SAME BLOG, DIFFERENT ADDRESS! You can still see my old posts and pictures at www.bestdressedinteriors.blogspot.com I have LOTS of great new ideas for window treatments on a budget! About a year and a half ago, I moved into a new home which had more windows than I have ever had to decorate with before. I had a very limited budget for my windows so I needed to get really creative! There are so many options out there for stylish looks but with materials you may not have thought of using before. I am going to post pictures here of some of the great ideas we came up with.
First there is my Family and Breakfast rooms. I wanted to keep a neutral theme in these rooms and incorporate a little texture. I like the look of linen, and believe it or not, I found similar texture and nice body with PAINT DROP CLOTHES from Home Depot. I was able to get a size that easily covered my 9' windows for under $20 each. Each panel measures out to equal a "width and a half" panel. I picked up a couple of yards of simple cotton stripe to top it off with an attached valance and there you go, a pair of panels for each window with fabric costs under $50.
The next room to tackle was the Dining Room. With my soft green walls I wanted to contrast it with black and I just love a large graphic print. One day I was walking through Target and noticed something on the end of one of the aisles where they put things that are on sale. There were two black cotton table cloths sitting there for $12 each. They had a large white graphic print, and happened to be the long table cloths, with 120" in length...PERFECT! Again, they came out at a width and a half. I lined and interlined them, pleated the top and there you go again, a pair of nice panels for the Dining Room window for under $25 in fabric costs. We were able to get a couple more on sale, on line and I made them into roman shades for the side windows in the Dining Room. So in love with the look!
So being so inspired by my first two successes, I tried some other strategies. I found some shower curtains that I just loved at Target as well. They were 100% cotton and had a very nice weight to them. Since shower curtains are usually only around 70" long, I was going to have to add something to the length to make panels. I searched the fabric store to find a blue that matched one of the colors in the shower curtain but just could not find anything. Back I went to Target and looked at table cloths again! There was a blue table cloth with a wonderful texture that matched perfectly! I bought it and added a section at the bottom to finish off a pair of cheery panels for the upstairs loft area. The total material cost for these two panels was around $55!
The other shower curtain style I loved for my bedroom, and I debated for a long time what type of treatment I wanted in there. I finally decided that since the pattern was really bold, I wanted to use it in simple ways all around the room. I bought 6 of the shower curtains at $20 each. I made a table skirt for the bedside table with it, and then I made london shades for the windows. I am currently working on a gathered bedskirt as well. It adds lots of drama to the room!
Next I went back to the drop cloths from Home Depot. For my daughters room, she wanted a simple look that softened the room but did not add pattern or a lot of color. We gathered four of the drop cloths and stapled each on to a 1x4 board on either side of her windows. They gently cascade off the top and fall into tall columns of fabric that frame her bed. They work perfect in her room where she works off of neutral walls and bedding with colorful and bold patterns in pillows and artwork.
The final room I used the drop cloths in was the guest room. I took a left over piece of blue silk and applied it as banding about 15" from the top, pleated them and hung them unlined on some sweet little rods with bird finials. They are simple and tranquil in a "spa" like room perfect for guests. The total cost of material for those two windows was about $80.
One more inexpensive option many people are using these days is burlap. It usually costs about $7 a yard and comes in several great colors. I picked up a "winter" white color for a table skirt in my foyer, but have made many drapery panels, and pillows (believe it or not) out of it with great success! The texture is great and mixes well with many other types of fabric.
So my purpose for writing this blog today is to inspire you to think "outside the box" to freshen your space for the Holidays and the New Year in creative and cost effective ways. Use utility fabrics, or create a custom pattern of stripes by mixing several different solid fabrics that may cost less than a pattern. Use left over fabrics from previous projects to add adornment to simple ready made draperies. Of course I am very happy to fabricate any treatments for you and you know that I aspire to have "cost effective" labor charges as well!
First there is my Family and Breakfast rooms. I wanted to keep a neutral theme in these rooms and incorporate a little texture. I like the look of linen, and believe it or not, I found similar texture and nice body with PAINT DROP CLOTHES from Home Depot. I was able to get a size that easily covered my 9' windows for under $20 each. Each panel measures out to equal a "width and a half" panel. I picked up a couple of yards of simple cotton stripe to top it off with an attached valance and there you go, a pair of panels for each window with fabric costs under $50.
The next room to tackle was the Dining Room. With my soft green walls I wanted to contrast it with black and I just love a large graphic print. One day I was walking through Target and noticed something on the end of one of the aisles where they put things that are on sale. There were two black cotton table cloths sitting there for $12 each. They had a large white graphic print, and happened to be the long table cloths, with 120" in length...PERFECT! Again, they came out at a width and a half. I lined and interlined them, pleated the top and there you go again, a pair of nice panels for the Dining Room window for under $25 in fabric costs. We were able to get a couple more on sale, on line and I made them into roman shades for the side windows in the Dining Room. So in love with the look!
So being so inspired by my first two successes, I tried some other strategies. I found some shower curtains that I just loved at Target as well. They were 100% cotton and had a very nice weight to them. Since shower curtains are usually only around 70" long, I was going to have to add something to the length to make panels. I searched the fabric store to find a blue that matched one of the colors in the shower curtain but just could not find anything. Back I went to Target and looked at table cloths again! There was a blue table cloth with a wonderful texture that matched perfectly! I bought it and added a section at the bottom to finish off a pair of cheery panels for the upstairs loft area. The total material cost for these two panels was around $55!
The other shower curtain style I loved for my bedroom, and I debated for a long time what type of treatment I wanted in there. I finally decided that since the pattern was really bold, I wanted to use it in simple ways all around the room. I bought 6 of the shower curtains at $20 each. I made a table skirt for the bedside table with it, and then I made london shades for the windows. I am currently working on a gathered bedskirt as well. It adds lots of drama to the room!
Next I went back to the drop cloths from Home Depot. For my daughters room, she wanted a simple look that softened the room but did not add pattern or a lot of color. We gathered four of the drop cloths and stapled each on to a 1x4 board on either side of her windows. They gently cascade off the top and fall into tall columns of fabric that frame her bed. They work perfect in her room where she works off of neutral walls and bedding with colorful and bold patterns in pillows and artwork.
The final room I used the drop cloths in was the guest room. I took a left over piece of blue silk and applied it as banding about 15" from the top, pleated them and hung them unlined on some sweet little rods with bird finials. They are simple and tranquil in a "spa" like room perfect for guests. The total cost of material for those two windows was about $80.
One more inexpensive option many people are using these days is burlap. It usually costs about $7 a yard and comes in several great colors. I picked up a "winter" white color for a table skirt in my foyer, but have made many drapery panels, and pillows (believe it or not) out of it with great success! The texture is great and mixes well with many other types of fabric.
So my purpose for writing this blog today is to inspire you to think "outside the box" to freshen your space for the Holidays and the New Year in creative and cost effective ways. Use utility fabrics, or create a custom pattern of stripes by mixing several different solid fabrics that may cost less than a pattern. Use left over fabrics from previous projects to add adornment to simple ready made draperies. Of course I am very happy to fabricate any treatments for you and you know that I aspire to have "cost effective" labor charges as well!
