What is tulle and is it needed in a nursery?
Tulle is a type of transparent thin fabric based on cotton or semi-silk fabric. Its production is carried out using special lace or curtain machines.
The tulle on the windows itself is so familiar that it is considered a design classic. The airy fabric favorably plays up the window opening, adding lightness to it. It does not provide shade from the bright sun, so a natural question may arise: is it needed in a nursery?
Tulle for a children's room is a universal design option, suitable for both a boy's room and a girl's room.
It has the following undeniable advantages:
- durability of use;
- practicality;
- in most cases these are natural, and therefore environmentally friendly fabrics;
- due to its lightness, tulle does not irritate the child with its appearance;
- the material creates light protection from the sun;
- protects the room from dust, and curtains from fading under the influence of the sun;
- a very beautiful and light design is created;
- giving the interior elegance.
In order not to make a mistake in choosing, it is necessary to take into account the following points:
- Children's style.
- Room size.
- Approach to design.
In addition to traditional use as a window curtain, tulle can be used to create a canopy over a bed in a girl’s room or to zone space, separating, for example, a sleeping area from a play or study area.
Tulle is not always a curtain
Tulle can serve as more than just a window curtain. It is hung above a crib or teenage bed. In the modern world of design, many models and variations of canopies have been invented - these can be ship sails, a palm leaf, a castle tower and much more, depending on the wishes of the child. For little girls and boys, even for a teenager’s room - any option can be used here.
The canopy should match the interior and can be the same as the window curtains. It will perform decorative and protective functions. It can enclose space, creating a small secluded place for a child’s fantasies and dreams. There are various ways to attach a canopy.
Airy matter can act as a partition, dividing the room into a recreation area, a play area, and a study area. If a child studies, plays, or sleeps in one large room, then by highlighting some part of the room with a curtain, you can make it more comfortable. A decorative curtain can visually divide the space with color. Thus, it turns out to be a very fantastic, fabulous and extraordinary room for the baby.
You may also be interested in: Color combination in the interior
Size and color: highlighting important points
The design direction in the design of a nursery should be reflected even in the smallest details. Every piece of furniture is important.
Choosing shades and choosing accents
Bright colors often dominate the nursery. If there are already so many of them, then it is better to take a plain canvas to decorate the window. If, on the contrary, the decor of the room is focused on the predominance of calm shades, then you can choose a brighter curtain.
Placing accents in a room correctly is a serious task. Even if you want to use tulle as a color accent, it is advisable to avoid overly bright colors. We are talking, for example, about the prevalence of bright scarlet. It may be present, but not as the main background color.
Drawings on the canvas are optional. Their theme and size should correspond to the age and gender of the child. The younger the baby, the larger the print can be.
Advice! If a print is not provided, then it is better to give preference to neutral shades.
What determines the size of the canvas?
The decor of a window is largely determined by its size. Tulle for a children's room can be selected to a good length. A traditionally large curtain will create the impression of a spacious room. If the window in the room is large, then the tulle on the window can be short, up to the window sill. This length will visually add lightness to the room.
The width of the curtain fabric required to decorate the window is determined by the formula: the length of the cornice multiplied by a coefficient, which can be from 2 to 2.5. If thick folds are planned, then the coefficient is chosen larger, and if modest folds are chosen, then less.
How to decorate windows in a boy's room?
Window decoration in a boy's room touches on several important aspects.
- Aesthetics and compliance with the interior.
- Ease of use and care.
- Caring for the child's health.
Modern children's curtains must match the style of the interior.
Roman blinds for a child's room are suitable for a small space and creating a minimalist look, where the emphasis is not on window design.
The most important design element is curtains for a boy’s nursery; they must meet each of the above criteria. The best choice would be curtains made from natural materials; they will protect the child’s health and will not limit parents in choosing a design solution.
Curtains in a children's interior can be of different types, and their combination can be practical.
Design options
Modern approaches to design are not limited to the traditional arrangement of curtain fabric. Tulle in your nursery can play many roles, bringing an element of novelty to the design. An interesting design technique could be to place the tulle not on the usual cornice near the curtain, but much closer to the window.
Another original technique is alternating thin tulle with solid blackout curtains. It will also look unusual to grab a thin curtain on the sides using holders.
For those children who find it convenient to fall asleep only in complete darkness, we can recommend adding weightless tulle with roller blinds or Roman blinds. Thanks to the simple mechanism, they are convenient to use. By adjusting the degree of raising of the dense canvas, a comfortable environment with the required level of illumination is created.
Similar in operating principle, roller blinds and Roman blinds look beautiful on windows due to their laconic form, and go well with tulle curtains.
Advice! Using both curtains and tulle to frame the window opening at the same time, it is better to focus on only one type of curtain.
Choosing fabric composition: what to look for?
Completely transparent or translucent fabric can have different compositions. The density of the material for tulle is selected taking into account the requirements that apply to the curtain. For example, on the lower floors it is advisable to hang thicker curtains.
For your information! The structure of tulle fabric can be smooth, patterned or mesh.
Cotton
The cotton curtain is beautiful with its openwork curls. It looks good with linen or cotton curtains. This option can be used in modern, classic and simple rustic interiors. Cotton fabric is environmentally friendly and suitable for use in children's rooms.
Polyester
This is a synthetic material that has high performance properties: it does not wrinkle, does not fade, and does not shrink when washed. Disadvantages include their synthetic origin and the ability to accumulate static electricity.
Mixed material
Polyester cotton tulle may be an even better option than just cotton or synthetic. It is durable and visually attractive, and practically does not wrinkle.
What fabrics besides tulle?
Read about: mesh fabric: an overview of a wide range of applications.
Windows in children's rooms, in addition to tulle, can be decorated with other transparent or translucent tulle fabrics, which have undoubted advantages and some disadvantages.
- Organza. Made from tightly spun polyester fibers. It has a matte shine, high density and rigidity. Available in hundreds of shades. Extremely interesting, especially in broken folds, but poorly breathable. Organza curtains in children's rooms must be retractable.
- Voile is a softer fabric than organza. It does not attract dust and allows air to pass through well. Canvases with funny printed patterns look good in children's rooms.
- Mesh is a type of tulle with an original mesh structure and beautiful embroidery with shiny lurex. It transmits sunlight remarkably well, but attracts and traps dust. The fabric is not recommended for use in the rooms of children with allergies.
- Devore is a translucent material with a pattern obtained by etching. Luxurious fabric for older children.
The purpose of tulle is to protect against views from the street and give the interior an airy lightness. These functions can be successfully performed by Roman or Japanese curtains made of light, translucent fabrics, as well as vertical or horizontal blinds.
How to beautifully secure tulle in a nursery?
There are several ways to secure curtain fabric. Additionally, in a girl’s room it can be used to create a light, elegant lambrequin.
Eyelets
Curtains with eyelets are an acceptable window design option, especially for a boy. Rings can be not only metal, but also plastic. This fastener is durable, especially if the cornice is carefully installed. For a girl’s room, it is advisable to choose pink or red eyelets that match the design of the drapes and curtains.
Curtain tape
In a girl's room, the curtain fabric can be secured using curtain tape, which is a braid. It is adjusted along the top edge. Light gathering will look very gentle. This fastening method is suitable for girls who handle their things carefully. But for a boy’s nursery it is better to choose a more reliable option.
Braid ribbons
In a nursery, a curtain with fasteners in the form of satin loops that are fastened with decorative buttons will look interesting and very girlish. For the room of an active little naughty girl, it is possible to replace buttons with buttons. This option will be safer if the child suddenly pulls the edge.
Advice! Girls love beautiful accessories in decoration. Your little one will surely love the bow-shaped ties for attaching the curtains.
Sewing tips
Many housewives sew their own tulle curtains. This is an easy and fun job that requires minimal skills. For transparent material, complex cutting is usually not used. The fabric is good at creating weightless, airy waves. This effect ensures the correct calculation of the amount of material: if the product is attached to the cornice using curtain tape, the tulle is taken twice the length of the cornice. For curtains with ties or loops, the material is taken along the length of the cornice..
The length of the fabric is determined as follows: the distance from the upper border of the window to the window sill or to the floor is measured (depending on the design of the product). To this value you should add 10 cm for the hem.
Mark the measurements with small pencil strokes on the fabric placed on a non-slip surface.
All work on cutting and cutting the material is carried out with sharp scissors.
The side seams are processed with a thread of the appropriate color on a sewing machine. When attaching a double fold, do not stretch the fabric to avoid small waves. For beginning craftswomen, we recommend that you first baste the edges by hand.
The fold of the top edge should be twice as wide as the side. Processed in the same way.
After this, curtain braid is sewn on to obtain even folds in the future, or ties or loops are attached.
Before processing the bottom of the product, it is recommended to check the same length of the fabric.
Sewing the curtains is completed by processing the bottom seam and optional decoration.
Curtain design
Photo printing on curtains is a fashionable trend in children's interior design. The images of your favorite fairy-tale characters will surely appeal to both boys and girls. If you cannot find the desired character among the ready-made curtains, the curtain can be made to order.
The transparent texture of the material makes the image seem illuminated by light and adds a three-dimensional effect. In addition to images of cartoon characters and books, you can transfer onto a thin canvas drawings of beautiful landscapes, butterflies, hearts, flowers - everything that a little girl or boy will like. Such a curtain will look very decorative and unusual, complementing the interior of the child’s personal space.
Despite the presence of a pattern, a thin curtain will not be able to provide significant shading. Therefore, it is advisable to complement the design of the window opening with dim, light curtains.
For your information! Tulle with prints can be washed.
Other window decoration methods
Tulle is not the only thin fabric that is used for windows. An interesting design can be achieved using organza, veil or muslin.
Veil
This is a soft fabric that has good breathability and does not collect dust. The veil can also have a printed design.
Organza
This fabric is stiffer than voile. It is based on polyester fibers that create a matte shine. A wide color palette allows you to choose the shade that suits your interior. The main disadvantage is low breathability. Because of this, curtains should be opened when ventilating the room.
Kiseya
Multi-colored or plain threads can be decorated with decorative elements and beautifully draped. In terms of its functionality, muslin has the same properties as tulle, softly scattering light and protecting the room from prying glances from the street.
Kisey and tulle are harmoniously combined with each other and can be used in one design. This duet creates an elegant and fresh window design, especially in a girl’s room. Beads, beautiful butterflies or flowers can be used as additional elements.
For your information! Curtains made of threads are designed for children aged 3 years and older.
In a children's room, thoughtful design creates a practical and attractive interior. Starting from early childhood, the baby should be surrounded by beautiful and comfortable things, including tulle on the window.
Unique “prints” on curtains for a children’s room
Photo tulle in a children's room is becoming more and more popular every year. Parents, wanting to surprise their child, order completely different compositions:
- figures and symbols (stripes, triangles, anchors, globes);
- natural landscapes (underwater world, forest clearing, sunset, space);
- heroes of popular cartoons (tulle “Frozen”, curtains “Cars”, Minions);
- fairy-tale animals (dragons, unicorns).
These curtains are made exclusively to order. Therefore, parents have the opportunity to independently choose the material on which to print.
