Sunday, December 9, 2012

dang me, dang me, they oughtta take a rod and hang me

The DIY Drop Cloth Drape. 

It's amazing how much you don't realize you dislike something until you replace it with something better.  (And no, ladies, I'm not talking about your husbands.)  It's also amazing that after you look at something long enough you become oblivious to the fact that something else could and WOULD look mucho better-o.

Who knew I didn't have to keep window treatments forever?  Not me, that's who.

I'm very new to the blogging world, the DIY world, and just cool house stuff in general.  But now that the kids have been kicked out flown the coop (and I have a new, super-fly FAST computer), I'm finding all new ways to get creative and generally irritate the crap out of Philly.

I'm a little late getting on this particular boat, but apparently a really cool and inexpensive way to make yourself some custom drapes is to start with some uber-cheap painter's drop cloths.  I bought mine at Lowe's, but I suspect you can find them at any do-it-yourself box store.

 I picked up a 9'x12' drop cloth.






And some of the latest drape-hanging hardware: Oil-rubbed bronze rings with little hangy-downy-clips.  Awesome.





Then I swung by Hobby Lobby and grabbed a stencil, mini roller, and some paint.






I put on my weekend warrior pantaloons and sabered my cloth into 4 "equal" parts.  (I say "equal" because my measuring technique wasn't exactly scientific.)  I pretty much folded them in quarters and cut.

Although, Philly did get this awesome new tape for me when he went to the hardware store to get drywall anchors.  $5 at Ace!!!




Lately I've seen lots of people using hem tape to finish off their DIY curtains, and believe me, I'm chomping at the bit to try that method, but since I already had some finished (sewn) edges on this fabric, I just dragged out the Singer and finished up the others.  I actually don't mind running a foot pedal in the least, so if you have a machine, I suspect this is just as quick and easy as using hem tape.





I pressed and ironed, and ironed and pressed...  (In retrospect, I probably should have run the panels through the wash first--they would have pressed more easily--but I tend to barge into projects without much forethought.)

I DID have to ask Philly to raise and extend our current curtain rods.  Luckily, we still had some of the living room paint left.  AND, it was marked as living room paint, so it actually matched.  (I wasn't so fortunate with the bedroom paint once...ended up having to repaint the entire room because what I thought would match....didn't.)




I hung them up first just to get the general effect.  Immediately the room looked lighter, brighter, and bigger.




The rods sagged just a touch in the center where the 2 halves became one and I suggested squirting a little toothpaste in there to fill the gap.  All I got was the "Phil Look." He came up with a better plan (just a little crimpage) and they were just fine.

Next, I got out my little stencil, found the center of the bottom of my panels, and worked my way outward and upward.  I wasn't sure if I should stencil the entire panel or just the bottom.  I settled for a happy medium, which my son referred to as the "pyramid effect."  Bravo Anthony.










Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.





Four panels, a few paint smudges, and only one curse word later, I'm quite pleased with the results.

The Before and After:








Apparently Eddie is not impressed.







Total cost of my "Custom Drapes":

Drop Cloth:        $20.00
ORB Cafe Clips:  11.00
Paint:                      3.25
Stencil:                   3.25
Roller                     5.25
Drywall Anchors:  2.50
                            ---------
                            $45.25






8 comments:

  1. So, why werem't you this creative when I loved close so it could rub off? Very nice looking!! (you, too.)

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  2. Are you kidding me?! You, who sews and makes all things awesome?!?

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  3. I LOVE how these turned out! Not only that, but you made it look easy enough that I might be able to tackle it too. Once I take Stenciling lessons, that is (stencils and I have a love hate relationship for some reason LOL) I am a new blogger and new at letting my creativity flow, so it will come with time, I hope!

    Really glad I found you, through SunflowerHugs!

    Bev @ Give me a paintbrush

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  4. Only one curse word... it must be true then... Philly is really the Wizard of Oz!! And Toto was not impressed either. Your curtains are fabulous, and I love me a budget friendly project.

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  5. Great idea Andi! I love the stencil! I wonder if I could use the drop cloth to make pillows or even recover my dining room chairs...what do you think?

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    1. You bet! I actually made a pillow out of the same fabric and used the stencil. :)

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  6. Next time I am at the building supplies store, I am definitely looking for this drop cloth stuff. Who would use this to paint with? I just run UP and DOWN and UP and DOWN the ladder wiping up drips with my wet rag You made them look simply amazing plus easy....unless you have tricked us with the power of blogdom world trickery??? Stopping by from Mellywood's Mansion! Cheers.

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  7. Firstly if you can replace husbands with better ones go for it! This is brilliant I once bought drop cloth to make something and it was plastic coated so now it's my spray paint cloth still plan to do it down the track

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