New Curtains in the Keeping Room

Fretting.

Over thinking big decisions, do you do that?

Window treatments are a big decision, to me anyway; like choosing what type of curtains I should use in the keeping room.

Buffalo checks often came to mind, but with red wing back chairs and a colorful hooked rug already in the room, I didn't think more pattern or color were needed.  So I made a list to help me pull in the reins.

There were a number of things to consider:

1) farmhouse style

2) light weight fabric

3) not too much color, if any

4) not too much pattern, if any

5) minimal hardware

6) open and close easily

7) diffuse bright sunlight 

8) maintain the views

Item 8 was the biggest factor for me and the one I fretted over the most.

Then finally, it came to me; the perfect fabric, style, and they wouldn't cost me a dime!

Back when I had my shop, there were double french doors at the entry which let in the full afternoon sun.  It was hot and everything was fading so I purchased several voile sheer panels from Lowe's and they worked perfectly.  The entry was bright but the sheers helped diffuse the bright sunlight...mission accomplished.

Early one morning as the hot sun began filling the keeping room, I again began to fret over the keeping room curtains and that's when it came to me.  Those voile sheers from the shop had been washed and were hanging in the guest room closet.  Hmmm...would they work?

YES...they did!

I chose to use one panel per window, they didn't cost me a dime and I was able to hang them with very little hardware; here is how I did it:

I decided against using drapery rods to hang the curtains and used ribbon instead...that will make sense in a bit.

I needed two things to hang the curtains, two tie backs and ribbon, so I went to Hobby Lobby where I purchased two glass knobs to use for my tie backs and a spool of white shimmery ribbon.  The glass knobs were on sale for about $4 and the ribbon cost about the same.

The knobs had long threads so the mister trimmed a little off, inserted a wall anchor in the wall and then screwed in the glass knobs.

Ribbon is used as the curtain tie back and hangs on the glass knob when not in use.

To hang the curtains:

 I cut a piece of the ribbon 1 1/2 times the width of the window. (I have two windows so I cut two the same size.)

I folded over one edge of the cut ribbon, inserted a safety pin and then used the safety pin to feed the ribbon through the rod pocket.

The safety pin was inserted in one end of the rod pocket and fed through the rod pocket until it came out the other end.

Then, scrunching the curtain in the middle of the ribbon so lots of ribbon was left on each side of the curtain rod pocket, I used a straight pin to secure the ribbon to the end of the rod pocket on each side of the curtain so there were no worries about the curtain sliding off of the ribbon while hanging.

Since I'm using ribbon as my curtain rod, just inside the window trim I hammered in a tack nail about an inch long; one on either side of the window trim.

Lifting the curtain, I tied the left side of the ribbon to the left tack nail and moved my ladder over to the right side and did the same thing...pulling the ribbon very, very tight so the curtains didn't dip down in the middle.  You may have a good bit of ribbon left over on each side after securing the curtain, that's alright, just cut the excess off.  (I left the ribbon dangling about 5 inches on both sides because I am adding bows and figured one more dangle of ribbon would look just fine.)

I cut two more strips of ribbon to use for bows at the top of each tack nail. (actually 4 since I have two windows)

I cut one more strip of ribbon to use as a tie back.  (actually 2 since I have two windows)

Here is a side view of the tack nail hammered in the trim just above the window, the curtain and bow have already been tied to the tack nail...

Here is the front view with the bows attached.

Just a recap...

the ribbon threaded through the rod pocket was tied in a knot to the tack nail on each side of the window.  Then ribbon was added on each side and tied in a bow.

One panel was used for each window.  I was so excited that I didn't have to purchase any rods or brackets to hang these curtains; saving me money and with fewer holes in my trim.

The "ribbon rod" is straight with no dip in the middle due to pulling the ribbon very tight before knotting it on the tack nails.

By using one panel for each window there is less bulk; clean and simple.

The keeping room gets so much sun, here the curtains are tied back...

Early morning when the curtain is kept down over the window,
light can come in while not being too bright.

As the sun rises, I tie the curtain back by slipping the panel in a piece of ribbon with the ends tied in a knot and hooking it on the glass knob.  The curtain easily slips in and out of the ribbon.

Remember how I fretted over keeping the view?

Open or closed, by using voile shears there is always a view.

Why is the view so important to me?

I love my feathered friends and don't want to miss a thing, like this hummingbird stopping by for a drink!

I am really happy with how they turned out and it cost about $12 since I already had the curtains.

Hope you are having a great week, stay cool!

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