DIY Polka Dot Curtains With Fabric Paint
Raise your hand if you love polka-dots. Keep it up if you're a sucker for a jumbo polka-dot!
Well then you've got to stick around to see how I made these jumbo polka dot curtains!
When driving in the car the other day listening to "Wheels on the Bus" for the gajilienth time, I realized that in all the fall frenzy I never gave you an update on the Grandkid's Room over at my mom's house.
Last time I mentioned it was when I showed you how to get perfect paint lines when painting stripes.
I can't wait to show you the big reveal, but one of the biggest wow factors in this room has to be these polka dot curtains that are inspired by a pretty pricey fabric.
I'm glad I came up with a DIY version because this project cost me right around 30 bucks for both curtain panels!
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To catch some of you up on the situation, my mom (the best Uma ever) wants a bedroom at her house that's special for when the grand kids come over and I'm helping her make it happen.
First, we came up with a gender neutral color palette of navy and turquoise with a little bit of green.
The original plan was to buy some polka dot fabric that we'd seen with large navy blue polka-dots on it. But when we realized it was going to cost us over 100 bucks to make them, we had to come up with an alternative and I'm so glad we did.
I'm a sucker for a jumbo polka-dot and think that it's kid-like, but more graphic than juvenile, so it will grow with the four grand kids who will nap, play, and have sleepovers in this room.
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Supplies to paint your curtains
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- Curtain panels
- Fabric paint (or craft paint that works on fabric)
- Something round from around the house that is the diameter that you want your circles to be (I used a small bowl.)
- Small paint brush
How to Paint Polka Dot Curtains
The hardest part of this project is finding a space big enough to lay your curtain panel out flat.
It will need to stay there for about 24 hours so keep that in mind.
Step 1: Trace the polka dots onto your curtains
Start by tracing your round object onto the curtain at the top right corner and work your way down in a straight line, spacing the circles about 10 inches apart (I didn't measure exactly).
When you get to the bottom, go back up to the top and start your next vertical line 10 inches away from and half way between the top two in the line you just made. You can see the pattern in the picture below. (I even made a few mistakes here, but when they hang it looks fine.)
Step 2: Fill in the jumbo polka dots with paint
When you're ready to start painting it's best to fill in the middle part of the circle first and then carefully do the edges.
Be sure to get a pretty thick coat of paint (especially if you're using white fabric like I did) because when the sun comes through them you can see where there isn't enough paint. (I had to do a few touch ups after I hung them up the first time.)
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Step 3: Let them dry before hanging
Allow them to lay flat and dry for 24 hours. The last thing you want to do is smudge your perfect polka dots by hanging them too soon!
I ain't gonna lie. This is a little bit time consuming… but the money I saved was totally worth it!
What do you think? Totally worth the time and effort - right?
This was only one of the ways we saved some serious cash in this kid bedroom.
Other Things to Consider When Choosing Colors For Your Home
A lot of factors go into selecting colors for your home, and it goes way beyond paint color.
Things like your home color palette, existing colors in your home (that you may not be able to change), and the color of the natural light, or lack of natural light can change the way a color shows up in your home.
In my self-paced online color course, Color Made Clear, I walk you through all the steps to choosing and using color in your home to create a pulled together and cohesive look, even if you have things like cabinet color or floors you can't change.
