It's Curtains for You!

Make sure to use your best mob voice impression when reading the title to this post. It makes it just that much more fun!

I've had a certain bolt of fabric hanging out in our hall closet (read the post here about the great deal we got from FabricGuru.com) that was just waiting for me to give it some loving attention. After updating the fireplace with some new paint and accessories I decided that it was time to crack open that roll and dish out the new drapes. Here's what we started with:

The paint transformation brought a much more calm feel to the space, but the neutral walls, neutral furniture, and neutral carpet pretty much made it look dead in there. Not exactly what we were going for, but we were far from finished. The second best bang-for-your-buck in transforming a room is curtains (the first would be paint). It's a great way to incorporate some color, texture, and drama. They can really make or break your design under any budget.

Making curtains for a new place has become almost like a tradition for me. It seems like I am always whipping together a pair or two after we get settled in. This house was certainly no exception. Knowing which direction I wanted to take color-wise, I knew that I probably wasn't going to find an affordable pre-made curtain that matched what was looking for. Instead, I opted to see what fabrics piqued my interest, and was thrilled to find exactly what I was looking for at a price that just couldn't be refused.

I'm not a seamstress by any means, but a basic curtain panel is pretty easy to create. These are undoubtedly the EASIEST curtains I have ever made, and it only took me a couple hours. Seriously. Look how fabulous they turned out:

In a word: Love. I. Love. Them. I can't believe how easy they were to make. So easy, in fact, I even made sure to take step by step pictures so I could post a tutorial. If this chick can do it in an afternoon, so can you!

The other thing I love about them is the height they've created for our relatively low ceiling. That was easily achieved by raising the curtain rod above the upper trim of the window, using curtain ring clips to hang the curtains on, and sewing panels that were a smidge longer than your traditional 84" curtain panel.

They look great, and they really fill in the wall and make the already-huge-window look even larger! Now the question I've been asking myself has been whether or not to put a white sheer panel between to cover up the dark wood blinds. Keeping the blinds closed is a must on that window since the scenery of our neighbor's living room isn't quite picturesque. We'd also like to keep our privacy just as much as I am sure they would like to keep theirs.

Now for the price breakdown. The curtain rod and hooks were something that we already had on hand, but I had to purchase some ORB (oil-rubbed bronze) ring hooks to hang the curtain panels from. One pack had 7 clips inside, and cost just $5 each at Walmart. I bought two of them-- one for each side. The fabric I purchased from FabricGuru.com was only $4.95 per yard (!!), and so 6 yards plus shipping ($4.99) put us just under $35. I already had the thread on hand, so for a whopping $45 total, I've got a set of fabulous custom-made Ikat curtains and some leftover fabric to spare. We might be seeing a pillow tutorial popping up in the near future-- keep your eyes peeled.

Now that the window has been dressed up with new drapes, our side tables are looking a bit dark and bare. I've contemplated a small project to not only refresh them (they've got their fair share of bumps and scratches from moving), but also to incorporate some more color to the space. I'd also like to work in some new lighting and add some texture with a few pillows as well. What color do you think will pop the best with the teal? Would you add a filler curtain panel to hide the blinds? Please share your advice!

Want to make your own curtains? Click here to check out the tutorial!