DIY Decor Project: Making “Sail” Curtains for the Dawn Treader Berths II

Tags

Aslan, Dawn Treader, Decor, Design, DIY, Grandkids, Narnia

Jim & Monique and the GKs were coming for the weekend, so I wanted to get all the curtains done in Narnia.  I wanted the kids to have a quiet, darkish place for naps and a fun curtain to hide behind for play.

The first step was to collect my supplies for the stenciling job:  the stencil I ordered from Your Memories Captured on Etsy; spray adhesive from Hobby Lobby; gold stencil spray from Hobby Lobby; paper towels; masking tape (you know what that looks like!)

Here’s a closer look at the stencil.

I used printer paper to make a large paper frame around the stencil and taped it all together.  This is to prevent over-spray.  When everything was ready, I sprayed a light coat of spray adhesive on the back of the stencil and part of the paper around it.

Next, I marked the center of my curtain by pressing a small crease in with my fingers, then laid the curtain out on my work surface.  I put several paper towels under the curtain, and using a marker, I marked the paper towel where the center of the curtain hit.

Then I put lengths of paper towels all around the printer paper shield, covering all of the exposed curtain.

After thoroughly shaking the can of gold stencil paint, I sprayed it evenly over the stencil until I was happy with the amount of paint I had applied.

Here’s where I have give you a warning to learn from my mistake!  See that thick layer of paint puddled on top of the stencil?  Well, I didn’t think anything of it and excitedly peeled my stencil off to see how it had turned out, and the liquid paint splattered onto my curtain.  😦

 I was able to get most of it off with a damp paper towel, but I learned that an extra step was necessary.

From then on, I took a doubled-over paper towel and gently blotted the excess paint from the stencil; often it was necessary to blot even more around the edges or on the stencil itself or on the paper shield.  But I had no further splatter problems!

Once the stencil was finished, I gave it a few minutes to dry to the touch while I did the other curtain panel of the pair.

Next it was time to hang the curtains.  I used 7 clip rings per panel.  One went in the center and two at the ends.  That left me with two rings to divide between half of the panel.  I measured from center to end, and it was exactly 24″.  That meant that I put a ring at 8″ and another at 16″–and the rings were spaced perfectly enough to please the most CDO of OCD personalities!  (CDO is like OCD, but it’s alphabetized!)

I may bore you with my numerous shots of the curtains hanging, but I was SO excited at how they turned out (and I just told my OCD side that the splatters on the first curtain are proof that they are hand-made!)  Here’s one in the darkened room with the reading light on inside.  You can see that this kid’s light will never bother his or her sibling in the next berth.

Here’s what they look like in the light.

And a close-up of my crown.

Here are both the curtains on the girls’ side where the berths are longer.

And here are the curtain fashion options on the boys’ side: both open or just one side open.

And a final look at the curtains with Aslan gazing on approvingly from the open curtains of his tent.

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