Cracked or ripped window shades?

[Paper Roses]

For years I have been shortening my window shades. They get brittle with age and start to rip at the base where you would hold the shade to raise or lower it.
Yesterday I saw a whole bunch in a rubbish barrel and wondered if the owners did not realize that you can easily get far more life from your shades.

All shades seem to come about two times as long as your window. When one splits at the base, I simply take it down, measure up and mark 6 inches(sometimes 7), cut the shade along the line and then turn the base up the same length as the old pocket for the wood slide. I then run my finger along the base of the turned up edge so it will be flat.
If I'm lucky, someone will be home to hold the shade as I run it through my sewing machine about a quarter of an inch from the edge. Tie off the ends.
A new pocket is now created for the wood slat. At this time, I also clean the shades if they are vinyl.

What you are doing is just duplicating the old pocket, having cut off the most brittle part.
You can also sew them by carefully holding the rolled up shade as you feed it through the sewing machine.
This had saved me a bundle of $$ through the years.

[Lars39]

1. Reinforcing them a bit with interfacing might help, too.

Good idea, Paper Roses. :toast: