August 18, 2009

DIY Window Valance

I'm very excited to share this DIY sliding glass door valance I made yesterday! Since we moved into our house, I've been brainstorming window treatments for our kitchen's sliding glass door which leads to our patio. I wanted to still use vertical blinds for privacy, but add something to them to dress them up.


I considered hanging curtains on each side but since this is a busy door, I didn't want them getting in the way every time we walked in and out of the house. So I've been looking for a valance to use at the top, in addition to the blinds. Unfortunately, I need something very wide which is both expensive and difficult to find. Plus, I wanted something to match the blueish curtains I have in my adjoining family room to tie the two rooms together.

With no luck finding anything to buy, I found this beautiful table runner in Home Goods for $15. It is the perfect color and has a beautiful design so I transformed it into a diy window valance!


Since it was a bit wider than I needed, I folded 4" at the top and secured the valance with a safety pin about every 8-10 inches.


Since the valance has a lining, I was able to secure the safety pins through the lining without having to make a visible hole in the outer layer of the fabric that everyone could see. The safety pins hold the valance very well, so for a no sew window valance, you can just hang it after pining in place.


For a more long lasting design, you can sew little stitches where the fabric is marked with the safety pins. Once sewed or pinned, simply slip a curtain rod in and tada! An easy diy (no sew) window valance!

I love this look, but need to mess with it a little more as it is still too short for my very wide sliding glass door. But overall, I love this look and recommend this super easy window treatment. Now I just need to upgrade the blinds!


2 comments:

- Sarah :-) said...

Ooh... maybe to extend it, you could just find a matching or coordinating placemat, cut it in half, and secure each half to an end, behind the edge of the table runner (to hide unfinished end) and then wah-lah! It's the perfect length, and even adds a bit more drama to your white wall and blinds. :-)

DIY Newlyweds said...

That's a great idea! Since the branch pattern is only at the ends, adding placemats may just look like a continuation of the design. I don't plan on leaving the walls so light for much longer (they're a light beige now), but the added drama is always appreciated!