Attach Internal Battens

You will need one wooden or plastic batten for each fold line. This means that you will always have an even number of battens. A batten with a diameter of 3/16” works best. Using wire cutters, wire strippers (my preference) or kitchen shears cut the batten to 1/2” less than the Finished Shade Width. For shades wider than 60”, splice the plastic battens using metal splints. First tape the seam with a small piece of cellophane tape and then trim to the correct length.

You can skip this page if you are willing to "train" your shade to fold and to "dress" the folds occasionally. Just click on the next topic in the left-hand navigation column. If you want a professional-looking shade, I urge you to use internal battens.

This page describes my preferred method of attaching the battens. I glue them to the wrong side of the FRONT fabric. I have used this method for over 15 years on hundreds of shades. I have never had a batten fall off. The first time you use this technique, it may seem scary. I urge to try it. It is so much faster and more accurate than sewing pockets or even ironing or sewing on tube tape. Alternate Methods to Gluing in Your Battens: Over the years, customers have sent in tips on other ways to use battens. You can read about those methods in the FAQs Section.

If I am using a fabric that is NOT 100% cotton, I test the glue first. Take a 6” by 6” piece of your front fabric. If you already have your battens, use a 5” piece. If you don’t have your battens, you can use a piece of wood: a chopstick or even a twig works fine. You are testing the glue’s impact on the fabric, not the object you are gluing to the fabric. Place a two or three small dabs of glue in a straight line across the fabric and lay the batten/wood down on the glue dots. Place a book on top and leave overnight. Please note that you should probably also place the fabric on a piece of wax paper. If your fabric is sheer, the glue might leak through and glue your fabric to your table. That is another reason you are testing. Normally, the glue does not leak through. After the glue has thoroughly dried, check the front of the fabric. You should not be able to see any trace of the glue. You may see a small “stiffening” in the area of the glue. That is fine. If the pucker is noticeable, you can “paint” the glue directly onto the batten. Squirt some glue onto a piece of wax paper then use a small watercolor brush to paint a 1” section of the batten. Space your brushings about 6” apart. This works well on silk and polyester fabrics.

If the fabric looks wet, you should try different glue. We have two varieties and one of them should work with your fabric. You can read the details on both glues in our Shop for Hardware section.

If you prefer, we will do that for you. Send a 6" by 6" piece of your front fabric to: Terrell Designs, Attention Glue Testing, 85 Crestone Way, Castle Rock, CO 80108, USA. We'll test both the Jewel-It and Fabric Fusion glues using battens, then send your fabric back to you with the battens attached and a recommendation on which glue to use on your shade. We may also recommend that you use another method of attaching your battens. I do have a request. If you know the fabric content (for example, 100% cotton, silk, 50% cotton/50% polyester) include that information so that I can begin a database of what works for each fabric. I make a lot of shades, but I tend to use 100% cotton on most of them.

How to Glue Battens

Turn your shade inside out and lay it on your work surface with the wrong side of the fabric facing up. Smooth the edges so that the sides lie as flat as possible and the side seams are tucked evenly under on each side. Because the front fabric is wider than the lining, this will take a little time. If your fabric is really stiff, you may have to hold the sides down in several places with a book or other object. After you have a few battens glued in place, you can remove these.

If the shade is wide, I place a straight board along the bottom edge of the shade to make sure that the center is not sagging. Referring to your Pattern for locations (this information is also given in the Hardware Calculator results), attach the batten in place using glue designed for attaching sequins to fabric, such as GemTac, Jewel-It or Fabric Fusion. These glues are available in most hobby and fabric stores and also in our Online Store.



If you are gluing battens to the inside of a one-fabric shade, place a steel tape measure on each side of the shade. Lay a straight board across the shade, so that it intersects each tape at the same point. For example, if your first batten is 9.5” from the bottom of the shade, one edge of the board should intersect the tape measures on each side of the shade just above 9.5”. The right-hand photograph above shows me placing the dots of glue just below the board, which I am using for a guide. I will then move the board up to the next batten location and place dots of glue there.

If you are making a pieced Roman shade, gluing in the battens is a lot easier. You can use your block pattern and place the glue dots on the seams. This way you don't have to worry about the glue possibly showing on the right side of the shade. The glue is on the seam, not on the front fabric.

Use a very small dot of glue, the size of a dried pea or a lentil. Glue every 6” to 8”, starting about 3” in from each side. I make several rows of “glue dots” and then carefully center a batten on each row, pressing it into the glue. Use a Q-tip to remove any excess glue. Be sure that you leave the outside edges of the battens free for at least 3” so that they can bend when you turn the shade right side out. Use a weight, such as a magazine or book, to keep the battens in contact with the fabric and glue. Let the battens dry thoroughly for a minimum of four hours, preferably overnight.

TIP: Try to avoid putting glue dots where you will be sewing on your lift rings. It is possible, but difficult, to sew through the glue. For example, if my shade has 3 lift lines, I don't glue near the center of the shade.

This photograph was sent to me by a customer who made a very large shade. The shade is inside out on the floor. All of the battens are glued in and weighted by magazines. You can see the board at the right side of the photograph that he used to make sure the bottom of the shade was straight. I’m often asked how large you can make a Roman shade. My answer is always “as large as you have space to glue in your battens”. You can see the finished shade in our Galleries Section.

How to Turn your Shade Right-Side Out

Make sure that the glue is thoroughly dry (it should be clear and firm to the touch). Carefully turn the shade right side out:

1.   Reach up inside the shade and grab hold of the top edge (Velcro edge).

2.   Pull the top edge until it is close to the bottom opening. The battens and shade are now compressed together.

3.   Grab one side of all of the battens and place them inside the bottom of the shade.

4.   Shake the shade upside down, holding onto the hem until the shade is partially right-side out.

5.   Grab the other side of the battens and stuff them inside the hem.

6.   Continue to shake the shade. The battens will slide right up inside the shade.

The battens must be on the front side of the side seams. Check each one through the fabric front and adjust if necessary by slipping them to the front of the seam. If you misjudged the centering of a batten, carefully trim off the end using wire cutters. Be very careful not to cut the fabric while you are doing this. Smooth the shade on a work surface and pin in several locations in preparation for sewing on the lift rings.

Continue the instructions by scrolling up and clicking on the topic just BELOW "Attach Internal Battens" in the left-hand navigation column.