If you have shopped recently for window treatments and window hardware then you are well aware of how expensive they can be. I’m always searching for inexpensive ways to dress my windows on tight budget. We all have tight budgets these days, right? You don’t have to sacrifice style for savings! I’m going to share with you a few ways I fake my window treatments.
I have several groupings of windows in my home that are over 7 feet wide. Now I love all the natural sunlight they bring in but drapery rods for that length of window is pricey, like approximately $100 a piece! I made my drapery rods out PVC pipe instead I bought two 10 foot lengths of 2-1/2 inch PVC pipe about 3 years ago for around $4.30 each. Today’s prices are closer to $5 each. I like using the fat PVC because it won’t sag in the middle like skinny pipe will. For center support all you need is a thin, 2 inch nail. Nail it to the wall on an angle, right under the center of your PVC pipe. Paint the nail the same color as your wall and it virtually disappears!
Then I bought two conduit pipe clamps for each “drapery rod” for around $1 each. I then spray painted the PVC pipe and clamps with flat black spray paint, to resemble black iron.
The clamps were screwed into the wall studs and then I slid in the PVC drapery rod. To give it a more finished look, I hot glued the most inexpensive finials I could find to the ends of the painted pipe.
My home office previously had crimson floral drapes hanging in it, but since we gave it a Board and Batten Makeover, I wanted something new. The only problem is that I can’t afford what I really want. That will have to wait awhile. Solution?
Always shop your house first!
We had recently replaced our family room curtains and these striped curtains were packed away. They are four years old and in good condition still. They are the Montgomery Stripe Drapes by PB. But guess what? They wont fit on the PVC pipe. Grrr. Time to move onto Plan B. No problem… I folded each drape into thirds and simply FOLDED it over the top of the pipe. Voila done! Tip: you can do this with twin sheets also. Look for patterns and colors that match well with your décor. And of course, always buy them on sale!
Another window treatment I’ve faked is a No-Sew Faux Roman Shade. I used multiple adhesive hooks from Home Depot and simple drapery rings from Target.
I purchased a gorgeous fabric remnant, folded and bonded it together with stich witchery. (Click the link above for full directions).
It was inexpensive, looked great and best of all… I didn’t sew a thing!
One last way to fake a window treatment that I want to show you is with dish towels! Yep, dish towels.
Be on the look out for good quality linen dishtowels in beautiful prints. I picked up linen grain sack dishtowels from Target last year. I made this Dish Towel Valance in less than 5 minutes with just three dish towels folded over a standard curtain rod. Easiest window treatment ever!
So if money is tight for you, maybe some of these tips and tricks can help! We all can’t live in a Pottery Barn Magazine, but we sure can make it look like we do!
Kim
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Can I just say I LOVE YOU for posting this??!! This is my dilemma right now. Wanting window treatments, but not having the money to spend on them. I have been racking my brain. This could not have come at a better time. Thank you! 🙂
Aww, thank you so much Amanda! I hope some of these ideas work out for you!
a great way to get to use scrumptious decor fabric without to high dollar cost!
great ideas- wonderful fabrics are available in thrift and resale shops.
So pretty and creative! Now if only you could come up with a way around changing out the paint colors in a room! We just moved into a new home a few months ago and have been painting away. The whole house was horrible! I’ve run out of decorating money for now, but hate the color of my master bedroom, although it works with the artwork that we have for our room, I can’t wait to change it! I really love your blog! Keep the ideas coming!
Haha! I can’t help you too much with saving money on paint! (Though Sherwin Williams is having a 40% off Veterans Day sale this weekend! I love their Harmony & Emerald line). Thanks!
Stitch Witchery! Dang, how did I not know about that? Thank you so much, Kim! Beautiful job. 🙂
Thanks Tracy! I do know how to sew and have sewn many window treatments in the past, but I no longer own a sewing machine (and frankly, I’m lazy, lol). Stitch Witchery has worked great!
Love the ideas! We did a similar thing on a rental with an 8ft wide sliding door–needed a functional curtain rod for extra insulation (west facing door!) We used a 1″ electrical conduit pipe that could span the 8ft without sagging (still supported in middle). Since it was just 1″, it still fit the standard rod rings. Conduit is silver/gray in color, so it didn’t stand out.
Such a smart idea! Really, the hardware store has so many inexpensive and manageable options. Thank you!
Oooh.These are awesome!!
The dishtowel curtains are pure genius! I have to find a way to get some sort of curtains on either side of my bedroom windows. I want the real thing, but i don’t want to spend a fortune. Time to use my creativity!
What a clever ideas! If we use long curtains, it can often give a false impression of a higher ceiling, making the room look larger and more elegant and if we use hanging curtain around an art piece would give the whole room a princely touch.
Excellent ideas and beautiful results. Question though: Can you wash curtains (or anything else for that matter) after using stich witchery on them? I don’t own a sewing machine, so this would be a great option if the curtains can be washed.
All great tips. TFS. Always can use some $ saving ideas! 🙂
Awesome tips! I love the PVC pipe tip. I have a large set of 3 windows that I plan to make 4 panels with separate rods for each-this will be a huge savings to me. Love your blog! Hugs, Meghan
You are my new hero! Those are gorgeous and clever! I love the PVC pipe idea the most!
Great ideas! Thank you for sharing!
These are fabulous, Kim, and just in time for those of us sprucing up our homes for the holidays!! Thanks for sharing!
xo Heidi
Great ideas, Kim! Love the way you pull the ‘look’ off ~ perfect.
Great ideas! Conduit piping is perfect for so many things. I like how you sprayed it!
Thank you so much for the idea for the fake Roman shades! That’s awesome!! So great for those odd sized windows! No more ordering special made!
Leslie
House on the Way
Great ideas!
Great ideas, Kim. Love the color the paint in your office! can you share what it is?
Thank you! It is Blonde by Sherwin Williams and the white is Extra White by Sherwin Williams also.
Beautiful!
Seriously, you are a genius! Why hadn’t I thought of using PVC pipe! No one would ever know once its spray painted. I just bit the bullet YESTERDAY and finally finished purchasing drapes and hardware for our front room… $200 later! gah!
Great advice. Living in Florida I have used bamboo as rods for years now.
I have faked a crib bed skirt and toddler bed bed skirt with a balance tucked in on the sides under the matters.
That is valance and mattress…
That is such a smart idea! (great minds think alike!) Have a wonderful weekend Jill and thanks for following along on the blog!
~KIM
Wow, thanks! You just saved my budget. Our new apartment has a wall of windows from one end to the other. It goes from our dining room, passed the living room, across our daughters room and ends with our room at the other end of the apartment. A plus is that on the other side of the window wall is a deck from one end of our apartment to the other. We love it! It faces south and we get beautiful warm sunshine, and views of mountains on clear days. Even the rainy weather has a brightness through the clouds.
The content of your blog has solved our problem for window coverings. Thanks so much! I was about to buy contact paper and create a design, which I can just imagine would have been a disaster no matter how inexpensive the paper is :). PVC pipe is a great answer to these wide window walls.
Hi Cari! What a nice comment! Glad I could help. 😉
I make a sleeve for the PVC piping of the same material as the panels!
Also, I buy fabric remnants at estate/garage sales.
You can use rope balls as finials also in any color and glue to the ends of the rods.
If you have a corner to go around, it is easy to use an “elbow” around the bend.
Those are all fabulous ideas Robin! Thanks for sharing! ~KIM