i'm trying to make some really cheap-ass curtains. i'm talking three windows for under $15 (probably not including rods and such). i'm thinking about using twin sheets, but what else could i do? ideas? anyone? thanks!

my friend originally did this, and i just did it too, so i know it's easy and CHEAP. using sheets is a really good idea, and for the rods, etc. it's super cheap to get bamboo rods from a nursury or hardware store (usually again, in the nursury section). my bamboo rods were like 1.19 each for a 6' rod. then you can just buy those cheap hooks at target or wherever because bamboo and sheets are very very lightweight.

Fabric store clearance stuff. I've done that, and if you get something for a dollar or two a yard, you can cover even larger windows. You may need to hem them to stop them from unravelling, or, if you have no sewing skills like me, just use that fusible stitching stuff or even, in a pinch, staples if no one's going to be looking too closely at them. I've also bought some really cheap fake flowers, pulled the tops off, and glued them to the curtains to dress up plain, boring fabric.

I'm not talented enough to do this, but I did see someone who stitched together fabric pieces for a funky, irregular quilted look. Very groovy if you have lots of nice remnants.

Have fun.
Jenny

excellent ideas. thanks! yay!

If you live near an IKEA, their _Agnes_ curtains are really cheap - they're plain white (slightly translucent) ones, but you can always decorate them any way you want...

I used unbleached muslim the last time I made curtains. It was very inexpensive and I got it in an extra wide width. Cut down on my seams. I ve used sheets before. I dont know how high your windows are but twins are significantly shorter that the other sizes so check the package and make sure of the length your looking for. They work pretty good though. Usually a nice weight and you dont have to hem---hooray.

Shower curtains work as well, I have two lavender cloth shower curtains that I got on mega clearance hanging in my bedroom.. they even have little fabric ties, so they look cute!.. you can also use cheap clear ones and decoupage stuff onto it.

My sister, danielle has frosted vinyl shower curtains with purple daisies up at her windows they look super cute and we got them at marshalls for like 6 bucks for a pack of two and the rings were included!!!

i did my livingroom with white muslin, which is super cheap. then i sewed loops at the top of each panel out of purple fabric (my couch is purple) and ran a rod through them, so it doesn't even need rings!

I just saw a FAB curtain idea in a magazine called "home/style". This artist sewed together a bunch of colorful scrap fabric panels. She hung them from the ceiling to floor. They totally were the highlight of the whole room. Definately on my "to-list"!! It seems really cheap money wise, but very rich in design...

on trading places, they did a window covering by hooking translucent place-mats together. Looked really cool! I just made some cheapie curtains for my bro and his wife by going to the $1 section of wal-mart and using cafe rods. Only problem is, they are nothing special. I like your twin sheets idea. I once bought some sheets at a thrift with a super cute strawberry design and cut them up and pinned them over a cafe rod. I didnt even bother hemming, because I was a quick fix and you never mess with curtains much anyway to make them fray.

one more thing, if you have an abundance of aol disks just laying around, you could lace string thru them and make disk curtains/screens

the curtains i made for my room cost well under 15dollars and didn't even require sewing, tho i'd recommend it. i just went to a few thrift stores and bought about 10 patterned (paisley, floral, geometric)silk scarves. i arranged them into a patchwork pattern, trimming some, and actually stapled them together since my machine was broken. you could sew a tube in the top for the rod. they have a gorgeous antique look to them and filter the light in nicely. good luck!

i had the same problem when i moved into my apt. money was an issue, especially since my windows are 6 ft wide and 4 ft tall. i scored on ebay and got 3 (only needed 2, but hey) totally awesome bedcovers from the 70s. Really bright and colorful intricate pattern, and only about 12 bucks. i just sewed a loop on the top and bought the super cheapy curtain rods.
good luck!

I think the bamboo is a great idea, especially because a whole crop of the stuff is growing in my boyfriend's backyard...

Cheap that I am, I've even skipped the rods on some windows; I have these awful cheap and broken blinds that came with the place so I just tied them up and safety-pinned a sheet of fabric at the top for my bathroom.

To let some light in during the day, I just tie them in the middle with ribbons, making an hourglass shape, and let them hang in the middle of the window.

I need to dye some makeshift curtains and was wondering if anyone had experience with that, what wouldn't fade in the light, etc. The material is sheer, chiffony-like white and I want to make it mauve.

My friend Tyler came up with this really simple beautiful technique. He bought thin metal rods at the hardware store (about 1/8" thick and about 36" long, one for each window), and while he was there got small eye hooks. He inserted the eye hooks into the wood above the windows, one on either side. The hooks should stick out into the room and be positioned vertically (so you could stick something through them from the side, get it?)

Then he slipped the curtain onto the rod (he bought cheap sheers with me at an estate sale) and slid the rod through the eye hooks. Ultra simple and very very stylish. Rod and eye hooks.