Tired of your curtains or drapes? Are you looking for some fast, easy changes to update and add some flair to your window treatments?
Here’s some ideas to add embellishments to your window treatments, adding more of your personality and flair to your home.
Add More Window Treatments
The first is to add additional window coverings. For instance, if you have long drapes, like tab topped curtains, add a swag or valence.
A swag can be anchored in the upper corners of your window with decorative knobs or posts. It will hang and drape down the sides of your curtains and scoop across the front.
For an accent swag, choose fabrics to complement your drapes. If your drapes are solid, choose a print fabric. If your drapes are a dark print, choose a lighter accent color within the print.
Valences go at the top of your curtains, and will hide the top of your curtains. Valences can also be in an accent fabric, similar to swags.
Change the Look of Your Window Treatments
The second way to enhance your window treatments is to change the look of your curtains.
One easy change is to alter the hem and make a scalloped edge. There are two ways to do this.
The first way is to make a template of a scalloped edge. Tape it to the curtain bottom to be sure the proportion is correct. Then, undo the current seam for the hem. Re-cut the bottom to the scallop, and re-stitch the hem to the scallop edge. Viola – a new look for your curtains.
The second way to add a scalloped edge is to add gathers along the bottom. First, measure the bottom edge. Now, divide that sum by 4, 5, or 6, depending on which goes into your edge more evenly. For instance, if the hem line is 60″, 6 will go into it 10 times. This will give you 10 gathers, 6″ apart. Or, for 5″ scallops, you will have 11. For 4″ scallops, you will have 12.
Now, starting at one edge, measure in 4″, or 5″, or 6″, depending on how big you want the scallops. Mark with a pin. Continue, dividing the bottom into even sections.
To stitch the scallops, start at the first mark. Stitch perpendicular to the hem line. You stitches will cover the same length as your scallop – 4, 5, or 6 inches. Once you have stitched that distance, gently pull the thread to gather the fabric. Once it is evenly gathered, knot the thread and repeat with all your marks.
Add Embellishments
The final change you can make to your window treatments is to add embellishments. Let’s start with ribbon.
Here’s a really easy change to make – add ribbon accents. You can add a wide border of ribbon to the hem, or if you have tab top curtains, add the ribbon to the tabs. You can even add ribbon tie-backs to the window frame or walls.
For a more detailed change, add beadwork accents. You can add a beaded ribbon fringe to the bottom, sew beads randomly on the fabric, or add beads to the tab top curtains. If you have a valence, consider adding beads to the top or bottom of the valence.
And finally – add some buttons. You can sew button on the bottom edge or randomly on the fabric. If you have tabbed tops, sew a button at the bottom of the tabs on the top of the curtain.
There are many ways to enhance your WINDOW TREATMENTS. Be creative – and change those boring curtains!
Ian Williamson
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-and-family-articles/are-your-curtains-boring–50866.html
Do you like your curtains?
or are they vulgar? i have plain ones. they are boring but practical.
yes I like them I made them
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no i like people to see me naked
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Haha, I love that word – vulgar. Nope – just plain. Got em at Pottery Barn.
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what kinda curtains are we talking here
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Change them! It’ll give you a lift in spirits.
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mine are boring, white and way too short. i need new ones but they are expensive
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not really there pretty plain like yours
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Mine are Ok… Plain and cream. At least they’re not cream with some sort of old lady pattern on them! They do the job.
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i have wood shades
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i have’nt got any, just blinds
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I wont be drawn on the matter
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I don’t have any, i only have blinds lol!!!
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I love mine.They are silk I had them made in Istanbul where its much cheaper.
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Downstairs there see through white, up stairs there are none!!
lol
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nope, I need new ones in my Bedroom
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eh, not so much. I’m measuring and planning for new window treatments very soon.
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i love the curtains in my daughters room….they are really great, the living room curtains make me thimk of africa, and the rest of the m seem to look like table cloths!!!!!
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I don’t have curtains! I have blinds and valances!
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I have blinds and they make noise when the wind blows.
So no, to not really, but they will suffice in these times.
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No I don’t really like them. Mine are just plain and practical too.
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No , they are nice, they hang in my house and I look at them every day. Why would I look at ugly on purpose.
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mine are really cute and funky!i like them.
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The ones in my bedroom are plain too. But I have to go and buy new ones tonight as they’re natural colour and my room is full of daylight at 5am in the morning! Not good and not very practical at the mo.
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I would like some black ones because I get too much light in at night but then they would make my place look small…so I went with those cheap blinds that you see on the windows of private eye offices you see in the movies.
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I don’t have curtains. Just blinds.
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I don’t really any attention to my curtains, though I can tell you that they are not vulgar.
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Took me 3 days putting up the damn curtain rail. I broke 3 masonry bits. Bloody walls are like steal. Yes, they keep the room nice and dark.
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Which ones? I have them all over the apartment…Yes, they are simple, yet flattering…
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I love my curtains.They look so nice,they are white with purple on the sides and with purple ribbons! =))
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I like some of my curtains, some though definately need changing.
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yes
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Mine are so pretty and nonboring.
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yup, i do
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I dont have cutains I have wood or bamboo blinds.
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I love my curtains.
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I do like them but I’d like a change soon just can’t seem to find anything suitable
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I have normal ones.
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Plain and dull ,i don’t like the couch either.
GOD BLESS
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hahaha I have a blanket across my living room window at the moment because my blinds just kinda died. So no, I don’t like that much.
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Yes. Plain white with little floral design.
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I especially like Iron or black ones myself
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no i dont like them
because they r secrets
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I like mine because they look good, Autumn colours, leaf patterned, they’re brand new and they didn’t cost me anything as they were a gift.
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Mine are allways closed at the moment…!
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I don’t have any. They’re lovely.
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I have Silver blinds , they’re very nice!
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i do
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i have purple curtains with a slight pattern on the sewed in the curtain in the same colour i like them
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No i have plain blue ones that need to be shortened
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