If you have bare windows, we have plenty of quick,cheap, easy, and affordable solutions to get you covered.
You'll love these ideas to try in 2014! I hope you find these ideas useful and inspiring to you .... Enjoy it !!!!
Tuck and Fold : An orgami inspired folding technique turns plain window sheers into a one of a kind creation. To create the curtain, purchase two sheer window panels. Cut the first into equal size squares. Lay the other panel on the floor. On the squares, pin opposite corners in the center of the square. Then lay the pinned pieces on the full panel in a pattern of your liking, overlapping the corners slightly. (We repeated an X shape to cover the lower portion of the sheer.) Hand sew centers at the pins.
Flower Power : Take plain white curtains up a notch with a simple flower embellishment. To create the rosettes, trace around a 3-inch diameter drinking glass on the flower fabric. Repeat until you have five same-size circles per rosette. Cut out circles and fold into quarters. Hold all the quarter circles in your hand and stitch together with a needle and thread at the base of the flowers. Create the number of rosettes that you want and stitch them to a pair of curtain panels, alternating heights. Run a bead of fabric glue from the flower to the bottom of the curtain panel. Place a length of green yarn on the glue, wrapping it under the bottom edge of the panel and gluing to the back of the curtain. Cut leaf shapes from green cotton fabric and position next to the yarn. Sew a straight stitch down the center and around the edges to secure.
No-Sew Roman Shade : Made from a miniblind and midweight upholstery fabric, this Roman shade can be assembled in a matter of hours. First, lay the blind on your work surface with the front facing down. Set the length by adjusting the plug underneath the thick bottom slat according to the package instructions. Next, snip away only the strings that connect the slats on both sides. Maintain the slats at 7-inch intervals; snap off and remove the rest. Place the fabric facedown under the blind. Mark the fabric where it folds at the sides, top, and bottom of the slats. Remove the shade and press the fabric folds. Place the fabric under the shade, then glue the sides of the fabric to each slat and the top and bottom edges of the fabric to the top and bottom slats. Use clothespins to hold the fabric in place while it dries.
Embroidered Inspiration : Embroider a favorite saying or quote on curtains to make a fun statement. Measure the width of your panel. Cut kraft paper to that width, and write cursive words or letters on the paper in pencil. Trace the lettering with thick black marker on the paper, then tape the paper to the back of the curtain panel so the letters show through. Trace the words on the fabric using a 4b art pencil or white chalk. Following the lines, embroider a simple straight stitch using all five strands of embroidery floss.
Chevron Shade : Go geometric and paint a chevron design onto a plain shade. To make a chevron stripe, determine the center point of the fabric on the Roman shade, and position the pattern for pleasing symmetry. We allowed for 4-inch stripes. Use a plastic artist's triangle tool (or create your own triangle shape out of cardboard), and pencil to trace lines onto the shade. Use a straightedge to make sure the chevron stripes are level. Tape above and below the pencil line with painter's tape. Repeat for each stripe. Use a brush or roller to paint on fabric paint. Remove the painter's tape and install the shade once the paint is dry.
Embellished Bamboo Blinds : Off-the shelf bamboo blinds become a custom window treatment with ribbon and a little bit of glue gun action. We layered two different types of grosgrain ribbon on the edge of this blind. Glue the middle ribbon on first, then glue on the top and bottom ribbons, overlapping them slightly with the middle ribbon. For all ribbons, tuck the ends under the edge of the blind and secure to the back for a polished look.
Fringed Cafe Curtain : Set your windows apart with dyed linen strips. Start with sheer white linen and cut into strips. Divide the strips into four or five groups. You'll dye each group a different shade. We created five different colors using red and yellow crafts paint. Mix 1 tablespoon of crafts paint to 1 gallon of water and stir. Test the dye on a scrap of linen. Experiment with colors and saturation levels before you dye your final strips. Once you're happy with the color, plunge a length of fabric into the mixture. Remove and hang to dry. Repeat until you're satisfied with the mix of colors. Iron the dry fabric to set the color. Line up the strips in alternating colors, then tie to a curtain rod. Cut the fabric strips to the desired length. (These were cut short to create a cafe curtain.)
Lovely Lace : Get a lush, feminine look on a budget with DIY curtain panels decked out in low cost doilies and lace remnants. To begin, cut sheer fabric into two panels to fit your window. Finish the edges with no-sew adhesive strips. In a bucket, mix fabric dye with water until the desired saturation is achieved, then dunk the doilies in the dye. Remove and let dry, then attach the doilies to the curtain panels in a random pattern using a hot-glue gun. For a cropped look, adhere a few doilies along the edge and trim accordingly. To finish, glue a lace remnant to the bottom of the curtain, leaving an inch or so extra on either side to fold over and finish the edges.
Marbleized Curtains : Create custom marbleized fabric that starts with a design you create on paper. Click the link below to learn how to marbleize paper and then upload your design to a fabric printing service (we used Spoonflower), order your fabric, and sew it into basic drapes.
From All Angles : Plain curtain panels require no more than stitched-on triangles in various hues of satin to become eye-catching. Select a few fabrics in coordinating colors and patterns. Cut out triangles in various sizes, and sew the shapes in a free-flowing pattern.
Patchwork Drapes : Put scraps to use as fresh window treatments. We used sheer scraps to create a soft, shimmery effect. Choose your fabrics, and plot out the pattern for the panels on grid paper to scale. By using grid paper, you can determine the dimensions of each fabric piece you'll be cutting. Label each section according to the fabric used. We used seven different sheers to get this effect. Cut fabric and pin together in rows. Stitch the pieces into rows, then stitch the rows together. Sew a rod pocket and the side and bottom edges to finish.
Tea Towel Curtains : To create these pretty cafe curtains, purchase two 16x24-inch tea towels. Install curtain rods at your desired height. Attach ring clips to the top of the tea towels to hang them from the rod. If the towels hang past the windowsill, measure the fabric, cut off the excess, and hem the towels using a sewing machine or fusible web and an iron.
Dressed-Up Curtain Panels : A cottage style room would look amazing with windows dressed in these flirty curtain panels. Start with purchased panels and add the ruffle yourself.
Accessorize with Tiebacks : For a simple update, give drapery panels a makeover with tiebacks. The easy to make tieback here adds a polished look and a splash of the room's yellow accent color to this window treatment.
Flowy and Fabulous : You can dress up purchased tab-top panels with a bit of trim attached to the edges. Or, get a similar look by making your own panels. You can buy yardage at a fabrics store, but you can also shop for table coverings or linens in the kitchen, bedding, and bath section of your local department store. There you will often find discounted or discontinued fabric items that you can cut up and use as yardage.
Simple Striped Draperies : Striped draperies add interest to this mostly neutral dining room. Striped fabric like this is easy to sew, even for beginners, because the stripes provide straight-line guides. Affixing clip-on rings to the top of each panel ensures they remain easy to take down and clean.
Ombre Drapes : Add waves of color to plain white panels by progressively dyeing with two colors of acrylic crafts paint. We paired deep blue and teal. Dip the damp fabric into a solution of 1 tablespoon crafts paint per 1 gallon of water. Add more paint to the mixture and dip the lower portions of the curtain repeatedly to achieve an intense color.
Tie-Up Valance : When curtain panels won't fit or simply aren't needed, use an easy sew valance like this one to add softness and color. Sew a rectangle to the window size, adding a rod pocket at the top. Stitch a length of wide ribbon on each end of the valance, 4-6 inches from the outer edge. Drape the ribbon over the top of the valance so there is a length of ribbon running down the back and the front of the valance. Stitch the ribbon into place and use each ribbon tail to tie up the fabric.
DIY Ruffled Curtains : You can make these pretty curtains using solid color flat sheets. Cut each panel to twice the window width and 6 inches longer than the desired length. Sew a rod pocket along the top. Hem the panels to floor length. Make the ruffles by cutting strips of fabric twice the width of a panel by 4-1/2 inches tall, then sew a 1/2-inch hem. Sew a basting stitch along the raw edge. Gather the fabric to the width of the panel. Starting at the curtain's bottom hem, pin overlapping ruffles to the panel with hem side down, and stitch them into place. Attach the top ruffle upside down, right sides together, and flip over to hide the raw edge.
