IDEA GAL - Curtains

I like to think of myself as an “idea person”, meaning I can often come up with a creative way to solve a design or repurposing problem. (Also meaning that sometimes I’m better with the ideas than the accomplishment.  See personality definition for INTJ - it’s a thing, I swear!)  Anyway, here are some ideas I have, specifically curtain solutions (I promise something different another time).  Bonus, I actually accomplished these ideas and have the pics to prove it…

(I promise to add better tutorials in future - I did all of these projects long before a blog was even on my radar.)

1. You followed the brilliant idea of hanging your curtain rods wider than the window frame so that the curtains don’t block the window when open.  However, curtains are now not wide enough to cover the whole rod when closed?  Idea gal to the rescue!  Here’s what I did. 

BEFORE:

AFTER 1:

AFTER 2:

Sadly, it's a bit hard to tell how skimpy the curtains were when closed before I added the brown fabric to the sides.  It was bad, though....  To fix that, I just bought one more curtain panel by the same company(West Elm), in a coordinating color (brown), since my initial color (burnt orange) had been long discontinued.  I split that puppy down the center, and sewed the unfinished end underneath the finished ends of the original curtains.  It really turned out great, and I actually prefer the two-tone look to the original look.  (These photos show some other changes I've gradually made to this room, too - more in another post on what I did.)

2. Want to refresh those tab top curtains?  Check out my cheap solution. (Sadly, I don't seem to have my before picture, but I PROMISE to improve the before pics!)  

BEFORE: Imagine all yellow, tab top curtains.

AFTER:

So, to do this, I cut off the tab tops, turned that side into the bottom curtain side, then went back to the new "top" side of the curtains by folding over the edge to make a new "tunnel" to run the curtain rod through.  Then I measured how long the curtains needed to be (I wanted a floor-grazing look) and added some charcoal gray fabric I had received as a gift.  I finished the side and bottom edges of the fabric nicely, and voila!  Updated curtains for $0!

3. Those bargain Target curtains for the baby’s room look nice, but baby NEEDS room-darkening curtains to nap.  Got that one handled, too (although I’m sure you can do a better job with yours).  

BEFORE (and actually after, also, as it doesn't appear different from the front):

AFTER:

(See the ecru lining added?)

(Unsewed side)

(Sewed side)

Basically, I measured my existing curtains, then waited until I had a great 50% on any fabric coupon from Joann Fabrics, since it takes quite a bit of fabric, then the nice lady at the store helped me estimate how much I needed to buy ), then I just cut the darkening pieces out an inch smaller than the existing curtain and sewed with matching thread next to the existing seams.  I first sewed the top and both side edges down, but then learned that it seemed to work better to just sew the top and ONE side edge, so there wasn't any gapping from my seams not being lined up perfectly.