Sewing Project - Door curtain strap to Velcro strip

I don't really sew. I mean, I know how to sew and mend and whatnot, but I don't have a sewing machine nor do I generally take on projects that involve cutting fabric. All of this is slightly ironic since all throughout high school I was in the drama costume department where we had to mend or make costumes, but mostly mend.

So, needless to say I was quite pleased that this little idea of mine turned out as well as it did. You see, our backdoor is slightly awkward in our living room. During the evening, cars turning down the street shine directly into our living room through the backdoor.

Once we discovered the door was magnetic, we quickly bought two magnetic curtain rods and the door curtain, which came with a strap to pinch in the sides, to let some light in. The only problem with the strap is that you have to completely take the curtain off the rod, slide the strap down, put the curtain back on the rod and then rehang and position the curtain on the door. PAIN IN THE BUTT if I do say so myself. So, we just stuck with it being completely covered most of the time.

But still, it bugged me that we couldn't let some light in, especially on these great sunshiny days. So began my idea of taking the strap apart and making it a strip with Velcro instead of a strap. If you're in a similar situation, please read on and let me show you what I did...

1. This is the strap as it was before I did anything.
 

When I inspected it, I realized one end was tucked into the other, meaning I didn't have to cut the strap (great since I can't cut a straight line!). I was able to rip out the seam between the two sections to create my one long strap.

2. The only problem was now I had raw edges. Not to worry, I sewed the "open" end closed.

And I essentially hemmed the "tucked" end over itself to create a smooth edge.

See both my "clean" edges ready to go! (I know it's not completely straight, but it will be hidden)

3. Next came attaching the Velcro. Let me say, this would have been so much easier with a machine. It was pretty tough to stick the needle through all those layers, especially on the hemmed side, and not to get the thread caught in the teeth of the Velcro. It is doable if you need to do so, but just a warning.

 

4. Once I had both the Velcro sides attached, I was ready to go!

The best part is, I only lost about half an inch in my overall length in adding the Velcro - pretty good I thought since the Velcro was wider than that!

Looks pretty similar to original if I do say so!

I realize not everyone has a door curtain like this that needs fixing, but for those of you who are struggling with the slip on strap, try this and see the possibilities!