After I moved into my brand new house, the most important thing for me was to find curtain for all of those more than 40 windows. Because there are so many, it is hard for me to find the right curtains and have them installed in a short period of time. Here is what I did: use tape and paper towel to make temporary ones.
First, measure the height of the window, cut the paper towel with the appropriate length. Then use tape to stick it to the wall. For one window, we may need a few paper towel strips especially for wider window since the paper towel is only 1 foot wide. Because the color of paper towel is close to the color of wall, the curtain made from it blends in pretty well.
Also the paper towel is transparent enough to let the sun shine in while opaque enough to block the view from outside. After you buy the right curtains or blinds for your window, it is very easy to take those paper towel strips down and reuse them just like other paper towels. So it pretty must costs you nothing for the temporary curtain.
I would recommend you buy those thick ones with two layers for these temporary curtains.
By Andy from Bay area, CA
This page contains the following solutions.
I'm really happy with the window treatments that a friend helped me create for my family room. Instead of using curtain rods, we hung sheer panels on inexpensive metal candle holders purchased from Old Tyme Pottery.
We've used decorative shelf brackets (usually sold near plant supplies) to hold curtain rods. The 2 "curls" each hold a long dowel: the lower one for the curtain, the upper one for the valance.
When I moved into my new place, the dark heavy curtains didn't afford much light, especially when my window faced the side of the shed. So, I took them down and put up a folded up lace tablecloth.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
Unique curtain solutions. Post your ideas.
Use Indian saris for curtains.
By vibrantfun
If you have access to a sewing machine, consider making your own. It can be as simple as a couple of straight seams, then attaching cllip-on hooks. Adding tabtops is a little more work but provides nice detail. For fabric, you can use sheets or look out for large remnants at the fabric store, thrift stores, or yard sales.
Another solution might be matchstick blinds which are inexpensive and let light in while providing some privacy.
If you have windows where only a valance is wanted, use cloth napkins placed diagonally over the curtain rod with the points hanging down, and the corners overlapping slightly. When you want a change, you have cloth napkins to use. I bought the ones that I used 2/$1.00 on sale. My windows needed 5 napkins each. Measure your window's width, and measure the napkins from corner to corner to estimate the number you will use.
You all might think this is a good idea for a kids room. My kids HATE the top sheet for their bed; they only like the fitted sheet and blanket. I took the top sheet, ran a rod thru the top seam of the flat sheet.
I am searching for a nice basic copper firepit. Can anyone tell me where I can continue with my search. I have found interesting pits but, I am looking for a brass one with the stand.
I couldn't find the right color curtains for my powder room so I used a chenille type fringed throw that I pushed through curtain rod holders. Everyone loves it. I have also seen the cloth napkins used and they were held on by wooden clothes pins.
I have used a silk sari as a drape and it was a very strong element. However, it will get sun damage, so you might not want to use fine silk.
For my "rustic"kitchen I screwed in(each side)cup hooks,for the"rod"I went in the woods and found a dead branch w/characture! and ragged some fabric Ialready had and draped it.My other way was using a cafe rod.and I bought"pinch rings"don't know what you call them today.Then I used hand towels that matched my bathrm.
As a teenager I had a smallish window in my bedroom which had boring curtains attached to curtain rings with clips. I took down the boring curtains and attached a beach sarong to it instead.
Try clip on rings and a lace tablecloth. I have a room with a double and a single window, and I wanted sheer/lace curtains in dark green. Couldn't find any, but did find tablecloths the right color. Bought 2 different sizes of the same design, and now have the curtains I wanted.
I collect Coca Cola items. Over the years I had been given several aprons that were decorated with Coca Cola motifs. Of course, I didn't want to wear them. Eventually we moved to a house that had a large kitchen window looking in on 2 rooms when standing on the porch. I hung a piece of plain piece of fabric there to give us some privacy while I thought about curtains. Then it dawned on me! I attached the Coca Cola aprons onto the fabric - pinning them so the pins wouldn't show. I never ended up looking for curtains for that window. I get lots of compliments.
Our bedroom had huge windows. I went looking with only colors in mind. I found all 3 of the colors I loved and decided to use all 3. They were solid-color twin-sized sheets! At the top, where you could just run a rod right through, they had a little satin trim - very pretty. I placed the colored sheets in the order I wanted - I needed 9 panels in all. They look great, I think!
The last one used a real curtain - just an unusual holder. Our son's room is medieval (well, our version of it). I bought a black faus leather curtain with the tab top. Then a broadsword to slip through the tabs. Lastly I bought what looks like "dragon claws" coming through the wall. I hung the claws at the top of the window, then placed the sword and curtain on them. Our son loves it!
Find inexpensive vintage linens. Tablecloths can be used as full length curtains. Bridge table covers are great for small windows. I found a hand embroidered real organdy bridge table cover, gorgeous cover for guest bath window. Matching shower curtain from matching napkins. Dresser scarves, if they are large enough work well as cafe curtains. if long enough can be 2 curtains. Damask table cloths make beautiful duvet covers and matching napkins, great pillow covers. Especially with lace and embroidery embellishments. Fun!
Any clever ideas on converting a raw edged bamboo blind into a "curtain"? Problem? I have 37 feet of bamboo slat and matchstick blinds the usual mounting brackets and would like to hang them like a curtain or drape. Impossible?
When it comes to thrifty yet creative window treatments I have crafter's block. Any ideas would be a start. Thank you, in advance.
By Leelynn from NC
You can make a small hole in each bamboo & use the hooks for pleated curtains to hang them or go to-bamboo blinds curtains, for picture & info, good luck.
Nothing is impossible if you have imagination!
All you'd have to do is turn them sideways (so the slats no longer run horizontal, but now run vertically) so they can bend & move, open & close sideways. Then use wire or a matching color of yarn, or twine to attach them to drapery hooks or fancy shower curtain hooks.
The problem is where to attach the wire? You could either use the last row of stitching (which could easily be pulled out) or punch or drill holes into the bamboo. But I think it would work best to take a long, thick piece of fabric, or ribbon or webbing (like the size of a seat-belt only thinner) they make this for specially for making draperies. It's sold at the fabric store (it's made to sew to the fabric then slide a drapery hook into, OR they make one with tiny plastic rings attached to the fabric tape) then GLUE this to the top-back of the draperies (which would have been the side of the blinds) using X6000 glue.
Drapery Supplies: (don't let the high prices in the URL below fool you, you can get the same stuff by-the-yard at any fabric store, you don't have to purchase the WHOLE thing)
When you look at the URL below, You don't want the kind marked "drapery pleated tape", you want the "Drapery header tape". It cost half as much!
www.joann.com/
* You'd use a large-eyed sewing needle (like for yarn) then you'd use this to thread the yarn through the Drapery Header tape after gluing the drapery header tape to the back of the side of the blinds... Or just push wire directly through the drapery tape.
* Or simply use the Drapery Tape with the RINGS attached then use any drapery hooks!
(see photo below)
* To keep the cost of this project down, you may even be able to use Bias Tape or Blanket Edging in a color that matches the blinds. It won't be as sturdy as the Drapery Header Tape, but it would cost about one-tenth as much!
---> Let us know how your project turns out!
An idea for outside use: These bamboo-matchstick blinds make excellent privacy shades. You can hang them on your outdoor porch. Or simply attach them to fence poles or to your chain-link fence for added backyard privacy... Some people use them to hide their garbage cans.
Before hanging them outside, for extra protection from the weather you need to first spray them with a UV deck oil by using a cheap ($12) garden sprayer. Spray them front & back. Then after attaching them to your fence or to pole in the ground plant a flowering vine & let it grow up the bamboo blinds!
* They are usually hung facing sideways, so the bamboo sticks go up & down or vertical, but each situation is different.
I am looking for some cute, unique homemade curtain ideas for kids' rooms.
By Sharon from Mansfield, OH
Depends on your theme. My daughter is very girly so I took some hand me down chiffon shower curtains (with a butterfly garden effect)and placed it over her venetian blinds. she loves it and i put it up with double stick tape (on the back of the valance....very cute.
In another house i purchased a very cute pink satin material with a very intricate bottom border and sewed a white blackout lining (very important for energy efficiency).
Have fun with it and look at magazines while you are in lines waiting to check out...great ideas and usually fairly cheap if you pick apart the design aspect.
FYI--model homes are notorious for beautiful designs made cheap and easy. Once there was a valance made of a folded piece of fabric and underneath it was a 2x4 piece of wood screwed to the wall! Beautiful and simple!
Have you considered a cd curtain for a teen or tweens room? Measure for the length of each string of CDs. Get large jump rings. You will need two per CD except for the bottom one in each string. Drill holes(small and carefully) in the top and bottom of each CD, except for the bottom one in each string, it only needs a top hole. Add a jumpring to each hole. Attach together by linking the jump rings, with single hole CD's at the bottom of each string, undrilled edge at the bottom. You may need quite a few, or u could mix small vinyl records with CD's. Get both at used item stores.
You have probably seen those temporary paper accordion shades in your home improvement store. They are great while you are planning permanent window treatments in a newer home, but they come with a caveat about using on delicate surfaces and freshly painted walls, as they are hung with double faced tape. My tip is how to install them without damage when you are removing them.
