New Lounge Room Curtains!

As you can see, we have large Plantation Shutter windows across our lounge room wall.  

I love them, but they looked a bit bare.

A while ago I had large drapes hung across them (hand sewn of course), but they seemed to make the room look smaller and didn't feel right.  

So they stayed bare for a while, until I saw a pic of some narrower curtains just on the sides of windows, more just for decoration.  And I do love to decorate! ;)

So this gave me an idea.  Uh-oh I could hear hubby saying. Not another "idea".

I had on hand some black curtain rod ends I had purchased for 20 cents a packet, unopened. And I had some spare white curtain rods and brackets, so I gave them a coat of black spray paint and taped them together with black electrical tape to the right length. (Let me tell you the tape worked a charm!)  The curtain I purchased at Freedom a few weeks ago in a sale basket for $3.50.  Yep, I could hardly believe my eyes either.  There was only one, but for that price, I knew I could use the fabric for something. 

I cut off the strip with the metal rings on it, then cut my single curtain in half.  I then hemmed all the loose edges.   

I had some spare white sheet fabric that I literally tore into strips leaving raw edges.  Then I evenly spaced and sewed them to the top of each curtain.  Then I double knotted them round the curtain rod ends.  

The curtain was a long drop to begin with, but after cutting off the ring top edge I wanted to give back a bit of length.  Enter my white sheet fabric again, in the form of a double layer ruffle. (I know, could do with an iron.) Otherwise, perfect!

I love how they add some texture and interest to an otherwise bare window.

So I now have some really cute quality curtains for the bargain price of approx $4.00.  :)

On a side note, the foot rest/seat in the calico fabric under the window is my Ikea knock off.  

Ikea Foot Stool

It's a chest underneath and the seat is made out of the padding of my son's old flip out lounge. Thankfully he hasn't missed it yet. ;)  I had to keep it a bit flatter on top as it would have been too high as a foot stool otherwise.  The fabric is calico which I sewed based on the Ikea style design with the fabric handles and pleated base.   Not a bad effort for approx $8 spent on fabric.