I hope your week is going well! I’m looking forward to this weekend (as usual), but I’m excited because Saturday I’ll be hiking AND shopping all in one day! And with one of my favorite people , no less! It’s like a slice of Amy Heaven 😀
In the meantime, I’m excited about the curtains I made for our guest bedroom on the cheap. I just finished them last night, and I love the way they turned out! Now I just need to get the daybed and comforter set that I want, and that room might actually be done. Pfssshhh. Yeah. Ok. 😉
Emoticons aside, here is the how-to on making cheap curtains:
First, measure your window and determine how long your curtains need to be. Also consider at what height you will be hanging the curtains and what you will be hanging them from. For these curtains, I knew I wanted to create a pocket for the drapery rod to slide through, but you could use clips instead which would mean an inch shorter for the hem. I figured I would need four yards of fabric for curtains that hit below the sill. Keep in mind that a yard of fabric is 36″ (or 3′) long. Depending on the fabric, it can vary in width from 32″ to 60″. Next, decide on a fabric. For these curtains, I bought fabric from Hobby Lobby by the yard while they were having a 30% sale. The fabric is normally $6.99 a yard, so on sale I got it for $4.89 per yard. I’ve also made no-sew curtains from shower curtains, and you can use virtually any fabric for this project. (*See below for more creative fabric ideas!) Once you have the right amount of fabric, you’ll want to consider what you want to hang your curtains from. I chose an inexpensive rod from Ross, a discount store here. It cost $12, and considering I’ve spent $30 or more on some of the drapery rods in our home, I thought this was a steal. The last supplies needed are scissors, pins, a measuring tape, an ironing board, iron, a thin towel and fusible bond tape. When you have everything you need, set aside a couple hours and get started!
1.) Cut fabric to the right length. For my curtains, I only needed to cut my fabric in half lengthwise because I wanted two panels and I knew that the four yards was perfect. Make sure you add an inch to the bottom, top and sides for seam allowance, and two inches for the curtain rod pocket along the top.
2.) Pin the fabric seams using the tape measure to make sure you get an even measure all around.
3.) Turn your iron to “wool” or whatever setting your fusible bond instructions call for. Dampen your thin towel, wring out so it’s not dripping or sopping wet.
4.) Starting with one pinned edge, slip the fusible bond between the seam.
5.) Lay the damp cloth over the seam, and hold the hot iron onto the towel for 10 seconds per section or until the bond is secure. Continue this process around the entire panel, removing all the pins as you go, until all of the seams are solid. Once both panels are complete, hang them on the rod of your choice (after you’ve secured it to the wall of course).
As promised earlier, here are some other cheap window treatment options:
living room curtains created with two shower curtains
- Use a couple shower curtains and an inexpensive rod. For this, if your rod is thin enough, you can simply slip the curtain onto the rod after ripping out the side seams along the top. If not, do what I did, and use fusible bond to create a pocket for the curtain rod to slip through. Of course, you can also buy a curtain with grommets along the top so it slides right on. Finally, you can use curtain clips to secure the curtain to the bar.
- Use a cloth tablecloth. Measure and cut to fit, use a no-sew product to create the seams.
- Use tea towels or decorative cloth napkins secured together with fusible bond or decorative pins to cover a small kitchen window. Secure to a tension rod affixed to the inside of the window frame with ribbon (secure the ribbon to the cloths first).
- Use large, colorful beach towels in a beach or ocean themed bathroom.
- Use a clearance bargain sheet set for a curtain on any window you don’t want full coverage on. Keep in mind that cheap sheets tend to be thinner than a lot of other fabrics. Pillowcases would work for a small window, and they are double the fabric for privacy.
- Hang your homemade curtains from the ceiling with pretty ribbon or with leftover chain from another project. You don’t have to buy a curtain rod set if it isn’t in the budget-just get creative!
- Make a collage of fabrics from the back of old clothing that might have a stain or snag on the front. This might require some skill with a sewing machine, but don’t be afraid to try!
- Anything can be used as a curtain rod: extra long garden dowels suspended from the ceiling by thin chain would look really cool with a geometric or solid fabric hanging from it so you can’t see the dowel beneath it.
- The fabric of your choice can be secured to the corners and center of the window with the attachment points covered with big bows, seashells, plates, etc to match the theme of the room.
I hope this left you inspired! Have fun creating your own curtains!
