Easy Window Treatment Projects
If you have bare windows, we have plenty of quick and easy (and affordable) solutions to get you covered.
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We love this window treatment idea: It serves the function of a valance but has the pleated look of a Roman shade. To make this window treatment, back a rectangle of the drapery fabric with a light-blocking fabric using fusible webbing (to prevent light-emitting needle holes). Iron in deep pleats and starch heavily. Stitch pleats into place and glue a grosgrain ribbon down the middle. Tie the ribbon in a loose bow at the bottom.
Save money by using charming vintage tablecloths as window treatments. To make these cafe curtains, cut cloth to size, adding 1/2 inch to each raw edge for the hem. Sew a hem around the raw edges. Stitch or glue loops of ribbon to the top edge to hang the curtains. For a little bit of sparkle, place an adhesive jewel on top of each ribbon loop where it?s attached to the curtain.
You can dress up purchased tab-top panels with a bit of trim you attach to the edges. Or get a similar look by making your own panels. You can buy yardage at the fabrics store, but you can also shop for table coverings or linens in the kitchen, bedding, and bath section of your local department store. There you will often find discounted or discontinued fabric items that you can cut up and use as yardage.
Don't toss out curtains you love just because they don't fit your new windows or need to be replaced. Instead, cut and sew them into panel-style window shades with rod pockets. Tension rods hold the shades in place and make them easy to change or remove. This trick also works to make outdated fabrics or drapery styles look trendy again.
Give drapery panels a makeover with tiebacks for an simple update. An easy-to-make tieback adds a final polish to this window treatment, and also adds a splash of the room?s yellow accent color to the window
Dress up a sunny bank of windows without losing the view with these valances. They're easy enough to stitch up, or simplify the process by using hem tape to finish the edges. You can mount the valances using a tension rod or by wrapping fabric around a small board and securing that to the window frame with screws.
If you like the look of fabric but your how-to skills lean more woodshop than workroom, try this nifty look-alike. Cut boards in the shape of a valance, attaching the front and sides. Cover the wood with a coat of primer and paint, then finish with a happy floral wallpaper that portrays a fabric look without a lick of sewing. Attach the valance to the wall with L-brackets.
If dressing your window calls for more than one layer -- for decor as well as for privacy -- then lucky you. Take this opportunity to personalize a purchased shade using paint. You can cut out a pattern, use a stencil, or try a freehand design with paints in different shades for a personal style statement.
Purchase sheer curtain panels in glitzy brown-gold, and then hang them from a curtain rod installed several inches above the top of the window so the panels barely brush the floor. For a more luxurious look, hang the panels low enough to pool slightly on the ground. A versatile bonus? Choosing neutral sheers allows you to switch the curtains from one room to another as the redecorating mood strikes.
With a little ingenuity and basic sewing skills, you can get the look of custom-made window treatments for way less. Start with a neutral drapery (maybe one you've had for years but now want to update) and sew a contrasting fabric to the bottom, measuring from the bottom edge of the window to the floor. Cover the seam with beaded trim or ribbon. This idea is great if you recently moved and need to lengthen your old draperies to fit the scale of your new home.
Get away with daring patterned window treatments by choosing a muted color palette, like these canary- and burnt-yellow shades. The tone-on-tone style will get noticed but won't distract from the flashier pieces in the room that you've invested more money and thought into, such as a rug or sofa.





I never see suggestions for 36" long bedroom windows at the top portion of the wall.
10/19/2011 10:27:47 AM Report Abuselove #1 slide but doesn't tell how to hang it! ms muffet
10/2/2011 09:53:31 PM Report AbuseIn pic 11 there is a small black roll top writing desk...have been looking for this style/type...what store or website can i find this desk??? LOVE your window treatments
9/29/2011 10:48:54 AM Report AbuseI really think these images need sources and paint colours. That would go A LONG way towards helping us recreate a look that we love. (Or are they already somewhere and I'm missing them?)
9/28/2011 05:19:41 PM Report AbuseNo entiendo vuestro sitio, es muy complicado,las explicaciones no me dirigen a sitio claro.
9/28/2011 05:02:59 PM Report AbuseI'm looking for a chair like the one in slide # 5. Can you tell me what brand it is or what furniture store sells it? Thanks-
9/28/2011 03:49:28 PM Report AbuseThere is no slide 15. And, yes there IS a thumbnails view which enables you to see all the slides and pick out the one you want to enlarge.
9/28/2011 12:59:05 PM Report AbuseI make my own window treatments often, for remodeling or for staging. It is fun, creative, and inexpensive compared with buying.
9/28/2011 11:31:37 AM Report AbuseI must agree that the viewing process is cumbersome...when I encounter systems like this - I immediately exit because the time expense eats up the convenience factor for me.
9/25/2011 04:03:38 PM Report AbuseI don't get your site! When I click on something like 10 easy window treatments, I only find one. How come?
9/25/2011 02:17:10 PM Report AbuseI think the hanging wire in Slide 13 is at Ikea. They have something very similar.
9/7/2011 12:50:52 PM Report Abusedoes anyone know how to hang the curtain in slide 15. I found the clips, but I need to know what is the wire thing is called and where can I get one??? It's obviously something specific and heavy duty.
7/4/2011 12:11:00 PM Report Abusei wish you would have your ideas in a thumbnail text, then we could look at ones interested in. do not have time to go from i pade to another, too time consuming
1/26/2011 01:11:32 PM Report AbuseThese ideas for curtains and drapes are appreciated. This club is awesome!
6/16/2010 02:19:53 PM Report AbuseGrommet top curtains - It's really easy with a grommet kit, bought at any fabric store. Just snip a small X at the spot for the grommet, place the lower piece into it, top piece over it, hammer it a few times and VOILA!
2/18/2010 08:41:26 AM Report Abuse