I've made insulated Roman shades without the kit. I made a quilt with insulated batting in the center. They were bulky, but very effective for keeping the Florida heat out/AC cool at Matt's house.
I would not do it without the kit again, even though the insulating liner for the kit was nearly $30 a yard. Also, I used the rings already sewn on twill tape - make sure both ends of the ring tape were cut in the middle, and not where the length ended.