Improvised window treatments

I have bought my share of curtains and rods for my other apartments and homes. I may, in fact, have a thing for curtains now that I think of it. I have two different panels that I purchased in the past six months that I have not been able to hang yet for various reasons (time, painting to do first, impetuous). I even have a rod at work that I never installed. To be fair, I did install one and decided the other window should be left open.


I grew up in the country. No need for hanging curtains or blinds for privacy.  Although there is something to say about a sheer curtain blowing and dancing around from the country air coming through the screens. I loved waking up early dawn, sun beams brightening my southern exposed room. Late afternoon, curtains wafting gently in the room.

This buying but not using it is not like me. I am fairly intentional. I do not like to have extra items laying around/stored. I had/have every intention of using the curtains I have bought. Hopefully I get to them before my ideas change!

I have one Pier1 Peacock blue panel to go in my peacock blue painted room. It was originally bought for the dining room, along with two peacock chairs, but I have since gone "white" in dining room...

...and now have a pair of black and white Damask curtains from Urban Outfitters. The window for these curtains is meant to be changed to french doors leading to a back deck, eventually.
















All this has to be built first. Hmmm, now that could be the reason for unhung curtains.











Or maybe I am sooo over curtains.

Moved in house a year and a half ago. The original homeowner was an elderly woman whom lived in the house for 30 years. The windows are OLD and in dire need of fixing and painting and new glass (several window panes are broken and cracked).  I did install a few replacement windows and will eventually do the rest (big dilemma here: fix the old windows or do replacement windows.) She had used those old roller window type treatments and the hinges/hardware are still on most of the windows along with window locks she purchased and placed ON TOP of the window for me to install. HA! Instead of taking down the hardware I decided to use them until ... perhaps forever.

I had bought some long red bamboo rods to use as a wall separator (a wall was removed, opening up two bedrooms). And I had a few shorter bamboo sticks around from another project. Add in some old curtains, fabrics and saris and a skillful knot tie'er and my window treatment improve is doing more then just the job. It's growing on me and I may never get to proper window treatments.

An actual curtain rod hung from hemp rope and old hardware.

Bamboo rod, old hardware, sari and clips

Thee ever useful knotted window treatment

Short bamboo rods resting on old hardware

Bamboo rod tied to hard ware with hemp rope

Linen tied over bamboo rod

Muslim draped over hardware

Although, I do have an IDEA. I love burlap and have this lovely picture in a home decor book of beautiful burlap hanging a foot down from its rod. Rope sparingly wound around the rod and through eyelets on the burlap. The burlap was very loose.  The right amount of sun and air drifting through the loose knitted burlap.  I could never find loose burlap and briefly envisioned myself spending the rest of my life loosening tightly woven burlap to get my desired tension.  All google searches were futile, leading me to commercialized and expensive and tightly woven curtains.  The idea faded.

UNTIL recently when I found this (well a few months ago ... that took a while to re-find her burlap curtains! scroll to second post) and was re-inspired!  I found some grey burlap on line and am ready to get the project started.