Tag: DIY Window Treatments

9 Ideas for DIY Window Treatments

Written by Jenna on September 10, 2014. Posted in DIY, Window Treatments. 4 Comments on 9 Ideas for DIY Window Treatments

Since the older kids have been back in school, I’ve been cleaning + organizing like a mad woman! It’s bittersweet not to have them home throughout the day, but it’s been nice getting the house back in order. As I’ve been making my way room by room, for some reason I’ve been paying extra attention to the window treatments and realized that almost every window “dressing” (with the exception of 2) have been DIY projects. Either I made them from scratch or partly DIYed them making them truly one-of-a-kind.

I’m a big believer that window treatments make (and break if not done right) a room and that something is needed on every window in the home. Whether a roman shade, a long panel, or a sheer, dressing up a window will truly bring everything in a room together and complete the overall look.

Since I have created so many one-of-a-kind treatments (most I have shared tutorials for, some I haven’t and will in this post), I thought I’d document them all in one place… alas this post on 9 Ideas for DIY Window Treatments.

tutorial: Add stripes to a curtain using paint

Many of the DIY window treatments that I’ve created have been inspired by spaces I’ve seen + loved. Instead of going custom which is typically big $$$ bucks, I try to figure out a way to get the look but for MUCH LESS. First up, are my fabulous living room/office panels. I was inspired by this space…

The thin-line striped panels were quite unique and I loved how they added a pop of color, yet didn’t overwhelm the space. To make my own panels, I took a simple white panel (from Ikea) and painted the stripes using the same color as the walls.

Here is the result…

tutorial: Add decorative trim to store-bought curtain panels

Another idea to creating a designer-looking window treatment at a fraction of the cost is to add a leading edge. For this window, I sewed on a fun fabric to the panel edges (top, side, and bottom). Not only does the new fabric draw the eye in, but I was able to make the panel longer so the rod can sit higher on the wall. Remember high and wide is best —> read more about that in this post!

tutorial: Drop cloth panels with a leading edge detail

Sometimes I jazz up window panels that I buy at the store and sometimes I make them from scratch. One of my favorite fabrics to work with is drop cloth. Yes, painters use it for covering floors and furniture, but I use it to make things… like window treatments. For this DIY window panel, I made a panel (no need for lining it because drop cloth has good weight), then added a leading edge detail on top of the drop cloth fabric (instead of adding it to the edge like the pink panel above).

This is a close-up of the edging detail…

tutorial: Lined window panels using drop cloth material

Since we’re on the topic of making panels from scratch, these DIY window treatments are lined panels I had originally made for the master bedroom, but recently moved to the dining room. Again, I used drop cloth, but this time I used it to line the back of the panels so they are heavier and block the sun.

These drop cloth-lined panels now “dress” the dining room windows…

tutorial: Drop cloth box valance with greek key detail

Another drop cloth window treatment (i heart drop cloth), but this time instead of a long panel I created a box-style valance for my master bathroom.

{This bathroom was recently featured in Kitchen + Bath Makeovers magazine}

tutorial: Faux roman shades

ONE MORE drop cloth DIY window treatment I created are the faux roman shades that are also in my dining room. I love the look of layered window treatments, so the roman shades I created look beautiful with the handmade window panels.

tutorial: Adding a leading edge

This DIY window treatment is similar to the project I shared above (#2), but the leading edge is only on the front edge of the store-bought panel. Why? Because the rod could only be hung at a specific place because of the window configuration, so if I had added a leading edge to the top and bottom as well, it would have been too long! These custom (for me) panels were a recent project for the master bedroom refresh that I tackled earlier in the year.

Adding a leading edge using woven trim (instead of fabric)

Another DIY window treatment that I didn’t share a tutorial for, but is super easy to do, are the panels I made for more my boys bedroom makeover (which I just finished). For these window treatments, I used white cotton Ikea panels (same panels as #1 above) and added a 1″ wide woven trim to the edge.

Using black thread (to match the woven trim), I sewed the trim on directly to the edge of the panel and this is the result…

So simple and the perfect way to dress up a plain ole’ curtain!

Two tone window panels with decorative trim detail

Last, but not least, new curtain panels that I’ve NEVER shown on the blog. These DIY window panels are the most recent I’ve made for my daughters’ bedroom. They replaced the fuschia panels (#2 above) when we recently created the nursery nook for baby #3. I haven’t put together a final reveal of the room changes, but promise to do so very soon – be on the look out. Anyway, to create the nursery nook, we removed the 3-in-1 play tent and when doing so I was left with lots of fabric. So I did some altering + sewing, and created new panels.

These panels are super cute and perfect for a girls room! I used a sheer fabric (with a pretty design) for the top section, then a solid cotton fabric for the bottom section. At the point where the two fabrics meet, I added decorative trim using a combination of a 1/2″ wide ribbon + white pom-pom trim.

So there you have it. 9 different DIY window treatments. All in my home.

My designer advice: Don’t leave your windows “undressed”. Choosing a window treatment can sometimes be a bit daunting, but use inspiration to guide you. And never be afraid of updating a store-bought window treatment to achieve a custom, designer look. The smallest change is sometimes all that is needed. Lastly, if you can’t find it, DIY it!

DIY: How-To Hem (no sew) and Add Stripes to Curtains Using Paint

Written by Jenna on February 19, 2013. Posted in DIY. 20 Comments on DIY: How-To Hem (no sew) and Add Stripes to Curtains Using Paint

I hope you had a great weekend! I know it’s Tuesday, but since my husband and kids had off yesterday for President’s Day, it feels like the first day of the week for me. In spite of having a no-plan weekend, the 3 days flew by and we were majorly busy (new projects, photographing others, food shopping, car buying, etc.). How does 36 hours fly by that fast? Anyway, since showing you my newly created home office / family room last week, I’ve got a slew of DIY projects to share. First up…

A ‘how-to’ on how I hemmed and created the thin-striped curtain panels (I know a few of you have excitedly been awaiting this tutorial). I was surprised how easy they were to create and they look like they cost alot of $$$ (but they totally didn’t).

When the royal blue walls were complete last Summer, I knew white curtains would be a great, striking complement. Thankfully, I had an extra pair of panels from my son’s room that were purchased from Ikea 5+ years ago.

I wanted to jazz up the white panels a bit though, and at first thought of a leading edge similar to what I created for my daughter’s room. As more ideas developed, I had seen this living room and pinned it a while back. The thin-striped lines stuck in my head and I knew they would be just the touch to add interest to the stark white panels, yet not overwhelm the room. I’ve seen many striped fabrics in window panels lately, but I wanted something softer and thought thick horizontal lines would be too heavy for the space since the dark blue walls are dramatic enough.

The area for where the new curtain panels were to go, started out like this…

To begin, I hung the white panels on the dark wood rods that were already in place.

Nope they didn’t work.

The dark rod blended in too much with the wall, and the panels looked so low and squat. It totally went against my rule of thumb on how best to hang a curtain.

Onto the idea #2.

Because of the window height, I couldn’t put a decorative rod above (there wasn’t enough room), so instead I bought a $3 basic metal pocket curtain rod.

I created the “pocket” at the top of the curtain (fold over top edge, sew or use fusible tape to create a pocket of about 2″ for the rod to slip through). Then the panels had to be hemmed at the bottom because they were too long.

Here’s my quick tutorial on How-To Hem a Curtain ~

1. With your curtain hung on the rod, loosely pull the bottom of the panel and add 2-3 pins at the spot where the panel hits the floor plane.

Hint: Don’t pull the panel tawt because if you pin and sew at that point, your panels will result too short. You want to leave the panel(s) loose, so it just grazes the floor (this is how I feel a curtain panel looks professional. It’s not a must, but it’s my opinion).

2. With the 2-3 pins indicating the line for which to hem the panel, I used a measuring tape to keep the same length and added more pins all the way across the width of the panel.

O, and did I tell you the good part about this project – I didn’t use a sewing machine. I was totally feeling lazy that day! You can of course, but it’s not a must. That’s a major plus for my non-sewing friends!

3. Using fusible tape, I folded the bottom edge underneath and hemmed at the line of the pins.

Here’s the result…

Yes, much better!

A perfectly tailored window curtain panel that just grazes the floor. Super easy!

Ok, so now on to the 2nd part of this tutorial…

How-To Add Stripes Using Paint ~

FYI – you could totally skip step one if you have already have the perfect length curtain and you can skip this step if you have no interest in adding stripes. Just thought I’d share that tid-bit 😉

For this part of the project, I used the following materials:

Painters Tape
Wall Paint that is the same color as the wall
Paint Brush
Measuring Tape

1. To start off, I determined how many stripes I wanted and the width of the stripes.

4 stripes and 1″ wide.

I layed my curtain panel on the floor and using a little math (big UGH), I determined my stripe placement. Using painters tape (because it’s easy to remove), I marked the 4 stripe locations.

2. Then I added the painters tape and my measuring tape to create the 1″ wide stripe.

3. * Important part!

Once the tape is in position, it’s important to press hard on it like you’re burnishing it into the fabric. You want to make sure the tape is sealed so the paint doesn’t seep underneath. I ‘burnished’ the edge with my nail.

4. Then using the wall paint that I used in the room (Benjamin Moore Van Deusen Blue), I painted on the stripes using a craft brush. I did not add anything to the paint to make the medium different. It’s straight paint on fabric!

Once all four stripes were done, I took off the tape. Some of the areas weren’t completely dry, and that’s okay.

5. When setting up the stripes for the second panel, I layed both curtains side by side so they were perfectly aligned. Then, by eye, I created the stripes on panel #2.

Once they were completely dry, they were ready to hang, and admire! #happygal

The bamboo shades (which I got from Payless Decor) are a fantastic compliment to the stark white window panels and white moulding trim. You may have seen the bamboo shades in other parts of my home (check this post out) and I adore them! They are of great quality (and an awesome price). The darker hue and texture (which is kind of difficult to tell in the picture because of the natural light coming through) are just gorgeous. On my windows you’ll find the tibet color.

O, and if you like it, would you pin it or share it? Thanks a bunch!

Have questions? Don’t be afraid to ask – I’d be happy to help!

Want to see more drapery projects?

Then you might want to check out this post on Adding Decorative Leading Edge Trim to Curtains ~

Or this project on How-To Make Curtains from Scratch and Line them with Drop Cloth~

Of course you’ll want to know How-To Best Hang Window Drapery Panels, right?

Thanks for checking out my 2-in-1 tutorial! What a great Tuesday!

Have you ever tried painting on fabric? What about embellishing window treatments? Or even making your own curtains? Share your creations with me – would love to see them!

I link my projects to some of these parties: Skip to My Lou, Dittle Dattle, Between Naps on the Porch, Todayâ€™s Creative Blog, Stories of A to Z, All Things Heart & Home, House of Hepworths, Finding Fabulous, The Shabby Nest, Serenity Now, Tatertots and Jello, Thrifty Decor Chick, Tip Junkie

DIY: How to Make Simple Lined Window Drapery Panels

Written by Jenna on November 8, 2011. Posted in DIY, Sewing, Window Treatments. 52 Comments on DIY: How to Make Simple Lined Window Drapery Panels

For the past few months, I’ve been thinking about doing some updates to my bedroom. There’s nothing “wrong” with it, but some of the elements – window treatments, pillows, pictures – have been around for a while and you know me, I always need something to change or update!

First thing on the list? Window Treatments.

The ‘before’ window panels were from our previous home and the length has always been an issue since I repurposed them in this space. They are beautifully lined panels from Pottery Barn (with matching pillow covers), but I was just ready for a change!

This is how they looked before~

Well actually the window treatments were the second on the list, first came the fabrics.

After having a concept in my head, I was on the search for new fabrics. I was stuck on the color of dusty-gray-blue. Because my interiors are mostly on the warm side, I wanted to bring in some cooler tones. I combed the net, searched in fabric stores, and found nothing that appealed to me. Then I made a random trip to Joanne Fabrics one day, and found this fabric which was very inspiring, but totally not the dusty-blue that I had desired.

O well, I loved it and a few fabrics later, I was out the door and ready to start my transformation.

Before I begin the step-by-step tutorial, I wanted to mention that I decided to line the window treatments, but it isn’t a must for drapery panels. Even though they were not going to be functional, meaning I wasn’t planning on moving them each day/night to block the light, I still wanted them to have a more substantial feel and heavier weight. I decided to use drop cloth material because it was the least expensive and I knew from my other projects that drop cloth would really give the panels more substance and hang better.

Making Lined Drapery Panels

1. I started off by measuring the height from the floor to my existing drapery rod. Once the height was determined, I added about 12″ of additional fabric which gave me some “play” for alterations in later steps. I layed out the fabric and using my cutting board, clear ruler, and fabric cutter, to measure the length of fabric needed for three panels.

FYI: At this point, measuring does not need to be perfect, because it will be altered later. That’s the beauty of these panels!

The measurement from my floor to the drapery rod was: 78″, but to allow for enough fabric I made each panel 90″

2. Once the main fabric is cut, lay the right side of your main fabric onto the right side of the lining fabric (in my case, I used drop cloth material because it was the least expensive. For $16, I got one piece of drop cloth that was 9′ x 12′).

Before cutting, make sure ALL YOUR FABRICS ARE IRONED! Once ironed, use your main fabric as a template and cut the lining fabric to the same size.

3. Once both fabrics are IRONED and CUT, pin around the edge of the entire panel.

4. Similar to making a pillow, sew around the 4 sides, except leave a 6-8″ opening at one of the shorter ends, so you can pull the right sided fabric through.

After sewing around, pull the fabric through to the right side.

5. Once pulled through to the right side, iron all the edges and seams so the panel is nice and crisp! Now that the main part of the lined drapery panel is complete, they are ready to be hung and altered. There are numerous ways to hang window panels, but I decided to use a basic rod and hang the panels using clip rings.

6. To determine the height for the window panel, measure from the floor to the top of the clip (not to the top of the ring). Take the unfinished side of your panel and clip the rings to it. Then adjust the height of the panel up or down, so the panel either just hits / skims the floor OR leaves a slight puddle on the floor (I decided to have them just hit the floor).

The one side of the panel is still unfinished (that’s okay), and here’s how it will look from the back.

Now let’s finish this up…

7. It’s time to trim and finish the top. Measure down about 4-5″ from the crease where the rings are clipped to. Trim the rest.

8. (a) With the rings left on, remove the panel from your rod and head back to the ironing board. (b) First, iron in between the rings to get a crisp line. Then remove the rings and iron the entire crease. (c) Open the crease and fold over the top edge twice creating a finished edge. (d) Close the crease, iron and pin edge so it can be sewn.

8. Then sew along the bottom edge of the “flap”.

Reinstall the drapery rings and the lined window panels are complete and ready to hang.

The wall of windows and the entire view of the three lined window panels…

One more time…here is the before and after~

And if you didn’t notice, I got rid of the sheers and replaced them with functional wood roman shades – such a better look!

I’m still in the midst of this master bedroom makeover and I’ll be sharing more soon, so stay tuned!

I link my projects to some of these parties: Skip to My Lou, Dittle Dattle, Between Naps on the Porch, Todayâ€™s Creative Blog, Stories of A to Z, All Things Heart & Home, Savvy Southern Style, House of Hepworths, Finding Fabulous, Creation Corner, The Shabby Nest, Tatertots and Jello, Funky Junk, Under the Table & Dreaming