When fabricating a Roman shade, the details you don’t see can make all the difference in how the shade performs. One of those behind-the-scenes heroes? The weight bar.

At Centurion Roman Shade, we recommend using steel weight bars—either flat or round—in Roman shade construction. While some fabricators choose aluminum because it’s lighter and easier to cut with a simple hacksaw, aluminum often doesn’t provide enough weight. The result can be a little bounceback when the shade is fully extended, which means adding extra weight later to get the smooth, tailored look you’re after.

Steel, on the other hand, gives you the weight you need right from the start. The tradeoff? It does take a bit more effort to cut.

If you only make Roman shades occasionally—or if you’re looking to squeeze in a quick arm workout—a hacksaw with a fresh blade will absolutely get the job done. That’s how many of us started.

In our workroom, though, we’re producing enough Roman shades that we’ve upgraded our tools. We now use a battery-powered portable bandsaw, which makes quick, clean cuts through steel flat bars—and even threaded rod. It’s a serious time-saver (and arm-saver), especially when you’re cutting multiple bars in a row.

Judi recently shared a short video on our Instagram page showing the bandsaw in action—just a little tease of how smoothly it works. We’re not endorsing any specific brand here, just the concept of choosing tools that match your workload and help keep your process efficient.

Whether you stick with a trusty hacksaw or step up to powered tools, the takeaway is simple: proper weight matters. Starting with steel helps your Roman shades hang beautifully and function the way they should—no bounceback required.

What You’ll Make

In this two-session online course over two weeks, you’ll learn how to construct a 24" wide x 42" long flat-fold, lined Roman shade, mounted on a board using the Centurion RS Widget lift system, complete with components that meet current cord safety standards.

What’s Included

• Two live, interactive 1-hour online lessons with instructor Susan Woodcock
  • Classes are recorded and available for replay
  • Includes 6 months of online access after the course ends
• Written, step-by-step how-to instructions you can reference anytime

Course Outline

Lesson One

• Measuring the window
• Overview of Roman shades and how they work
• Calculating yardage and working with pattern repeats
• Selecting fabrics
• Measuring and cutting fabric
• Sewing hems and adding lining

Lesson Two

• Finishing hems
• Adding the weight bar
• Planning lift lines
• Sewing shade rings and ladder tape
• Board mounting
• Installing the lift system
• Final installation

Don't miss 2026's first Widget Word Wednesday, on Wed., January 14 at 12:00 noon ET! 

Judi's going to walk through an overview of the Widget kits, as well as some tips for enhancements to your Roman shades! 

Pre-register to join this one, but even if you end up missing it, the recording will be on our website!

Here’s a bit of Roman shade construction wisdom worth tucking away.

When you build a Roman shade using the Widget, the shade is raised and lowered from the bottom hem—either directly or with a hidden hem, as we’ve described in previous blog posts. What’s easy to overlook is where the tension from the lift cords is actually applied.

The cords exert their force at the point where they’re secured. In our work, we always secure the cords to brass rings that are stitched directly to the top edge of a Skirtex hem stiffener. The reason is simple but important: the hem stiffener spreads the load evenly across the full width of the shade.

Without a hem stiffener, the cords pull directly on the fabric at each attachment point. Over time—and often immediately—you’ll see visible dimples forming where the cords are anchored. It’s not a hardware problem or a fabric issue; it’s a force-distribution issue.
​
In the photos below, you can see what happens when cords are anchored directly to the shade fabric rather than to a hem stiffener.