apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

One thing I will say about making your own curtains - thanks to economy of scale, sometimes really really nice fabric is cheaper to purchase as a curtain than as the fabric!

So before you go through the trouble of making your own, calculate how much the entire project will cost you, and don't forget to throw thread and extra curtainy bits if it's a large or complicated project. Shop around a bit before you start to make sure you're actually saving money.

If you can wait until your nearby fabric store has a big sale on home-decoration fabrics, even better.

I have had 2 apartments in a row with REALLY tall windows, making me shop in the "extra long" section (with extra high prices). Both times, I've been able to find incredibly priced deals on the clearance sections of either Linens and Things or BB&B (online only for both). I'm talking $5 a panel here, ridiculously low pricing, for 96" panels. Just be slightly patient, and you don't have to spend a fortune.

Before I moved to my current locale I lived in a loft with fifteen foot tall windows (the ceiling was about 30 feet). I loved them, but needed some type of covering. I found a fabric shower curtain I really loved, bought four, sewed two sets end to end. It came out fabulous.

I would also add target to the list above. I found an extra wide double drapery rod for my current living room at target. They also had lined curtain panels relatively inexpensive.

The really good thing about the IKEA option is that they come in extra-long lengths up to 102" which can be really hard to find in ready-made panels.

i'd recommend thecompanystore.com. i'm not sure what they have right now, but they've been known to eventually discount they're curtains to ridiculous deals. i've gotten fantastic wool for $22/ each and really quality cotton for $10 (108" length).

I'm in the process of making my own ribbon curtains. I'm using ribbons in a variety of different widths and textures. Most are sheer in shades of light green, brown, and off white. A few have patterns like dots. I spent less than seventy-five dollars for three large windows, and I think it's looking nice.

I just took a crack at making curtains for the first time, and it was SO easy and only took about 2 hours for 4 panels. I would have spent way more time searching for the perfect ones, and be limited by budget. I spent less than $20 on the fabric for 2 windows, and these were for long curtains!

The hardest part was measuring, but I found you just need to measure from your curtain rod to the floor, then add 4 inches length wise and about 2 inches width wise for seam allowances then use a curtain panel you already have as an example.

I was able to find very reasonabley priced curtains at JcPenny. It isn't the most glamorous place to shop, but they have great sales and a reasonable selection!

I just moved into a house full of those 1980s sheers that have pleats at the top and a wire hook tucked into the pleats. You pull the cord, they open. But they're ugly! Do they still sell that type of curtain, or will I need to replace the rod altogether?

Anyone know where to find inexpensive Roman shades? I bought some Ikea Setaria shades from Ebay a few years ago, after Ikea discontinued them, but I can't even find them on Ebay anymore.

Pier 1 has some beautiful ones.

Target and the sale section of BBB.

IKEA had the perfect white panels for our needs... light shines in, but it's still thick enough that it obscures the street view of our rooms.

For a bit more money, if you ever need really gorgeous lined silk drapes, west elm can't be beat. I think we spend $100 per panel for extra long curtains that look like they cost more than 4X that. They are super-high quality.

Their non-silk curtains obviously cost less, and may approach the $50/panel price point..... especially when they're on sale.

Another vote for J C Penny's, especially fore some old school pinch pleat drapes.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/spins_lps/3766264011/

Where in the world do you find WIDE curtains? I have 2 sets of sliding doors about 95 inches in total width, so 40 to 50 inch panels just don't cut it. 4 panels looks absurd, though.

Pottery Barn has some double width, but they are not cheap.

Are there any other sources out there?

I've just hung 2 roman shades form JCP and they are cheap and beautiful (less than $50 for 2 of them). Very easy to install too. They have a wide range of sizes and colors which is great. I would highly recommend them. I bought some roman shades from bb&b before on sale and thought they were cheap until I went to the JCP web site.

oh also HOmegoods, Marshalls, TJMaxx and Ross

Has anyone tried homedecorators.com? They have a line of roman shades in odd sizes that are made to order.

Just picked up some faux silk dupioni drapes for $15 a panel at Anna's/Linen Outlet. They had great prices on everything they had (although not the largest selection)

Overstock has some decent options too.

And I'd recommend Lowes for hardware. Their curtain rings especially are so much cheaper than pretty much anywhere else.

One cheap solution is to use tablecloths. You can always find fun patterns and if you use a rod with the clip hooks there is no need for sewing!

im all about making your own. that is if YOU KNOW how to sew properly

i just ordered sheer panels from Brylane Home. I got 4 sets of panels - 8 altogether, and only one set was less than the 84" length - and with shipping, I paid $75. It was like $8 per panel. The fabric is sheer but has a linen texture to it. They look great and it only took a half day or so of hunting around the internet, refusing to take part in hyper curtain consumerism. :)