Since our weekend trip was canceled we decided to make the most of our extra time and work on cleaning the kids rooms. The boys wouldn’t let me take pictures of their room, but the girls were excited about their mess! I am not sure why their room gets so messy as they usually spend most of the day playing downstairs, but I have a feeling there is a little nap time mess making going on in the afternoons.
One my my biggest issues in this room are the blinds. For those of you familiar with military housing, you know the blinds are extremely cheap and break when you look at them. The girls’ blinds were a mess because they like to move them out of the way to look out the window. I was tempted to buy some cheap blinds to replace the really cheap blinds, but decided that they would probably just break those too.
The girls helped me with their room on Saturday and we were able to get it looking nice and clean once again. Now I need to be more diligent in making sure it gets picked up before they go to bed each night.
After Christmas I picked up some nice decorator fabric at JoAnns on clearance for $3 a yard. I was planning on using it to make curtains for the girls’ room. After tripping over it for almost two months in my bedroom I wondered if perhaps I should just purchase some curtains at Target.
Yesterday I looked for curtains and I was amazed at the prices! Most panels I saw were at least $20 and those weren’t the cute ones! I looked for some in the clearance area and they were about $13 per panel. The absolute cheapest curtains were still going to cost over $26 dollars. I decided to head home and get out my sewing machine and start working on some curtains.
Curtains are my least favorite thing to sew because it involves lots of measuring, cutting, and long straight seams. Curtains, however are very, very easy to make and can be made by someone who doesn’t even own a machine. Years ago I would use fusible tape to make curtains and it worked very well.
For the girls’ room I used about 4 yards of fabric to make these curtains, and spent about 2 hours making them, with lots and lots of interruptions.
I had this ribbon leftover from a gift we received.
I am so happy I took the time to make the curtains. To buy similar ones in the store I would have paid at least $25 a panel, so this is a huge savings. The girls love them too and have been calling them their birthday curtains.
For more spring cleaning visit Biblical Womanhood.
This post is linked to Tackle it Tuesday and I am Blissfully Domestic.
Jen@Balancing Beauty and Bedlam says
Yea – doesn’t it feel good. You did a great job on the curtains.
My daughters are sitting here looking at the great clean up job, and I am saying, “see how good it feels to that little girl to have a clean room….you should try it?” heehee….nothing a little reverse psychology won’t work out. 🙂
MNKristy says
The curtains look great! So cute. You definitely would have paid a lot more for something like that in the store. Good job on the clean up also. Nice improvements.
Wendi says
The curtains look great! My mom has sewn curtains for many rooms in our house. The last set she sewed was for my daughter’s room – I think it bugged her to see the material sitting around – so she took it home and brought back curtains the next week :). Now I just have to repaint her room so I can put them up!
Nell @ Casual Friday Everyday says
Oh I just plain adore those curtains. A little girl’s dream!
Nell
Organizing Mommy says
Nice job. Now, if you want it to stay clean, you need to get labels where everything is supposed to go.
Stephanie says
they look wonderful
can I put in an order for curtians? LOL 🙂
Hi, it's me Jen says
Too cute! I don’t have a single curtain in my whole house 🙁 I look at my windows and picture what kind of curtains I want, but so far, haven’t done anything more than that!
Good for you for getting it done, Great job!
Linda says
I like making curtains because they are so easy. The trouble I have is finding enough fabric. The last set of curtains I made I did what you did and added a solid color fabric at the top to match the patterned material that there wasn’t enough of.
Dana says
nothing like a reality check in overpriced products to motivate one to break down and do that project we all keep “triping over” 🙂 the curtains look great!
momstheword says
I have never made a curtain in my life. However, I did take a lace tablecloth and fold it over the rod in the dining room and called it a curtain….does that count?
Love the curtains, so pretty and she looks so happy with them!
Denise says
I can’t sew, but do have some rather small windows that need covering so I have used fusable tape to make some myself. Easy and much cheaper than buying.
Mary Ann says
Cute curtains! We live in a rental and have those same cheap blinds. Ours have broken spots, too. Not sure if I want to replace something that will just end up broken and bent again soon.
Lawanda says
Your curtains ROCK!!!! I have some fabric to make curtains for our kids’ rooms and my room, too…. but my sewing machine doesn’t like me. They all break when I walk in the room and look at them. I am serious! haha
Anyhow, for my excuse as to why I haven’t made the curtains, well… We have to have covers over the windows to save on the heating bill til spring, right?! LOL
😉
Cheri says
Just this week I went the opposite way with curtains. Until then, I’ve made every single curtain in our house…
When I stopped at Wally World last week, they had two curtain panels on clearance for $7 each. Tacky, tacky pink and purple animal print. My nieces absolutely love them in their rooms here at our house (one window in each room). Paired with a white bedspread each that I had here already, I think $7 per room for a makeover works for me!
sprittibee says
So cute! Now you can come do mine. 🙂
Joelle says
I want to make cute curtains for my dining area. We have some but they don’t reach the floor and I want some cute ones. Maybe I’ll get around to making some sometime.
Cara says
Love your curtains! They turned out sooooo cute.
I am sure your daughters really appreciate them.
Keeley says
1. Uhm. Those rooms aren’t messy. If you want to see messy rooms, you need to take a peek in my 18-year old daughter’s room. Oh. My. Gosh.
2. CUTE curtains!!! Wow, just fabulous! Wonderful bright, cheery colours. =)
Mary Ellen Barrett says
Very pretty, the curtains and the girls 🙂
Nichole says
Aweome job! Pretty curtians!! I can’t wait to find out wht baby is so I can start on babys room doig that kind of thing!!!! Whoohoo!
Nichole
Beth@Not a Bow in Sight says
How lovely and cheerful. I’ll bet it made her day 🙂
Marie says
Oh what lovely curtains! Can I mail you fabric and measurement? 🙂
Right now my girls’ room is a disaster! How do you get a three year old and a 17 mo. old to clean?? Okay not so much the youngest, but she should still help right?!?!
josalyn says
i love the curtains, and you “love story”. you do an amazing job! i agree about the cheap blinds in the military housing. but hey, at least you have carpet! our entire place is disgusting tile from 1986 that they keep waxing over and over… lol. thank you again for all your hard work i love reading your posts
Nancy M. says
The curtains look great! You did a really great job making them. They are very pretty, no wonder your girls are so happy!
Doris says
Awww, those curtains are so cute! That reminds me…I SOOOOOOOO need to clean up my room and make new curtains! As always, thanks for the inspiration.
Elizabeth says
Toni, the curtains look great! Thanks for being real about the messes in your house…and the broken blinds!!!! It really is a blessing and encouragement!
Lori says
I saw this link on Blissfully Domestic.
Your curtains look great. I agree; it’s insane how much they can charge for making curtains. I am definitely not a seamstress, but I made curtains for my living room, and I was so proud of myself!
Jamie says
Beeeeeee-YOUUUU-tiful curtains! I so wish I was crafty like that. The biggest thing I’ve sewn was my husband’s military emblems onto his uniform…and most of the time they were crooked! Good thing no one notices that kind of thing on BDUs…
Heidi @ Blue Eyed Blessings says
Awesome tackle of the girls’ room, but even greater tackle of the adorable curtains you created. I so wish I could sew!! I always have to pawn it off onto my mom. 🙂
Judy says
LOVE the curtains!!!
L2L says
ugh, those blinds!!!! I end up drawing them all the way up and hanging curtains. But just like you I’ve been meaning to make my little girl curtains for her room, guess that will get done as soon as I’m done with the comforter for her bed, lol.
The curtains look too cute and we have the same bunk bed for our boys, too funny
Faith - That's Just Freaking Lovely says
Looks great, very crafty! I like your girls dresser!
Christy says
Great curtains! I like to make my own too because I can never find any at the store that I like…but it does take a while. Great Tackle!
susieshomemade says
What an awesome tackle!! The curtains look great:-)
Sherry says
Wow! It looks great! I love the curtains! 😀
LOL, I so know what you are talking about with the blinds. Dh cleaned the kitchen ones yesterday. Ugh!
Toni @ Frugality, Learned says
You have inspired me to use the lovely curtain fabric I bought on clearance!
angela says
the curtians are very pretty
Lolli says
Amazingly cute curtains! I have blinds that look JUST like those!
Beth (A Mom's Life) says
Those curtains are adorable! And you all did a great job on the cleanup.
Jeanette says
Those are just the most adorable curtains ever! Did you have a pattern or did you just measure and sew? I want some like those!
BecauseImTheMommy says
What a great tackle! The curtains look great. I love the colors!
Angela says
Those are adorable! I’d like to make some curtains for my son’s room too. Oh the list of things I’d like to do is sooo long!
Kim says
Cute curtains! I also thought the bedding was adorable! Did you happen to make it?
Kara says
My boys do the same thing with their blinds, but DH keeps buying more. I haven’t been able to convince him that curtains would solve that problem lol, he has his mind set that windows need blinds 🙂 Those curtains are really cute.