Managing a rental garden

Revamping Your Window Décor On A Budget

by Glen Shelton

Dressing the windows in your home can be expensive, particularly if you opt for custom-made curtains. However, you can achieve beautiful results and transform the appearance of your windows by customising an inexpensive pair of ready-made curtains. Plain curtains are ideal as a starting point as you won't have to worry about clashing with an existing pattern when you start working on them. Here's an overview of two budget-friendly ways you can use ready-made curtains to transform your windows:

Use Stencils

Using stencils to add a pattern to your curtains is a simple, cheap way to either match the curtains to the theme of the room or create a bold statement that draws attention to your window and makes it a key feature of the room. Stencils are inexpensive to purchase online and are available in near limitless designs. Consider coffee art stencils for kitchen curtains; animal or transport-themed stencils for a child's bedroom; and flowers or geometric shapes for a living room. In addition to your stencils, you'll need a ruler, pencil, masking tape, paint palette, natural sponge and acrylic paint.

Directions

  1. Lay the curtains out on a flat surface. Measure the width of the curtains and your chosen stencils, which will allow you to determine the maximum number of stencil repetitions that can fit across the curtains.
  2. Use the pencil and ruler to make small marks on the curtains that indicate where you will place the stencils. Place your stencil on the curtain and use masking tape to hold it in place.
  3. Pour some of your chosen paint onto the palette and apply it over the stencil using the sponge. Remove the stencil and move it to the next position on your curtain that you marked with the pencil.
  4. Once complete, allow the curtains to dry before hanging to prevent any smudging.

Add Ribbon Edging

Ribbon is an easy way to add a splash of colour and complement existing soft furnishings. Use a single thick strip or several thin strips, each a different colour, positioned side by side if you want a bolder look. In addition to ribbon, you'll need a tape measure, sharp scissors, iron-on hemming tape, an iron and an ironing board.

Directions

  1. Measure the width of your curtains and cut a piece of tape and ribbon to the exact length of the area to be covered.
  2. Place the curtain on your ironing board, lay the hemming tape across the area to be covered by the ribbon and lay the ribbon on top.
  3. Iron the ribbon from the middle of the curtain out toward one edge and then from the middle to the other edge to secure it. You can hang the curtains immediately.

These suggestions are simple, frugal ways to revamp your window décor that don't require sewing skills or much time. If you enjoy crafting, you could also add some other embellishments, such as buttons or applique designs, to your curtains.

Share