How to Fix Roman Shade Problems

Remove the Roman shade from the window. Often Roman shades are attached by a batten board that is screwed into brackets or directly into the underside of the window frame. Cut the cord just above the acorn (a small plastic cup covering the cording knot). Unwind any cord from the cleat (a small metal double-sided hook that the cord winds around to stay in position).

Place the Roman shade fabric side down on your table. Examine the lining of the shade for evidence of torn cloth around the plastic rings used by the cords. If a plastic ring has torn away, reattach it by sewing it back into place using a needle and thread.

Examine the cord to replace any missing plastic rings. First, note that each cord runs through a series of plastic rings in a vertical row on the back of the shade. A missing ring will cause the blind to fail to pull upward properly. Find the cord in the vertical row with the missing ring and untie the cord from the bottom ring.

Unthread the cord until you reach the missing ring. Add a ring, rethread and reknot the cord. Use a needle and thread to sew the new ring to the dowel area where it will be in line with the other rings. Each ring is sewn at a dowel, so this should be easy to identify.

Check the eye screws mounted to the underside of the batten. If an eye screw has come loose, you may need to add carpenter's glue and a few wooden toothpicks to rescrew the eye screw so it is tight. Simply put a drop of glue in the hole, position one or two toothpicks in the hole (to make the hole smaller) and screw. Break off the excess toothpicks once the eye screw is tight.

Rehang the Roman blind, and place the acorn over the single cord. Tie a knot and slide the acorn over the knot.