DIY: Hardware Store Window Treatments!

When I decided to embark  on fixing up the Florida room to become my office we were on a very small budget!

We ran out one Saturday morning to our local LOWES and decided to not only pick up some Oops paint for our stripes, but all of the supplies for window treatments.

The room is full of windows that are UGLY and need to be replaced, but since we are on a budget I thought it best to just HIDE them!

Here is a little reminder of the BEFORE:

 

Here is the after shot with window treatments up:

Here is how we did it:

At LOWES we picked up the following supplies:

Finish Factor 6' x 9' canvas drop cloths

Eye Hooks

Wire Rope Cable Clamps

1/8” steel cable {not plastic coated}

Cable tensioner

STEP 1: Put eye hooks at opposite ends of walls.

STEP 2: Thread cable through eye hook and secure with wire clamp. Make sure you tighten clamp.

It will look like this on wall:

STEP 3: Cut the cable that has been threaded through the eye hook 2 ft shy of the ending wall.

i.e.: If the space between the eye hooks is 10 ft long then make a cut at 8ft long.

You will now have two pieces of cable. An 8 ft section already attached to an eye hook and a remaining 2 ft section by it’s self.

STEP 4: At the end of the cable that is already attached to an eye hook (i.e.: 8ft section) thread cable through one of the loops of the tensioner. (Loops on tensioner should be almost fully extended) Secure cable with a wire clamp.

Here is what it looks like on the wall:

* Note we place a bit of electrical tape on the exposed wire, because we didn’t want it to snag the fabric.

STEP 5: Starting at opposite wall eye hook thread 2ft section through and secure with wire clamp. This is exactly like STEP 2  you are now doing it on opposite wall.

STEP 6: Take other end of 2ft cable and thread through the empty end of the tensioner. Pull with all your might and then secure final loop with wire clamp. This is exactly like STEP 4.

Here is how it will look with both loops on the tensioner threaded:

Cable should now be installed and taut. 

STEP 7: To place curtain panels on tension rod simply unscrew one loop of the tensioner and thread panel. We left a 1” and 1/4 opening on panel so that the cable and hardware could pass smoothly.

 

STEP 8: Have some one assist you in supporting weight of curtains to prevent the cable from drooping you are now ready to reconnect the loop to the tensioner.

STEP 9: Spin center portion of tensioner to tighten cable. If you have a very large window and want additional support you can add an additional eye hook in the center of wall to support weight.

STEP 10: Sit back and relax and enjoy your new chic and cheap curtains! Give your husband a big smooch for doing all the hard work!

We continued and made one more tension rod for the other wall of windows. When placing these eye hooks you will have to place it a tiny bit higher than the existing eye hook from the previous rod so that they don’t interfere.

This was a super easy and inexpensive solution to my window dilemma. Depending on your local hardware store the cable should run around .20 cents a foot, the wire clamps around .50 cents, tensioner from $1-$2 a piece, eye hooks from $3-$4 for a bag and canvas drop cloths around $10 for 6’ x 9’ section.

For one wall you will need:

4 clamps

1 Tensioner

2 Eye Hooks

Drop Cloths for curtain panel. Depending on wall size you will know if you need 1 or 2, etc to cover the wall.

The drop cloths I purchased had finished edges so I only needed to sew the section for the curtain rod to pass through. I do recommend that you give them a wash before you use them. They had a bit of smell to them from being in the package.

I liked the look of them so I left them as is, but you could dye them whatever color you like, add  ribbon trim to the edges, fabric paint, nail head trim to make a border, iron on transfer for monogram the possibilities are endless.

It just goes to show that even if you have a next to nothing budget you can still improve on what you have! I love nothing better than a budget re-design.

If you need any help in decorating rooms in your home on a budget I would love to help! I have reasonable rates, no mark-ups on to the trade items and can work with any budget!

You can contact my office at 516-661-6993 or send me an email at cpavone0107@gmail.com. I’m in the NY tri-state area, but also take on e-decorating clients as well.