Window Facelift... Cheap & Easy {Tutorial}

If you follow me on Facebook, yesterday I posted this picture as a hint as to what my project of the day would be:

Let's play I spy...

I spy:

Sisal Rope - 1 @ $2.97

9'x12' Painter's Canvas: 3 @ 19.97 each

4" Post Caps:  6 @ $1.99 each

4" Round Post Tops:  6 @ $ 2.97 each

1.5" Clip Rings:  4 Packages of 7 @ 3.99 each (On Clearance)

Plus 7% Sales Tax:  $7.60

Total Cost: $116.20

And that is what it cost me to give my windows, which include one bay window and a single window, a little facelift.

Now, you might be saying, 

"That's not cheap!"

Oh ho, my little friend!  

I beg to differ. 

Have you checked out the cost of window treatments lately?

Everything is more expensive nowadays.

And a complete window treatment is definitely not cheap!

I have looked at Walmart...  Ugly.

I have looked at Target...  Better, but not great.

I have looked at Bed, Bath, and Beyond...  

Perfect, but pricey.

And I just can't see spending a whole lot of money on long curtains that look cheap and feel even cheaper. 

Not to mention the rods and brackets, when I might change my mind 6 months from now and decide to go with valances, or even to let my windows go naked.

Now granted, I'm not the first person to go the 

painter's canvas route.

But, I didn't even spend the money on the rods/brackets.

I made my own.

Brackets and rods.

Here's how I did it:

1)  Using Annie Sloan Dark Wax, I darkened the post caps and tops to match the wood work in my living room.

2)  After the wax had dried, I screwed in each top and cap to the walls, approximately 5.5 inches above the windows.

3.) Then I took the painter's canvas and cut each one at the seam.  Because I like the frayed look, I didn't hem the sides.

4.)  Folding down the top an inch...

I used 1.5" clip rings to hang the curtains.

5.)  Using one piece of sisal, I triple wrapped one post top and strung the clip rings.  To keep them from sagging toward the middle, I tied the far left loop to the post top.  I repeated this step with each curtain.  For the far right curtain, I tied the far right loop to the post top.

The only thing I wish I could change is 

keeping the sisal strung tight from post top to post top, 

but no matter what I tried, it wanted to sag slightly.

I think it kind of gives the windows an industrial/nautical feel.

I've been working quite a bit on my living room the last month,

 since the kids have been in school.

The curtains were the last part.

Stay tuned Monday for the complete before and after photos.

Until then...

Dream Big,