cutter and Mat
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To begin tape the shade cloth to a smooth, rigid work surface.  Allow extra for width and length.  Draw square, accurate reference lines on the shade cloth to help align the fabric.  Pour out a small amount of laminating adhesive onto the shade cloth and spread it evenly with a paint roller.  Keep adding adhesive as needed to get a good, even coverage.  Continue to roll over the surface until you feel a slight resistance and the adhesive is evenly applied.

Prepare the fabric by cutting square and ironing to remove wrinkles and rolling onto a cardboard tube with wrong side out.  Unroll the fabric starting along one side or end (depending on how it is rolled on the tube) and squaring up with reference lines drawn on the shade cloth.  Inspect carefully and remove any lint or strings from the material.

With the clean roller, roll over fabric evenly in all directions to adhere the fabric to the shade cloth.  Be careful not to push too hard, causing the fabric to become out of square.  Allow the laminated fabric to dry overnight.

Remove shade from the worktable and trim evenly to the size needed.  Allow extra fabric to roll over the tube, this is especially important with spring roller shades.  Seal the cut edges by dabbing or painting on small amounts of Fringe Adhesive.  The Fringe Adhesive will dry clear.  Do not roll up the shade until the Fringe Adhesive is completely dry.  Sew in a pocket at the bottom for the wood shade slat or weight bar.

Peel away the plastic coating to expose the tape on the roller and attach the shade.  Add extra masking tape along the top of the shade securing it to the roller.  Roll up the shade on the roller.  Attach brackets to the window trim or to a mount board following the instructions included for the type of roller you are using.

Spring Roller Brackets

Place the shade in the brackets and adjust the tension if using a Spring Roller or retain the bead chain loop if using a Clutch Roller.  To learn in more detail about making Laminated Shades Rowley Company offers two instructional videos; Part 1: How To Make a Laminated Shade and Part 2: Laminated Shade Finishing Touches  There is also a Laminated Shade Starter Kit which includes everything you will need to create one laminated shade.