How to Make $14 Curtains Look Like a Million Bucks

Now that I have your attention, I first want to say thank you, Thank You, THANK YOU for all the sweet comments, mentions, pins and features.  This past week At Home on the Bay was featured on Brenda’s Welcome Wagon at Cozy Little House and was the Friday Feature with Debra from Bungalow.  Then there were all the pins, Michael Wurm from Inspired by Charm pinned the Orange Cake and Sarah from Thrifty Decor Chick and Beckie from Infarrantly Creative pinned the Sunshine window treatment.  The Tip Junkie and Imperfectly Polished mentioned the Sunshine  window treatment as well.  The icing on the cake was all the sweet comments everyone took the time to leave.    To say that I am overwhelmed with gratitude would be putting it mildly.   I really love creating things and sharing the process, and I’m so glad that you are finding it even the slightest bit inspiring.  You guys are truly the BEST!

Now back to those million dollar curtains I enticed you with.  Well … I might have been exaggerating just a tiny bit.  After all, I did have to get your attention so I could gush.  They may not look like you spent a million bucks, but they will look like you spent more than $14.00.

This is embarrassing for me to admit, but I am a bit of a curtain snob.  Okay, I said it … it’s out.   I’m sorry, but I adore beautiful fabric and I admire graceful folds.  Because of my champagne taste and beer bottle pockets, and not to mention my I can make that for less mindset, I usually end up making my curtains.   

In our old house  – I made the curtains in our living room and guest bathroom.

I bought curtains for the Family Room and Dining Room.

The buyer of our old house asked if they could buy them all.  I said yes, even though I loved them, because they fit perfectly with that house.  They really wouldn’t have worked in our new house.

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I’m working on finishing the guest bedroom in our house on the bay and it needs curtains.  I was thinking linen curtains would look nice with the French linen headboard.  Linen panels would be so easy to make.  I figured out that I would need 10 yards of fabric to make four 84″ panels.  I started looking for fabric.  I couldn’t find anything suitable for under $10/yd with the average price more like $15/yd.  That’s $100 – $150 for the fabric and then I still have to sew them! 
 

I hung them up as soon as we got home and stood back to admire my cleverness and there were wrinkles EVERYWHERE.

I grabbed our iron and filled it with water.  Set it on the highest steam setting, and steamed away while they hung.

It worked.  It really, really worked.

The wrinkles started to fade away.

Did you know you can train a curtain so the folds hang evenly?  When they come out of the package they want to do their own thing and it usually isn’t pretty.  To train them, I arranged the folds evenly from top to bottom and then tied them loosely with twine.  You are suppose to leave them for a few days, but I was in a hurry … loosing good light for pictures … so I only left them in for a few hours.

This is what I ended up with.  Okay, so they may not look like a million dollars, but they are perfect to me and that is priceless.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend.