Measuring the Area for the Valance

• Measure the area that you'd like your valance to be installed. You'll need to take into consideration how full you'd like your valance to be when measuring. For a valance that's really full, double your width measurements. If you don't want one quite so full, increase your width measurement by half. For example, if your window is 60 inches wide and you'd like your valance to be full, you'd need 120 inches of fabric for the width. When measuring for the length of the valance, be sure to add extra inches for the hem and the upper portion that will be held by the curtain rod. For example, if your area is 12 inches long, you'd need to add an extra inch for the hem and an extra 5 inches for the rod area. Your fabric would need to be 18 inches long. Your panel would need to be 120 inches wide by 18 inches long.
  
  

Preparing the Fabric for Sewing

• Cut your fabric to the desired width and length. You may need to cut several pieces out of the fabric to achieve this. Instead of wasting money and fabric buying one long piece of fabric to the desired length, cut the fabric into sections which can be sewn together. Once the valance is hung, you'll never notice the seams. Of course, if you want to purchase a piece of fabric that's as long as your desired valance, you can also do that. With the average width of most bolts of fabric being at least 36 inches, you should be able to get at least two panels out the fabric.
  
  

Sewing the Valance

• Once you've cut your valance to the desired size, you can now begin the sewing process. If your valance is cut into sections, pin them with the right sides facing each other, and sew them together. You should end up with one long piece of fabric. Once this is done, fold over the raw edges towards the inside of the fabric approximately 1/4 of an inch and finish the edges by sewing them. Fold the hem area over approximately one inch and sew a seam. On the upper portion where the rod will be inserted, fold the edge towards the inside approximately 2.5 inches and pin together. Sew a seam about a quarter of an inch from the edge. Your valance is now complete and ready to hang in the window.