Window Treatment Ideas on a Budget

With so many ready made curtain panels available these days, you’re bound to find some that you’re drawn to that will enhance the overall feel in your space.

A simple way to customize ready made curtain panels is to add a little bit of coordinating fabric.

For Ellie’s nursery space, her bedding set included a window valence. I simply stitched the valence pieces onto the bottom edges of ready made curtain panels I’d already purchased.

(If you’re afraid to tackle even a simple stitch, don’t fret! We have a complete tutorial on how to hem curtains with NO sewing. This method will also work to add fabric to a curtain panel like these.)

Not only did this tie the elements in the room together, but it also allowed me to lengthen the curtain panels. In fact, I was able to hang them to the ceiling and still reach the floor.

Here’s a look at another window treatment idea where I stitched rows of upholstery webbing onto ready made curtains.

Positioning the webbing above the window really helps draw the eye upward and gives the illusion of taller ceilings.

Window treatment ideas using paint! I kind of have a thing for paint! I feel like paint is the most cost effective way to update and give any room a refresh.

This is true for wall color, refinishing furniture, updating artwork or picture frames and hey, why not paint curtains?!

Should I be embarrassed to admit that we’ve painted 14 curtain panels?

*You will want to mix an appropriate ratio of fabric medium into your paint to get the best bond possible and get the paint down into the fabric fibers. We used regular latex paint that we picked up at Home Depot. You can read more about using fabric medium in any of these posts.*

Painting stripes on curtains is probably the easiest method. Simply measure how far you want each stripe to be, mark and tape off each stripe and paint.

Stenciling curtains, a more time consuming option, definitely gives you a big bang for your buck!

My Mom and I painted 8 of these several years ago! Crazy I know, but when you’re in your first home and on an extremely tight budget, you do whatever it takes to add some style to your home!

To get our tips and tricks on how to stencil curtains (or other fabric projects), including a video tutorial, see the original post here.

By the time this teen room came along, we’d already tackled painting 12 curtain panels.

Surely we’d be pros by now right?

Well…even after all that practice we learned some valuable Do’s and Don’ts while painting these polka dots!

Overall, I’m really happy with the way they finally turned out and the lessons learned along the way.

To see how we turned this IKEA hack from Fail to Fab, see our full tutorial here.

We tend to favor a full curtain panel (as you probably figured out by now).

However, this window treatment idea adds just enough texture and interest to add to the theme of this room, without flowing to the floor.

This canopy was made to frame out the window and shutters for this French Cafe themed room.

Black stripes were painted onto a drop cloth, and rounded edges were cut with pinking sheers. Then the fabric was secured to a simple wood frame and attached to the wall.

It doesn’t take much, but adding even just a small amount of fabric around the window really does add interest to the space and softens any harsh lines.

Window treatment ideas using embellishments.

Using ready made curtain panels saves a lot of time (and in many cases, money).

Another simple way to customize ready made curtain panels is to add embellishments.

Gems from a bracelet and grosgrain ribbon were all these otherwise simple panels needed to make a statement in this room.

Now they have just the right amount of glam and elegance.

Curtain panels or other window treatment ideas other than a blind or shutter are usually forgotten when it comes to the bathroom.

In this space a bamboo roman shade covers the window adding a touch of texture.

If space allows, you may consider adding an element of fabric. Even though these curtains are white on a white wall, they add just a little bit of texture to an otherwise “cold” space.

Curtains in the bathroom adds much needed softness to the space, breaking up all the hard surfaces from the cabinetry, counters and floors.

(To see this inexpensive bathroom makeover, click here!)

The kitchen is also another space in the home featuring multiple hard surfaces.

A full length curtain panel here may not be practical depending on the design and layout of your space.

But adding a simple roman shade to the windows, or french doors adds a little pop of color and again helps to break up all the hard surfaces while softening the feel in the space.

There is nothing unique about these curtain panels, other than the fact that they are hanging in a bay window.

Don’t let the layout or architecture of your space limit you.

Incorporating these curtains added so much to this room! Before the walls were bland and the windows felt naked!

To learn how easy it is to hang curtains in a bay window see our tutorial here.

Any style of curtain will dress up the windows in a bay.

The previous curtains were ready made panels with grommets, giving a more modern feel.

These curtains have pleats and are hanging with curtain rings.

Both versions work and look great!

To shop the look of any of these window treatment ideas tap each image below for more info.

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