Scarf Valances are a great way to perk up your decor.  They are fast, easy and relatively inexpensive.

Choosing The Right Fabric

Almost any fabric that is soft and drapes well can be used for scarf valances. 

If you want a sheer look, we recommend crushed voile (crinkle sheer) or organza.  We offer them in a wide range of colors priced right. 

in-weave's Crinkle Sheer Fabrics (crushed voile) (some colors shown above) are 100% polyester and have tightly woven selveges - if you "puddle" the ends of the fabric on the floor, you can do a completely "no-sew" window treatment.  (There are a couple of colors that have tightly woven edges but a little "fringe" - these would need to be trimmed.  I try to note that in the description.  They can also be machine washed and dried.

in-weave's Organza is more sheer than the crushed voile - almost gossamer.  It is 100% nylon and has a tightly woven, almost ribbon-like edge.  Although you can easily use the organza for scarf valances without hemming the edges, you may want to hem the ends to prevent any raveling.  Dry Cleaning is recommend for the organza although you could rinse it in cold water but machine drying is not recommend.

If you want an opaque fabric, try something like in-weave's Taffetas.  Again, they are 100% polyester and can be washed and dried.  Although some of our crushed taffetas have a nice clean selvege like the crushed voiles (crinkle sheers), others have a "fuzzy edge" that would need to be trimmed or hemmed.
The taffeta fabrics give a rich, elegant appearance yet have the convenience of 100% polyester.  They are a beautiful, affordable alternative to silk.

Many cotton drapery fabrics like in-weave's Toiles and Coordinates will also work well for scarf valances.  Just make sure to ask your seller if they have a soft enough "hand" to drape well.

Decide What You Want Your Scarf Valances to Look Like

     1.  Decide how long you want your valance to be on each side of your window.  You may want to use a valance that only goes 1/3 of the way down.  Or you might want to take it down to the bottom of the window casing or to the floor or you might want to "puddle" it on the floor.  Also, remember that you don't need to make both sides the same length.  For example, if you have 2 windows on one wall, you may want to "frame" it by having a shorter length of fabric on the inside of each window while the outside edge falls to the floor as shown here:

Always remember that you should choose a length that is convenient for you.  Do you have pets?  Puddling might not be the best solution.  Do you have baseboard heat?  You might want to stop the sheers above the baseboard.  Will the curtains touch you every time you sit in your favorite chair or sleep in your bed?  Again, you may want a little shorter length.  The nice thing about scarf valances is that they look great regardless of what length you decide upon.

     2.  Decide how many "loops" you want in your valance.  Some people like a look where the fabric is "looped" over the rod several times.  Others like a plainer look.  It all depends on what effect you want to achieve and how much work you want to put into arranging the fabric on the rod.  It is also affected by the width of the window.  In my opinion, if your window is greater than about 7' wide, you are going to want to have at least one or two loops.  Sometimes it is hard to get the fabric to look right when you are physically looping the fabric over the rod so one way to "cheat" is to only use one swoop across and then use clear fishing line to "tie" up the fabric to the rod in a couple of places - you can disguise the fishing line by "poofing" the fabric around it!

Measure for Your Valances

     Once you've made those decisions, you are ready to calculate your measurements.  Use the following illustration as a guide (please excuse the fact that I'm definitely NOT an artist) for each measurement:

1.  For Each Window:

A.. Number of inches of length for left side of window (measure from rod to where ever you want it to end - if puddling on the floor, add 27" - 36" for the "puddle")              _____________

PLUS

b. Number of inches across the rod:             ___________________

PLUS

c.  Number of inches of length on the right side of the window (measuring from rod to where ever you want it to end and adding 27"-36" more if you want to "puddle" it):  ______________

PLUS

d.  36" (about 18" for each end) to account for draping it up and over the rod and some swagging in the middle:   ____________

PLUS

e.  18" to 27" for every loop that you anticipate making (depends on how much drape you are looking for in your valance:                    ____________________

Add:  A + B + C + D + E

2.  Repeat calculation for each window.

3.  Add all of the amounts together and divide by 36.

4.  This will give you the approximate number of yards to buy for your entire project - you'll probably need to "round up" to the nearest whole number since most fabric on eBay is sold in full yards.

I hope this helps!  One of the great things about scarf valances is that when you get tired of that color or want a different look, you still have a nice big piece of fabric that you can take down and use for sheer panels or table toppers, canopies, etc.!!!!

Janet

in-weave