Curtains Can Be Fun

Are you looking for a colorful way to liven up a dull window?

This adorable valance was made in a jiffy using several mis-matched vintage hankies.

It would be so cute over the kitchen sink, or in a nursery!

All we did, was to sew a little rod pocket across the top of the hankies and then squished them onto a tension rod. It was so easy - we didn't even sew the individual hankies together.

This makes a fun project if you have a pretty collection of true vintage hankies. If not, you can also use  a batch of reproduction hankies.

Need hankies? Check out  these cute Vintage Style Hankie Sets by Moda Home.

Sometimes, it can be a real challenge to find curtains to fit your windows.  Sure, curtains are easy enough to sew from scratch, but who has time for all that??

These pretty cafe curtains were made to perfectly fit our odd little kitchen window. They're actually made from woven dishtowels. And best of all - NO SEW!

To make them you will need several dishtowels which are the same on the front and back (a woven towel, not a printed one).

Simply measure the length you want them to be, and then fold over your towel to the appropriate length. For example, these towels started out at 24" long, and we needed the bottom curtains to be 18" long. So, we just folded over the towel to make them 18" and then made a seam with Stitch Witchery (an awesome product) about 1 1/2 inches down from the fold. This creates a rod pocket, and the extra piece of fabric that was folded down now looks like an intentional ruffle! No need for cutting, hemming or sewing!

For the valance, we folded matching towels in half to create a 12" long valance. Again we made a 1 1/2" rod pocket, and that's all! We used 4 towels for the valance and 5 for the tiers. Just experiment to see what degree of fullness you prefer. 

Dishtowels and napkins make a great starting point for so many easy and fun curtain projects. If you need a little inspiration, check out our cute Vintage Style Dishtowels and Napkins. And don't forget to send us a pic of your fabulous creations!

This striking valance is really just a 48" runner hanging on a curtain rod.

You can sew a rod pocket sleeve on the back of the runner, or for a "no sew" method you can do a perform a little surgery on the runner. Just cut two little slits on the back of the runner to stick the curtain rod into. You may have to clip some of the quilting to do this, but it should be okay provided you hand wash and handle with care.

Now you're got a unique window treatment with country flair!

We used the 48" length, but this also works nicely with a 72" runner. You can gather the runner a bit on the curtain rod, or leave it mostly flat, like we did. Leaving it flat allow you to see all the pretty detail in the patchwork. 

Need a quilted runner to work with? We've got a whole bunch to pick from on our Country Table Runner Page.

For a fresh alternative to a plain valance, try using a tablecloth instead!

This is a 54" x 54" tablecloth folded diagonally and simply draped over a decorative curtain rod. We used a couple of small safety pins to help secure the ends. This idea works great for those vintage finds that have a little spot or other blemish. Or, use a colorful reproduction tablecloth to achieve the same cottage style look. This super easy window treatment can be changed out seasonally in a jiffy.

We hung a simple sheer panel underneath to filter the light a bit and provide a little more privacy. Another fun idea would be to create a set of cafe tiers with a matching tablecloth. So many ideas, so little time...

If you're looking for an adorable tablecloth to use for your next project or party, be sure to check out our Vintage Style Tablecloth Collection. You're sure to fall in love with one of our vintage inspired designs!