Window Treatments for $10 {Tutorial}

Up to this point I haven't done any window treatments in my house.  I figured we'd move out and wouldn't be able to use them, plus window treatments can be pricey!

However, for the nursery, I thought I might be able to scrounge up some window treatments on a budget.  And I did!  I only spent $10 total, including fabric.

I did two windows, this size and one double this width (I only pictured this one because the lighting coming through the other window was too hard to photograph during that time of day). Sorry the photo isn't cuter, but I don't want to picture any of the other parts of the nursery yet, it isn't ready for it's reveal!

These curtains only took me a couple hours from start to finish, including purchasing supplies.  I found the fabric at SAS in Tempe, where they sell remnants of fabric at discounted rates.  I spent less than $5 on the fabric, which was a steal!  It ended up being a great color, and is a popular print that will match the nursery "nautical" theme very well!

Then I headed to Home Depot and got an 8 foot board and had them cut it to size for me.  Between both my windows, I was just under 8 feet for the total width.  I also added on an extra 2 inches to each window, allowing myself an extra inch on each side when they were hung.  Home Depot folks are super helpful (it also helps that I stick out like a sore thumb there...especially with my pregnant belly!), they'll cut anything for you that's bigger than 12 inches.  Take advangtage!  The board cost a total $2.34.

After purchasing these things, I cut my fabric to size, and hemmed under the bottom. 

Then, I stapled the fabric around the board once, going halfway down the board and pulling tight. 

I flipped and did this two more times, to get the exact desired length (I would hold it up to the window to see if I thought it needed to be shortened a few inches, which I did). 

To do the ends, I folded the side similar to a present.  It's easier just to look at the pictures:

Now they are ready to be hung! 

Brett and I went to Home Depot again, and he found some metal framework pieces called rigid tie brackets, that are often used for building things by keeping joints together.  But he thought they would work great, and they were just 75 cents each!  We needed 4. 

He drilled them to the wall.  And at first we thought we would place the curtain in it like a hook, and then nail it, but once we placed it, it felt plenty secure, that we never nailed it down.  But you could if you wanted to. 

And there you go!  Window treatments on a budget!  They really add color and texture to the room.