Do-it-yourself draperies – customize your home on a budget

They say homes without curtains are empty and tedious; and we couldn’t agree more. Window treatments are fundamental if we want our personal space to scream comfort and ease. But then again, the finest draperies are expensive, and the average homeowner can’t afford to spend thousands of dollars every year to change the curtains. Fortunately, now you can use smart tips to make your own shades. Settle on a convenient budget and use the following nifty guidelines to customize your home.

Towel window treatments

Put kitchen towels to good use and make yourself a set of cool drapes for the cooking space. This idea is budget-friendly, convenient and quite easy to craft. All you need for this project to be successful is two regular dish towels; choose a pretty design that can complement the kitchen décor. Prints, patterns and dots might seem like an excellent idea. Next, decide on a curtain rod. Measure the rod beforehand to be sure it matches the length of your windows; now grab a few clips and hook them to the edge of the dish towels. Hang and enjoy the end result!

Jazzy buttoned drapes

There are many ways you can jazz up your curtains without spending a fortune. For this DIY technique, you need old curtains and several colorful buttons in different sizes, shapes and colors. For the project to be successful the initial curtains should feature a neutral color; this will bring out the color of the buttons when sewed onto the fabric. Use buttons to craft flowers and other interesting patterns; if sewing is not your strongest ability, you can always glue the buttons onto your chosen fabric. Use your imagination to come up with the most interesting designs, and make your shades look innovative and out of the ordinary.

Printed Roman shades

Give a twist to your current Roman shades in the living area or kitchen and have them printed; an even cheaper alternative is to use DIY stencil to craft a personal message for your loved ones directly on the shades. Use a permanent marker to do that, and don’t hesitate to play with more than one color. For the printed version, you might want to go to a digital shop with your shades; but don’t worry the price is affordable, so you’re not going to break the bank.

Rickrack panels

Make your neutral living room stand out with these rickrack panels; the tab-top panels will make your personal space seem more dramatic and innovative, not to mention that the shaping of the ribbons adds more movement thus bringing all the focus onto the window treatments. To cool off the effect of the pattern, you might want to choose natural textures and colors for the curtains. Prior to hanging them on the rod, make proper measurements to ensure that the zigzag effect is done properly. The ribbons must be sewed or glued at exact distances from one another.

Floor to ceiling window treatments

Floor to ceiling curtains will make even the smallest rooms seem taller and more spacious. To get this effect you need to reposition your curtain rods. Remove the current ones and place them higher, nearly linked to the ceiling. You might want to change the curtains though, as the old ones won’t even touch the ground. To make this a DIY approach, you can cut in half the ones you already own; re-plaint them to give them a fresh and buy additional fabric for the bottom half. Create contrast and give your home a totally new allure with monochromatic DIY curtains. Go for blends of black and white, yellow and gray, orange and brown, etc. and your shades will completely change the dull vibe of your bedroom or living area.

Customizing your home is a lot easier than you think. It’s all about investing in smart accessories, as well as putting your creativity to good use and making things work. Think outside the box for once and check the web for some more advice on how to DIY your curtains and draperies. Changing a room’s vibe and feel is easy; all you need is a bit of imagination and courage to play with colors, dare to make a change and create the most comfortable environment for your loved ones.

By Paul Trevino and VanessaArbuthnott.co.uk!