We have a wall of windows with a sliding glass door leading out to our deck. This part of the house faces our neighbors (we’re in an end unit in a town home community), so we needed privacy, but, at the same time, I wanted light to come through. The windows are an odd length, so it was difficult to find curtains for them that would give us both privacy and light. I found the perfect curtains at West Elm; they were light and airy with a linen-like look that were allegedly machine washable.
Fast forward seven years. We installed hardwood, and the curtains were starting to look a little dingy and dirty, so I washed them according to the instructions on the label. They shrank about 2 inches horizontally and vertically. They looked like crap.
West Elm no longer carried these curtains. I was too cheap to pay $100 per panel for curtains (we needed at least six panels), so I was intrigued when I found these curtains through ikeahackers.com. Off I went to Ikea and Joann’s to get the materials.
I’m very proud of the finished product. They provide the right amount of privacy and light. It was my first try at making pinch-pleated curtains, but will probably be my last since we don’t need new curtains in any other windows.
Total cost:
Lenda curtains from Ikea: $60.00 (3 packs @$20/pack – two panels per pack)
Drapery header tape: 53.98 (2 yards @$26.99/yard)
Stitch Witchery: 7.98 (2 @ $3.99)
Additional ring hooks: __7.99
TOTAL $129,95 or almost 1/4 the cost of new curtains
my DIY adventures 