Home improvement

 by: Sarah Peters

Coming up with interesting window treatment ideas that bring out the best in your windows as they bring in the sunshine, is a challenge to anyone with a yen to decorate. There are tons of non-traditional options and tips to make the most of what you have, and give your windows that million dollar look on a mostly discount budget.

How about recycling old items? If you inherited lace tablecloths that are no longer fresh and white, you can still get a lot of mileage and an interesting antique window treatment, by using a sewing machine to turn the tablecloths into window curtain panels. You might even have some old lace curtains on hand, that need to be brightened, but the bleaches have failed you.

Accept their "age" and build on it, by staining them with tea for a totally antique look. Simply take a bucket and use half hot water and half boiling water, to "steep" 30 black tea bags. When the water is dark, add your curtains and stir the mixture. Then let them sit for 30 hours, with the occasional stir to keep the color evenly distributed. Remove the curtains, squeeze out the liquid, and hang them to dry.

Window treatment ideas aren't always about curtains. The once popular wooden window blinds are making a comeback with people who prefer the warm, natural tones of wood to go with a wide variety of décors. Antique folding window covers can be had for a song at garage and auction sales, then refinished, and if you are artistic at all, decorated with tole paintings.

Little touches can add a lot to plain curtains. If you have a set of long, lined drapes and would like to liven them up, place small hooks or other mountings above where the rod is held, and top your curtains with silk flower garlands, or just silk greenery. There's no more fuss to cleaning these, than there is to washing a swag or valance. Just put a little soft dish soap in a tub of water, swish the silk garland around, rinse and hang to dry.

Your window treatment ideas are limited only by your imagination, and the time you have to spend decorating. Some of the most interesting and attractive looks are born from using leftovers, cast-offs and your own ingenuity.