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 or kitchen shears, cut the wooden or plastic battens to 1/2" less than the finished width of the shade. 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.

Turn the Roman shade inside out and lay it on your worktable with the backside of the fabric front facing up. Smooth the edges so that the sides lie as flat as possible and the side seams are even on each side. 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 Design for locations (this information is also given in the Hardware Calculator results), attach the battens in place using glue designed for attaching sequins to fabric, such as GemTac or Jewel-It (available in our Online Store).

Place a very small dot of glue (the size of a small pea) on a seam on your pieced front (see instructions below for a one-fabric shade). Glue every 6" to 12". 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 of book, to keep the battens in contact with the fabric and the glue. Let the battens dry thoroughly for a minimum of four hours, preferably overnight.

If you are gluing battens to the inside of a plain fabric shade, place two steel tape measurers on each side of the shade that is lying inside out on your worktable. The zero-point of each tape should be at the bottom 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 photo 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.

Tip: Rather than do the math as I am gluing, I write the batten locations on a piece of paper. For example, let's say my Lower Drop (lowest batten location) is 6.625". my Fold Depth is 5.25" and I have 8 folds. Using a calculator I write the location of my battens, beginning at the bottom of the shade: 6-5/8", 11-7/8", 17-1/8", 22-3/8", 27-5/8", 32-7/8", 38-1/8", 43-3/8". I also visually check the battens to see if they are approximately equal-distance apart.

A note about the glue: when dry, the glue is usually not noticeable on the front side of the fabric. The exception might be if your front fabric is light-colored or loosely-woven. Then you might see a slight pucker on the front of the fabric. If you are concerned, take a short piece of batten and glue it to the back of a test piece of fabric. Be sure to use a small dot of glue. Let dry for at least four hours. If you have a pucker, you can make "pockets" in your shade. Another option is to glue the battens to the lining. I much prefer to use the method described above, but since I get a fair number of questions about alternatives, I have included them. Click here for instructions on alternative methods for attaching your battens. 

Another option is to "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 fabrics.

Warning! This glue works best on 100% cotton fabrics or a cotton/polyester blend. Fabrics that are made from 100% polyester or 100% silk can be stained by the glue. I strongly suggest that you test your fabric first before gluing on your battens. 

How to Turn 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 font 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 the worktable and pin in several locations in preparation for sewing on the lift rings.

You need to make the Headrail and mark the locations of the rings before you sew on the lift rings, so if you are making a shade, you must return to the specific type of shade you are making:
Return to "Make Classic Roman Shade"
Return to "Make Top-Down/Bottom-Up Shade"
Return to "Make Top-Down Only Shade"

Continue the Learning Process with "Sew Lift Rings"

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Contact Information:
Terrell Designs, owned by Terrell Sundermann 
5325 Sanford Cir. E. Englewood, Colorado 80113
Phone: (303) 758-0188  Email:

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