I'm hooked on curtains. I love the various options available in window fashions both pre-made and one-of-a-kind. The creativity factor that can be employed when creating a window dressing leaves room for wild imagination and abandon. The varying natural light fluctuations along with movement caused by a summer breeze are all factors that cause window treatments to have a life of their own. With varying window sizes, trims and styles you can really treat each one as a unique canvas when it comes to adorning them.
Ready-made in most any shade
If you don't sew but want a somewhat traditional look you might want to consider ready-made panels. Fashionable panels are easy on the budget and there are great options available in today's market. Whether tab-topped, pinch-pleated or with oversized grommets, ready-made panels from shops like Blue Moon Evolution are a great option over custom draperies. While in most department-style shops you are limited to the sizes and colours available, Blue Moon offers ready-made panels that can be customized for width and length for those hard-to-fit windows. The panels pictured here are tri-coloured in tomato red, gold and champagne and shimmer in soft light. Their simple elegance suits this homeowner's taste and budget.
Home-made
Raw silk curtains give this living room an added touch of elegance.
Creating your own window work of art is easier than you think. These days, simple caf © curtain clips can make short work of any window-treatment dilemma. You can use curtain clips on a simple straight rod to hang any interesting piece of fabric, such as a colourful silk Sari, to create a one-of-a-kind window dressing for your home in an instant. Bed linens, lace tablecloths, quilts and shawls are just a few ideas for items that can be used for this application.
Look Ma, no hooks
By draping interesting fabric over a simple rod, you can forgo the curtain hardware altogether. Try new things like halving a round lace tablecloth over a straight rod to create a crescent-shaped window dressing, for example. The lace itself will provide an interesting pattern with the sun filtering through and the unique shape of the window treatment will be a fresh take on things. Think outside the square "window covering" box.
And sew on...
Any window dressing that you buy or make can be further adorned to make it truly distinctive. Lengths of small beaded trim can be added to the curtain head to jazz up the tops or to the sides or bottom to cause visual movement. Add a second colour to one colour panels by sewing a large width of fabric in a contrasting colour to the top or bottom of a plain panel. (If the panels are somewhat flimsy, adding fabric to the bottom will help them hang properly.) To add pattern and/or texture to a plain panel, hand-sew glass beads in a random pattern throughout the panel to add a touch of "glass." If the fabric you're using is a loose weave or lace, run lengths of satin ribbon (or whatever you wish to use) throughout the weave (or along the edges as trim) to add colour and shimmer to the fabric.
Weird and wonderful
Beads, silk flowers, small tiles and even small mirrored tiles can each be used to create a truly unique window dressing. I use the term "dressing" here because these aren't going to do much in the way of covering a view or providing privacy, but the outcome can be quite lovely. Adhere beads, bobbles or what have you to lengths of fishing line (which is almost invisible) and suspend several lengths to a curtain rod at the top of a window. What you're left with, depending upon your individual application, are what appear to be "floating" beads, bobbles or what have you. Items like small silk flowers, spaced far enough apart to create a soft pattern, can provide a sense of whimsy in, say, a child's bedroom or nursery. Small mirrored tiles (sanded so that the edges are not sharp) hung in this manner will spin and catch the light in a thousand little points. This is a glam kind of treatment for an old Hollywood d ©cor or funky retro kitchen.
Skip the fishing line altogether and use lengths of beaded bathtub chain (quite inexpensive) cut to desired lengths, hung close together from a length of copper piping (used as a curtain rod) for an industrial look for a modern bathroom. Gather these "curtains" with a length of bendable wire or leave them hanging straight down depending upon your mood. Other items for consideration in this application are: thin strips of faux leather or suede (like the fringe on a jacket), long, colourful shoe laces weighted down with beads so they hang straight (for the sports nut) and so on. You get the picture.
Deal with the pane
Consider not having a window treatment at all and opt instead to have a custom-designed window etching created on a focal window. Large windows on entry doors are a great place for this kind of treatment as it enhances the curb appeal and provides some privacy from inside. You can also try your own hand at this technique using faux etching materials and/or stencils. I prefer temporary applications just in case one changes one's mind and there are some options out there for this kind of glass treatment. Ask at your paint store next time you visit to see what might work for you.
Windows are a blank canvas for your imagination... especially in the summer months when breezes blow and the sun beams in. Have a little fun and create a little whimsy. Maybe the view from your window is better than you think!
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