This is a quick blog post on fabric hinges for large board mounted window treatments. Sometimes the finished width of a valance is too long to transport or there is a shaped window treatment that is too cumbersome to transport as a whole. We have all had those 16 foot valances that won't fit in the SUV without being folded in half. Bay, bow or curved valances take up too much room and are difficult to maneuver unless folded up too. In those cases it is necessary to cut the boards into more manageable sections. Then the question is how to keep the whole window treatment from falling apart. The boards need to be hinged but metal hinges protrude too much and can be seen under the dust cover.

The solution is simple - a fabric hinge. I make a simple fabric hinge from 3 to 4 layers of sateen lining. First I cover the boards with lining. Then this fabric hinge is stapled to the top of the board before the window treatment is stapled onto the boards. I staple 4 rows of staples. Each staple is then stapled over so that an 'X' is formed. This 'X' staple pattern provides added strength. See first photo.

In the second photo you can see how flat the boards fold up.

The window treatment is then stapled to the boards as you normally would and the dust cover is applied last. The fabric hinge is covered up by the dust cover.

At installation, the installer can either attach a mending plate underneath or use two 'L" brackets, one on either side of the board edges, to stabilize the window treatment.

RM