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These shades or window screens can be made for any size window. Even if these Halloween or Christmas screens are all you have, they will really dress up your house for the season. Simply leaving the lights on in your house and your house is haunted or festive.
This is a perfect project for children, as each child can have there own design in their own window.
The hardest thing about making these screens is deciding how to hang. Once that decision is made, you are home free. Most of these screens can be made without sewing a single stitch. Since most houses have the same size windows throughout, once these measurements are done, multiple screens are easily made.
These screens can be made to fit inside the window casement or outside the window. The screens look best when the viewer can not see around the edges. Whether inside the window or outside the window glass you need a snug to tight fit.
THINGS TO CONSIDER
Inside or outside fit (that is between the frame for the glass and window or extended to the edges of the entire window frame.)
One half window or full window.
How to hang…Using existing hardware or installing new hardware.
I like to use existing hardware.
MATERIALS LIST
Top and bottom rodBackground fabric to fit the window…white for shadows. Black for ghostly figures.
Foreground or shadow figure fabric
CURTAIN OR DRAPES
If you have curtains or drapes you can hang the screen on the existing rod in front of the curtain/drape.
A pocket is made to accommodate a rod that is slightly longer than the width of the current curtain or rod. The rod will rest on the side pieces of the curtain/drape close to the window. So if you move (open or close) the drapes the rod will not encumber the drapery.
PULL DOWN BLIND
If you have a pull down blind you can make a top pocket to accommodate the pull shade/blind when is completely drawn up. This will the top rod.
OR
The blind can be taken out of the bracket and a new rod made to fit temporarily for the season. Then this is the top rod.
MEASURING FOR THE TOP POCKET
Measure the diameter of the top “rod” to be used. Take that measurement and add 2 inches. This is the Top rod pocket measurement.
MEASURING FOR THE BOTTOM POCKET
The bottom packet is the “weight” that will hold the shade taught. Anything can be used: a broom handle if long enough, piece of wood 1 x 1 or 2 x 2, pipe, or multiple blind pieces (see using scavenging for parts for more suggestions)
Measure the diameter of the bottom “rod” to be used. Take that measurement and add 1 inch. This is the Bottom rod pocket measurement.
MEASURING THE LENGTH AND WIDTH
Measure the width of the window screen. Either the inside of the window or outside depending in the decision made for hanging the shade; add 1 inch to the width measurement.
Measure the Length of the window screen. Start at the top of the blind/shade or at the top of the rod for the curtain/drape down to the top of the window sill. Now add the TOP ROD measurement and the BOTTOM ROD to the length measurement and that is the length of the screen.
Obtain a piece of fabric the length and width of these measurements. See particular shade for suggested types of fabrics.
Creating a cemetary scene for your shades
CREATING A GHOST SCREEN for your Halloween screen.
for more Halloween outdoor decorations go to:
The The HOW TO MAKE A WITCH instructions.
The HOW TO MAKE LIGHTED GHOST instructions.
The HOW TO MAKE TOMBSTONE instructions.
The HOW TO MAKE A SPIDERWEB instructions.
The HOW TO MAKE THE GHOUL - GRIM REAPER COSTUME instructions.
If you don't have time to make as many window shades as you would like you can always buy the commercially available plastic kind. I suggest using Sticky-Tack instead of the double sided tape found in the bag of the commercial window shades. This type of tape is easy to reuse, won't mare surfaces and can be used again. Don't try to stick up fabric this this type of tack, it just won't work!
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If you want to go a little cheaper add the large window skull shade to your windows. These just happen to be at a reduced price this Halloween.
Projecting a ghost flying in the background against your home or building will really stop the traffic and this is done with Holiday Projectors
