Fun, Unique, and Inexpensive Window Treatments

One area of interior decorating that usually produces high anxiety in most all people is the dreaded window treatment. People think they have to spend an enormous amount of money to have their windows look nice. And let's face it, custom draperies and other treatments can be expensive if it is a luxurious look you desire. Billowing draperies made of silk, linen, or taffeta  are beautiful, and while I love to work with those fabrics and create high end looks for my clients, the creative part of me also tries to talk them into trying something unique and fun ever once in awhile.

This blog post will show you some simple, inexpensive window treatments that are still lovely and unique and will create that "wow" factor for you. Most of these you can make yourself and even the ones you can't will only require a small amount of help. I hope this will help you find an answer to your window dilemma. Try and have some FUN decorating your home!

This is the perfect window treatment for a beach or lake home. It is fun and right on theme.

Tiebacks are perfect the perfect way to bring that "wow" factor to even simple curtains. These are simple, using only rope and a starfish. You could use ANTHING in the beach or nautical line.

Who would have thought an old wooden hanger would have been such a cute curtain rod!! You hang it in the middle to cover your window, and just slide it over to let in the light. This would be really cute on both sides of a window

I love this these wonderful straw hats used as a valence. Put yourself up a peg board and start collecting cute hats. Vintage would be my choice but new ones would be fine too. You can really customize this look.

This is clever if country is your decorating style of choice. You could do several things with this idea such as using old aprons. You come up with some great ideas!!

I think using old lace dresses..... or vintage party dresses......or old tutus and other ballet costumes would be lovely  to use if you wanted a more vintage "girlie"look!!

Stenciling a window is another charming idea. I love this lacy look!

Another fun tieback. To see how to drill a hole in porcelain, check out this link. You will learn how to make a cool lamp as well. http://www.twiggstudios.com/2012/02/diy-tea-cup-lamp-tutorial.html

Lovely lace runners stitched together make a wonderful window treatment.

Add vintage doilies to a sheer for a bit of interest!!

Consider vintage jewelry as a drapery tieback. Can you envision this with a pretty cream silk panel?

Simple, fun idea for window treatments in a child's room. Here is another place you can get really creative by adding other things. Can you imagine bunnies with  fun stuffed carrots as finals for your rod? Or monkeys with tropical leaves and bananas as your finals. 

Very easy. A rectangle of fabric tied up over the rod with ribbon, rope, a leather belt,  a scarf, beads, the list goes on and on . It depends on YOUR style!!

These are very simple window treatments I had made for a client . You simply make a long runner with  different coordinating fabrics (these are black/black and white stripes) on either side. Flip the "curtain" over the rod and pull it 3/4 of the way down so the reverse side can sow a bit. I had a gorgeous tassel attached to finish it off. You can really customize with this idea!! I wish I had a better picture of them but think you can get the idea.

Such a pretty tieback. You can make something that is equally pretty by finding an interesting branch and hot gluing your birds on and maybe some silk leaves. You can leave your branch natural or paint it with a clear sealer to give it some shine. Just be creative.

An awning is always classic and very simple to do.

This is a treatment I did for myself for a small room where I just "hang out" It is a reverse awning. I had two large pieces of fabric I had bought just because I liked them so decided to make a window treatment from them. I split  the pieces of fabric and finished off the edges.  I brought the rods (suspended by tasseled drapery tiebacks) out from the wall approximately two and a half feet, attached them to the ceiling and then used beautiful  hammered brass nail heads to pin the fabric to  the wall. I then laid the top of the fabric over the rod and let it hang down about  a 18 inches.

Three easy ways to dress up your windows. I love being different by attaching to the ceiling instead of the wall. These would be great as side panels for sheers, blinds, shutters or what ever you decided to use as window coverings. The third one is simple rolled up and tied with a ribbon. Reversible coordinated fabric would be great for this.

What could be better for a country kitchen or laundry room?

A vintage spoon makes a wonderful  vintage drapery tieback.

You could get really creative with customizing this idea of using scarves or vintage handkerchiefs as tiebacks.

Lovely window treatment when used in a Bohemian style room.

Imagine a window covered with alot of these colored paper chip and string  lengths. Boho perfection!!

Think outside the box...you don't always need rods!!!

For a rustic room, antlers make great curtain tiebacks.

Branches are always fun curtain rods!

Just remember there is nothing wrong with a touch of whimsy in your decorating. 

Great Ways To Display Your Seashell Collection

One of the best ways to add charm to your home is to decorate with your collection of “treasures.” There is an art to displaying these throughout your home. The desired effect is for you to proudly show off your valued collection in an appealing and creative way.  You should live with and enjoy your collections, not just put them away and forget the memories they evoke.

There is such a wide variety of decorative items to collect, everything from antiques to vintage buttons. However, they all have one thing in common, the need to be displayed beautifully as part of your home décor.

 I am going to choose something most people have at least a small collection of to show you some beautiful and creative ways collections can be used to decorate your home.

If you are like me, you find it hard to return home from a trip to the beach without seashells picked up on those wonderful walks along the shore or bought at the many shell shops. Here are some lovely ways to use them in your home décor. Learn to display! Be creative! Remember that any collection looks best when displayed in strong groupings.

 No matter the what style your home is decorated in, a seashell collection can add a chic touch.

                         Be creative whether opulent or simple design taste.

A beautiful antique stand is a gorgeous in any decor.

Display in small or large cupboards or use a whole room as your canvas.

Make a beach tabletop or mantle with decorative jars of sand and shells. Even include tags stating  the names of different  beaches  they were collected from.

Make a tabletop display using books, urns, candles and other accessories.

Or just go over the top and create a shell covered chair for a special place in your home. Just have fun!!

              Fireplaces with shells and candles during the summer months. Very clever!!

Try some do it yourself projects!!

Then treat yourself for a job well done. I love the graham cracker sand!!

Tips for cleaning seashells.

Remember to leave all live seashells on the beach!!

A seashell that is found already dead is actually a lot easier to clean. Follow these easy instructions:

Soak the seashells in a 50-50 solution of bleach and water. The length of time depends on the type of seashells and the quantity of seashells being cleaned. If there are still barnacles and other matter on the seashells, you can use an instrument, such as a dental pick, to chip off the material. Other useful tools are a toothbrush, grill brush, wire brush or a water pick. If you want to give your seashells a nice finish, you can wipe them with mineral or baby oil.

If sand dollars are dead let them dry for a few days, then put them in a pan with a little bleach. You may need to brush them gently. Do not let them bleach for too long as they tend to crumble. If you have the time you can just let them set all winter and they will dry and whiten by themselves. If you leave sand dollars out in the sun too long they tend to become brittle and break easily. There is a commercial preservative that can be brushed on to harden the sand dollar.