Welcome to Day 6 in our How to Decorate series! Okay, I’m going to try and introduce Justa (a.k.a. Chris from Just a Girl) without posting her entire blog onto this post, but I’m not guaranteeing anything. Chris was my first blog crush (which is still going strong mind you) and one of the main reasons I started home blogging. She is a true kindred and dear friend who possesses a razor sharp wit and an amazing eye for design.
Here are a few of my favorite JAG projects:
Coastal bathroom redo. Do you see that blue ceiling? that burlap art? the beadboard walls? Perfection I tell you!
Board and Batten Dining Room. Oh yes, I had seen many-a-board-and-batten before Chris’, but this sealed the deal for me that I must do my own!
Craft Room. The place where Chris creates beautiful things is also incredibly beautiful! Go figure!
Okay, I could go on and on here, but I’ll restrain myself. Today, Chris is going to share with us how to make gorgeous window treatments on-the-cheap. Everyone have their notebooks open and highlighters in place? Good. Let’s begin!
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Ohhhh….you might know how I feel about Beth by now. She’s the jelly to my peanut butter; the milk to my cookies; the soy sauce to my rice? I think I’m hungry. I also think that I just adore Beth, and I would gladly do whatever she tells me to! I’m more than happy to participate in her blogger series! Let’s begin, shall we?
Window treatments. Ugh! I know we love them, but my goodness can they be a problem or what? I just counted, and I have 29 windows in my house. Say wha?? Let’s just say I’m selective about which ones get window treatments. So the question is, how can we sprucify our windows without breaking the bank? I’ll tell you my dirty little secrets.
#1. RIG it! Who has the money to buy custom curtains for every window out there? With all the shapes and sizes, sometimes half the battle can be finding just the curtains you need for that particular space. I found a set of sheer panels at Target for $5.00 recently, but they weren’t substantial enough to fill the space for two windows in my craft room.
I had some white muslin on hand (doesn’t everyone?), so I did what any sane person would do. I cut the sheers in half, and I cut the muslin in half. That gave me four panels of each. Once I threaded them onto the curtain rod, they blended in to each other perfectly. I had the weight that I wanted, but I didn’t have to go out and spend hard earned money on a space that really didn’t deserve it.
#2. TACK it! Technically this is still a “rig it” option, but it involves more hardware. I bought this remnant of fabric a year ago with the intention of making it into throw pillows. Ehhh…not in the mood.
I took little upholstery tacks to tack the top portion right into my wall. Then I just gathered the fabric and secured with a push pin. I would highly recommend a safety pin if these are in a more used space, but these never get a human within 4 feet of them. Plus, it was all I had on hand. I hot glued the trim on the bottom. Don’t hate.
#3 TRIM it! Speaking of trim…it’s easy peasy to add a little spunk to a plain panel. Find some inexpensive trim and attach. How do you attach? Well, if you want to do it right, you would sew. If you want to do it like me (which is clearly not right), you would hot glue or use some fabric adhesive.
While I was happy that I found these curtains for a total of $15.00, they were a little blah. I found some feathery, fluffy trim at Hobby Lobby, and (again) hot glued it to the edges.
On a side (yet ever so useful) note, Janelle does what I do but it’s always better. She’s like the teacher who does the art project just perfectly. I’m like the student who wishes mine would look as good as hers. You hear what I’m sayin’?
And finally?
#4. USE what you have on hand. Since the point is to save money, yet make things beautiful, you may have to get a little clever as to where you find your materials. Case in point? I bought these panels for my daughter’s room, and I totally bought the wrong length. Woops.
Hoping not to spend any money, I added a dust ruffle from my daughter’s old bedding, I was able to make the length just as I wanted it. And I was able to do it for free. Bonus!
I really think the list could go on and on, but this should get you started if you’ve hit a window treatment roadblock. Thank you to Beth for letting me stop by!!
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Let’s summarize today’s lesson shall we? You need to rig it, tack it, trim it, and use it! I love these tips and implement all of them frequently! How about you? Ever hot glued on some trim? Think you might try it? Talk to me and please be sure to show some comment love to Chris!
Tomorrow we hear from the amazing Kate! Did you miss a day in our How to Decorate series? No worries! I have them all here for you!
Helen @ Blue Eyed Beauty Blog says
I really love what she did with those curtains in her craft room!
Casey says
I love the color of the walls in your daughter room. Can you recall what the paint color is?
Lesli @ BeautifullyCoastal.com says
I’ve not tried it, but I’m gonna! Thanks 😉
Denise Bryant says
I have been searching for the perfect tree and you have it on your wall. Please tell me where you got it. Thanks! Oh and I am your new blog stalker….loved everything you did.
The Old Block House says
I love your little girl’s room. The tree is amazing.
Logan @ LifeforDessert says
I’m still in a bit of a new blogger fog and didn’t know about Chris before! In about 2 secs gonna jump over and give her some follower love but not before I say that I just LOVE people who make up words like “sprucify” and use an old dust ruffle to make darling curtains. Seems to me that Chris is definitely much more than “just a girl!” Loved the post! Thanks Beth for sharing and for the introduction!
Melissa G. says
I am currently working on my living room. I really want to do some roman shades or something with a little more pizazz than the very blah (but not horrible) treatments I’ve currently got going. I’ve seen some great roman shade tutorials online. Now I just need to find the right fabric. I’m having trouble finding something to look good with my naples yellow walls, and bold wood trim. I loved your tips. My home is a very DIY home. We have redone the kitchen and bathroom ourselves, and now we are onto our living room. It seems like it is those last accessories and touches to windows, etc that are the hardest part of it all.
Ashley @ DesignBuildLove.co says
LOVE this post! Dying to do some curtains for our master and just haven’t nailed down the look just yet. 🙁
Julianne @ Repurposed Life says
Great post! I just had the same problem with curtains in my house being too short, so I added some turquoise fabric to the bottom I had purchased for pillows and it worked great!
repurposedlifedesigns.blogspot.com
Megan says
BEAUTIFUL! I love all of these. I’ll be checking out her blog from now on. thanks!
beth says
Chris is my bloggy BFF. If you like my blog, you will LOVE hers!
Vanilla Bean Crafts says
Loving this series Beth! Thanks! I’m in love with board and batten!!
Tote says
What great ideas! I really have to try these, you make them look so easy!
Susan (Tote)
Jeri says
Thank you so much for sharing! What a fantabulous idea!!! I love when there are options to using a sewing machine..I never paid attention in those Home Economic (How to be a wife) classes in Junior High lol
Debbie@refreshrestyle says
Just a Girl, is just Great! Love the rig it system, it’s one of my favorites too! Thanks again for more great ideas~I haven’t missed a one of them!
Debbie
Stephanie Dix says
I’ve used shower curtains before, too. Cut them if half, sew up the raw edges and hang them on your rod with cute shower curtain rings. Easy. Cheap.
Laura says
LOVE the curtain with dust ruffle idea! I have some sheers in my dining room that are too short and plan to add something to the bottom now. Never used fabric adhesive before (I don’t sew). Is it easy to use? What’s the best type? Suggestions for fabric that would look good on a sheer? Thanks!!!
Richella @ Imparting Grace says
What? Janell’s the teacher and Chris is the student?? Maybe Chris is the student teacher, but for sure she’s more than just a student. She may be Just a Girl, but everything she does is magic!
Thank you, Chris, for sharing some of your secrets here! And thank you, Beth, for a great series.
beth says
Totally agree. Janell is awesome, no doubt, but Chris is no student!
Chris says
I heart you both.
Christin says
Thanks for the GREAT ideas! I have been totally intimidated by window treatments for years. Now I feel like I can tackle them head on! What type of “fabric adhesive” do you recommend? Thanks 🙂
Patricia says
Great ideas. All I did was buy valances for all my windows – and found most of them at Goodwill. If I ever get industrious, I’ll be sure to use these fantastic ideas.
Crystal says
Oh, wow. These rooms are G-O-R-G-E-O-S!! Especially love the curtains with the dust ruffle. 🙂