Swift and simple to assemble, these
paper curtains are a perfect
short-term fix.

Paper Penny-Pinchers

In a pinch? Don't throw in the towel. Just toss some decorative art paper over a towel bar, pinch a few pleats, add some ribbon, and call it a curtain. Here, lacy art paper becomes cute pinch-pleat curtains. Select decorative paper (available at art supply and crafts stores) that is soft, sturdy, and has a translucent pattern.

This window treatment is perfect for creating style that doesn't need to last a long time. Blank windows in apartments and dorm rooms, for example, get a boost in eye-appeal with these clever curtains. Or, if you've just moved into a new home and haven't yet decided on décor, use this idea to cover the windows while you contemplate the options.

• Towel bar holders
• Towel bar long enough to span the window or a painted wooden dowel cut to size
• Tape measure
• Lacy art paper
• Hole punch
• Narrow satin ribbon

1. Mount a towel bar holder on each side of the window molding about halfway down the window. Insert the towel bar or dowel in the holders.

2. Measure the length of the bar. Cut two pieces of lacy art paper each a few inches wider than half the bar length and long enough to drape over the bar to the sill in back and two-thirds of the way to the sill in front.

3. Drape the paper over the bar to make café curtains. Make sure bottom edges are level. Pinch about an inch of curtain a few inches below the bar, catching both the front and back layers. Punch a hole through all the pinched layers. Tie a length of narrow satin ribbon through the holes, forming a pleat. Repeat the pleats every 4 to 5 inches.