DIY Pocket Window Curtains for Exploring Light

The Fall has come to our corner of the world in full force.  If you follow along with us regularly, I know you already know that.  I thought you may be feeling a bit tired of all the Fall leaf projects and posts lately, so I thought I would leave the leaves 🙂  Sort of.

We love being outside, but the chilly weather is beginning to pull us indoors a bit more often.  We have been spending more and more time reading, creating, and playing inside.  While I was reading a borrowed book (‘Designs for Living and Learning: Transforming Early Childhood Environments” By Deb Curtis and Margie Carter) from our library, I saw a picture that caught my eye.  Just a picture, no instructions, but it was perfect.

The idea of playing with shadows and light has been happening around here for some time.  I wrote about it here, in this post on Tracing Shadows.  And the picture in the book combined two of my (many) loves.  Shadows and Nature.  And it is ideal for creating and exploring inside – which will come in very handy in just a few weeks.

The picture was of a little window, with a little sheer curtain, with a few pockets in the front for nature items to be added by little hands.  Simple.  So simple it was amazing.

I realized that they could be very easily created at home, and that my little explorers would very much appreciate them.  And so would this Mama on those winter days when we are needing some time inside, and some sunshine.

I purchased 2 sheer curtains from the department store for $6.  Nice and big, to go in our very big windows.  The idea was to leave one curtain plain, and use the second curtain to cut and create the pockets.

I called my Mom, an avid sewer, knitter, and otherwise do-it-all-er, to discuss my grand pocket window curtain plans.  She reminded me how tricky sewing sheer curtains can be.  We chatted about it for awhile.  And somehow or another, I am not exactly sure how I managed it, but this DIY project became an NMP (Nana Made Project).  Just when I thought I couldn’t love this project anymore!!

There you have it!  Purchase curtains, lend them to an experienced sewer, and voila!  Pocket Window Curtains!

Hmmm … alright.  Should you not be quite that lucky, here is the actual how to provided by my Mom.  The curtains, she says, are not really tricky to make, I just chose a tricky fabric.

Simply (Ha! Love that I used that word having not actually made them?!) cut out squares of various sizes from one of your curtain panels.

Measure and decide where you would like to place them on your second window curtain.  This does not matter at all, simply personal preference.

Then use that sewers glue to glue down each pocket where you would like it.  Using a sewing machine (or hand sewing if you are so inclined, which I was about to do before saved by Mama), sew each pocket on using a zigzag stitch.  We (Ha! “we”) didn’t bother with hemming the pocket squares.

And that is it!  The little ones were thrilled with their gift from Nana.  They have been busy filling the pockets with acorns, leaves (had to sneak in some leaves to this post too), rocks, and sticks.  When the sun shines through the pockets, it creates beautiful shadows on the ground.

These shadows will make for some amazing, creative art this winter.  I can already imagine it …. a chilly winter day as the snow is blustering outside (Actually, it doesn’t sound that magical.  Just cold.)

We are so happy with our pocket window curtains – and even happier that they were a NMP.  Thank you Nana!

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