Today I’m going to share simple steps for how to sew a shower curtain with lining – you might have spotted my DIY shower curtain in the reveal of my bunkie bathroom reno! There are many different ways to sew a shower curtain and when my Mom and I sewed the shower curtain for the main bathroom we went with a more “drapery-look” method. I LOVE how the main bath shower curtain looks (especially the ceiling mounted shower curtain rod) because it feels really custom and high end, plus our clever hack for attaching the shower liner has made removing and laundering the liner a snap. The drapery hooks come out of the shower curtain itself, so I can launder that too – although I don’t wash that very often. (Only once since we sewed it – is that bad?) For the bunkie bathroom, I wanted a more casual look (and easier sewing project!) so we ended up sewing the simplest, easiest DIY shower curtain with lining. Even if you’re a sewing newbie, you can totally figure out how to sew a shower curtain.
Unfortunately I had some technical difficulties and lost all of the photos for the tutorial – which is so annoying. Luckily, figuring out how to sew a shower curtain is actually super simple so I took lots of detailed photos of the finished product and I’ll go through the steps below.
How to Sew a Shower Curtain with Liner:
I needed two panels for this shower curtain and the fabric was wide enough as-is (the fabric is 55″ wide) for each panel. We cut out the panels so the pattern would match – something that’s only an issue if you’re marrying two pieces together for the width. The next step was to hem the sides and bottom of the two fabric shower curtain panels. Then I found some waterproof fabric and cut two panels the same size as my fabric, hemming the sides and bottom of the liner fabric as well.
For the top of the panels, we folded the top of the fabric over to create a wide hem. To keep it from sliding around, we sewed along the top (above the curtain rings) to hold it together. We spaced out where I’d like the shower curtain rings (and how many) and then sewed the appropriate number of button holes, which is super easy with most sewing machines because they have a button hole setting (mine also came with instructions for how to sew a button hole in the manual). Online Fabric Store also has a great tutorial for how to sew a button hole.
I left the bottom of the top hem open so that I could insert the shower curtain liner and then sewed that hem shut as usual, with the liner tucked into it. Because the shower is round and you can see inside the shower easily, I wanted the liner and curtain sewed together for a cleaner look. You can also just sew the fabric and the liner separately, sewing four panels in total, each with button holes running along the top of each – just make sure they match up. I chose simple ball ring shower curtain rings but there are styles designed for holding the curtain and liner separately. Or you could even just use the waterproof fabric and call it a day. Basically you just need to sew a panel with button holes along the top – I promised that learning how to sew a shower curtain was easy!
Even though shower curtains can be pretty cheap to buy, I like sewing my own shower curtains because I can control the length. I like when they just touch the ground, as opposed to hovering six inches above. With this shower set up – especially with my circular ceiling mounted curtain rod – there’s just no way a stock shower curtain would have fit the length properly. Plus I got to use this fabric, which is Robert Allen Handcut Shapes in Rain – a fabric I have been wanting to use for years. You’re supposed to dry clean this fabric but I took a chance and just threw it in the washer and dryer before sewing. The fabric softened and shrank, but now it’s easily washable and ended up with a more relaxed, lived-in feel, like a stone washed linen as opposed to a formal drapery fabric.
Because the natural pine and charcoal hex tile make a bold statement, I didn’t want to use a screaming loud turquoise in this small bathroom. This soft grey/aqua is perfect and brings in that watery vibe but the pattern plays up the geometric lines of the hex tile. I was lucky enough to also find some white Turkish towels with nearly the exact same hue, for a coordinated look.
Huge thanks to Online Fabric Store for providing the fabric. If you missed the reveal, be sure to check out my bathroom makeover with the before/after. I’ll be sharing more DIY tutorials from this bathroom reno, so be sure to check back!
Sources:
Fabric (OFS) | Ball Shower Curtain Rings | Ceiling Mounted Shower Curtain Rod (similar) | Stock Tank (Tarter USA) | Charcoal Hex Tile (Lowe’s Canada)
Could you describe what the waterproof fabric is called, and/or where to find it?
Author
I found it at a local fabric store (Fabricland) and just asked for a waterproof fabric to use as a shower curtain liner. I was shown some water resistant options but this was the only waterproof one. No label or brand name, sorry! There are many different kinds of waterproof fabric, depending on what you want for a weight and drape, but you’ll probably want a polyester or nylon. This Nylon Ribstop Waterproof Fabric is a good option. This waterproof canvas fabric is another option – it will have more substance and not be as soft as the first option.