Five Cheap Window Treatments That Do Not Look Cheap
Curtains are where small decorating budgets go to die. Two panels of anything decent runs to more than most people expect. Five ways around that, all under $60.
[ADD IMAGE HERE] — Drop cloth curtains hung high on a wooden rod in a sunlit room. Vertical shot, 1000x1500px.
1. Drop cloth curtains
Painter’s drop cloths are heavy cotton canvas sold by the square metre for a fraction of what the same fabric costs on a curtain aisle. Wash them twice on hot to soften the finish, hem the bottom or leave the raw edge, and clip them to rings. Around $30 for a large window.
2. Café curtains on a tension rod
A tension rod inside the window recess covers the lower half of the glass — privacy at eye level while daylight still comes in above. No screws, no drilling, and it comes out in one second at the end of a tenancy. About $18.
3. Clip rings instead of a sewn header
Clip rings turn any rectangle of fabric into a curtain, which means a bedsheet, a tablecloth or a length of upholstery fabric all become options. It also lets you change the fabric later without buying new hardware.
4. Hang what you have, higher
Free. Move the existing rail 15 cm below the ceiling and extend it 20 cm past the frame on each side. The window looks taller, the curtains look more expensive, and more light gets in.
Length rule. Curtains should touch the floor or hang 1 cm above it. Stopping short of the floor is what makes inexpensive curtains read as inexpensive — more than the fabric itself does.
5. A single linen panel, tied back
One panel costs half what two cost, and on a narrow window a single tied-back panel looks deliberate rather than economical. Works best on windows under a metre wide.
What it cost
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Drop cloth, large window | $30 |
| Tension rod and café panel | $18 |
| Clip rings, pack of 28 | $11 |
| Moving an existing rail higher | $0 |
| Total | $59 |
Project at a glance
- Cost — $59 or less
- Time — An hour per window
- Skill — Beginner
- Rental safe — Options 2 and 3
Questions people asked
How can I cover a window without drilling?
A tension rod inside the recess needs no fixings at all and holds a light or medium weight panel.
Are drop cloth curtains any good?
Yes, once washed twice on hot to soften them. The fabric is heavy cotton canvas, which hangs well and blocks more light than thin ready-made panels.
How long should curtains be?
Touching the floor, or 1 cm above it. Short curtains are the clearest visual signal of a cheap window treatment.
Next project
Curtain height is one of the six layout mistakes — the rest of that list is free too.