Create a Custom Look With Roll-down Shades
Add your personal style to a purchased roll-down shade kit by embellishing it with paint. Select two complementary colors to paint in alternating stripes on the shade. When you’re done, hang your new shade and enjoy the view.
Before You Start:
Decide if you want an inside or outside shade mount. The difference is the amount of light that can enter the room. While an inside-mount shade (like the one in this project) provides a cleaner look, it may admit more light around the perimeter than you want. If light control is important to you, use an outside mount.
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Step One
Measure the inside window opening to determine the correct size roller shade to purchase.
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Step Two
Peel off the cardboard frame from the air filter, separate the metal grid from the fiber filter and lay the first metal grid on top of the shade with a solid edge of the grid positioned toward the bottom of the shade. Make sure you center the grid from right to left.
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Step Three
Trim the top edge of the grid with a tin snip or wire cutter. Apply tape around the edge of the grid, securing it to the shade. The tape should bisect a line of circles on each side of the grid. Be sure to add extra widths of tape to the outside edges of the sides and bottom to help prevent any accidents.
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Step Four
Tape around the sides of individual stripes to make a symmetrical pattern. This works best if the stripes are the same width of or more narrow than the roller being used. Lay the second grid above the ?rst and tape in place the same way. Again, add extra tape above the second grid to protect against accidents.
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Step Five
Wet the foam roller with water and squeeze it dry with a paper towel so it is moist. Use a stick to drizzle your first color choice into the top ?at part of the small paint tray. Roll the roller back and forth to distribute the paint evenly on the roller. The roller should be almost “dry” to prevent paint from bleeding under the grid.
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Step Six
Begin rolling color from the bottom of a stripe to the top of the stripe in one motion. Roll back down the full length of the stripe until the paint is smooth and even. You should be able to paint the three bottom stripes without adding any paint to the roller. Repeat this process to complete the three remaining stripes on top as well as the stripes of your second color. Cover the paint trays and rollers with plastic wrap when not in use to prevent them from drying out.
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Step Seven
Attach the mounting hardware to the inside of the window frame according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Insert the rod in the bottom of the shade and hang it up.