Some people choosing a patterned daybed might pair it with neutral, breezy white curtains for the windows. Others might pull a color from the bedding—a bold red cotton or a taupe-gray velvet—to tie the room together. Since this was Clara’s new space and she loves color, we embraced layered patterns and headed to our favorite local fabric outlet to see what would catch our eye. In this case, Clara’s choices led the way—it is her room, after all.
She gravitated toward a few playful options—bright orange with large corals, a dark purple plaid—but ultimately pointed to a print we all liked. It felt like a good compromise because it included navy and white, two colors we wanted to introduce to balance the pinks and reds already in the room.
There are lots of fabrics that can layer well in a child’s room as long as they don’t compete too aggressively with the bedding and rug. We liked this fabric’s very subtle chevron-like pattern—the soft, slightly blurry linear edges echoed the daybed blanket—so we decided to buy just over ten yards to make four extra-long panels. A store-wide sale made the price reasonable and each finished panel ended up costing around $25.
After tucking Clara in for a nap, I unrolled the fabric and cut my panels. If you’re doing this around active kids, nap time is a good strategy. My measuring method is simple: decide the finished length you want (for example, 89″) and add two inches for hems. Each panel was cut to 91″ and hemmed to a finished 89″. I prefer hanging curtains on a rod with clips, which adds a little length and lets me mount the rod just below the ceiling for that tall, finished look. I also used the full width of the bolt for each panel so they’d be as full and thick as possible with minimal cutting.
To make the process faster and consistent, I used one cut panel as a template for the other three—just lay it on top of the fabric and cut around it so all four panels match exactly.
For hemming I used heavy-duty hem tape (Heat N Bond). I’ve relied on hem tape for years because it creates crisp, straight hems without the need for sewing, and it holds up well in the wash. While I have sewn curtains before, iron-on hem tape usually gives cleaner lines, especially if sewing perfectly straight hems is not your strongest skill. It’s also smart to wash and pre-shrink your fabric before cutting so your hems stay true.
We already owned the curtain rod and clip rings from a prior installation; we’d removed them to paint the room and simply re-hung them at the right height for the new panels. A handy trick when drilling holes: fold a piece of painter’s tape under the screw hole location so it creates a small ledge to catch drill dust and keeps the area cleaner while you work.
For added security, we used plastic wall anchors so the rod brackets are supported by more than just the screw. That way, if a kid tugs on the curtains, the fabric will slip out of the ring-clip rather than pulling the whole rod and bracket loose.
Clara’s pick looks great. In photos the curtains sometimes appear black and white, but they’re actually navy, which we plan to echo throughout the room with navy picture frames, a navy pillow or two on the daybed, and perhaps a navy ottoman or light fixture. Bringing that color back in other elements will help the curtains feel intentionally connected to the rug and bedding.
Small details make a difference: the curtains nearly touch the floor but don’t drag, which keeps them cleaner and gives them a fuller, loopier hang. Another hanging tip: clip the rings to the rod and attach the fabric, then have someone hold the assembled panels up at different heights until you find the most pleasing placement. Mark the wall and mount the rod at that height. This approach is much more accurate than guessing and saves you from re-hanging later.
The room still feels a bit empty—there’s an old fan that looks awkward and a lot of pink in the rug to balance—but it’s easier to picture the next layers now: a kids’ table, an ottoman to break up the pink, playful artwork, and other accessories. Our to-do list includes:
paint the room(already done)cut down an old side table to make a play tablebring in a dresser (preferably secondhand)make and hang the curtainsadd a rug- hang art and a few three-dimensional objects
- install a new light fixture
- refinish or paint Clara’s new dresser
- paint the play-table chairs a bright, happy color
- convert the cluttered closet into a clothes closet and reading nook
- add crown molding around the room
- add more accessories: pillows, toy storage bins, and more
Kids’ rooms are so much fun to build because you can layer color and pattern and change things as they grow. Have you made curtains or let your child help choose fabrics or paint colors? Do you use the trick of clipping curtains to the rod first and adjusting the height with someone holding them up? It saved us a lot of guesswork and re-hanging.
Psst—The latest roundup of Clara Conversations is up, and there are a few gems worth a read, at least according to her very proud parents.