I’ve always loved working with fabric, and when I realized I’d never tried making a roman shade—even a simple fixed one for looks—I decided it was time. Here’s how I made a faux roman shade for a kitchen window that opens into a sunroom.

This window didn’t need a functioning shade since it leads into the sunroom and we didn’t plan to open and close it. A faux shade was perfect: it adds softness, pattern, and visual interest without blocking light or requiring hardware for operation. If you prefer letting sunlight flood a room, a faux shade can give you that finished look without changing how you live in the space.

To begin, I measured the window and planned a finished shade about 47″ wide by 18″ long. I cut my fabric to 49″ wide to allow roughly an inch of hem on each side, and 30″ long to give extra material for the loops that simulate the roman folds.

I hemmed all four edges of the 49″ x 30″ rectangle using no-sew iron-on tape (I prefer a heavy-duty brand). Hemming first keeps the edges tidy and prevents fraying, which is especially helpful when the fabric will be folded into visible loops.

Next, I cut a 1×2″ scrap board to the finished width of the shade (47″) so it could serve as the mounting piece. If you don’t have tools, most big box stores will cut a board to size for you. To hide raw wood on the sides, I wrapped small strips of scrap fabric around each end and secured them to the board with white tape. Then I rolled the top edge of the shade around the board and taped it on the back so the tape wouldn’t show when the shade was hung.

For the faux-roman look, I created fabric loops that sit on the front of the shade. I eyeballed placement and used a ruler where helpful to keep things even. Lining the top of the fabric with a nearby rug gave me a consistent reference so the folds looked straight. Each front loop measured about 5″ and was pinned from the back so the pins would be hidden. I pinned through plenty of fabric on the back but only grabbed a tiny bit on the front so the pins wouldn’t be easily visible.

I made two horizontal rows of pins roughly 5″ apart to form the folds, and pinned the bottom edge so it would billow slightly and look like a rolled-up shade. I adjusted the pins a few times—stepping back, checking alignment, and repinning where needed—until the folds looked even. The cutting and hemming took about twenty minutes, and the pinning and tweaking took around forty minutes. It wasn’t instant, but with patience it came together and looked tidy.

I considered hand-tacking the pinned folds with a few stitches to secure them permanently, but decided the pins held securely and that stitching might create unwanted puckering. Leaving the pins in place kept the front smooth and avoided lumps.

To hang the shade, I predrilled three holes through the wood and used screws to attach the board to the wall. The fabric was pulled aside during installation so nothing was drilled through it—once the board was secured, the fabric fell back down and covered the mounting hardware. With the screws hidden behind the fabric, the front remains clean and seamless.

The finished shade immediately made the window feel taller and more finished. It didn’t obstruct light, but it tied elements of the room together by adding color and pattern. In my case, the fabric helped bridge the wall color and tile, creating a more coordinated look. Overall, the project took about an hour and required only a small amount of fabric, making it an affordable and impactful update.

Have you tried any faux decor projects lately—faux plants, faux fruit, or fake organization tricks that make a space feel tidier? Faux shades are a simple way to add warmth and style without committing to operating hardware or blocking natural light.

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