Decorating for Dummies

[lildago]

Wish I lived close to you. We'd get that sucker covered before sunrise. lol

Thanks, Mudah! And thanks to everyone for all the great ideas!

My daughter keeps insisting she wants the sheer lavendar panels I already have because they're beaded at the top. With the help of alot of pins, I think I'm going to try to use them the way that Igotalife drew them in on my picture. Hopefully, I can pull it off! I'll post a picture later if it all works out.

[ShrinkingViolet]

Wow! Lots of great suggestions. One other possibility is buying a sheet of styrofoam (it comes in different thicknesses) at a hardware store and cutting it to fit the window curve. It will completely block the light, although it's sad to cover that beautiful window! You could cover it with fabric using crafting glue. It could either stay up all the time, or you could take it out for daytime. It's a good insulator, cheap, and the decorative possibilities are endless.

[Muduh]

Oh, I like that styrofoam idea, too. That or the cardboard suggestion would be very easy, too. It would be so easy to decorate it as you want it, with it laying on a table or something. Then all you'd need to do is just set it in place.

[lildago]

I did it!!! I used the panels I had. They're dark lavender with little shimmers of pink throughout. The top is beaded with pink "jewels" (as my daughter calls them) although it's a little hard to see. I bought some sparkly pink tulle and bunched it up at the hooks with a rubber band. It's hard to tell in the pic but the empty space at the top is filled in with tulle and I may add more to block out more light if necessary. My daughter loves it! She says it looks like the decorations the bluebirds used on Cinderella's dress. I think I'm on a roll now! She has a small window in her closet (see pic below) that I'm going to try to do the same thing on.

Thanks again to everyone for all of the great suggestions! Big, big thanks to Igotalife for the idea and little tips through PM!

[applesauce]

Too Cute! What a girly window covering. Great idea Igota.

[Muduh]

That really is cute! Looks like a girly girl.

I am trying to decide what to do with the window in my grandson's room. It is just a plain old window, but I plan to do something eyecatching. He has new furniture that looks like it's made from logs. The bed has a canopy thing that makes it look sort of like a tent I bought some shower curtain hooks that are little creels, fish and lanterns. I plan to use them in his room. I thought about making the curtain from burlap and just fraying the edge. Then it would have loops for the rod, and I would sew the creels and things on to make it look like it is buttoned on. Any one have better ideas?
When I say curtain, I actually just mean a valance.

[lildago]

Mudah, I love the burlap idea for your grandson's window. His room sounds really cute with the camping theme!

Target has a whole camping bedroom set for little boys. You could take a look at it and maybe get a few ideas.

[Igotalife]

Lildago! It looks great!!!! good job Mom! Great idea about making poofy bows from the tulle! Something about tulle/sparkly organza just makes little girls go into fantasy land. I'm glad it worked out for you.

Muduh, coincidentally, my son has a "hunting lodge" theme in his bedroom. He's almost 10 and he still loves it after almost 4 years. The burlap idea for a window is great and I like your idea of using the creels and fish to fasten them. For my son's window, I just used a large crooked stick I found in the woods for a rod and simply hung some fishing lures and a couple of wooden fish on the ends that I found at Hobby Lobby..(I'm a Hobby Lobby addict when it comes to buying decor pieces ) I also found some cute "fishing baskets" (again at Hobby Lobby ) and hung them on the wall in a vertical row. Behind his bed, I applied some large cedar paneling I found at Home Depot for $12 sheet (good solution to kids that dirty walls) and it makes it look so rustic.

My step-son-to-be is 15/almost 16 so I was about to begin decorating a room for him while he stays here. I was thinking of some funky retro type track lighting with blue glass shades to assemble behind the bed on the wall (I've seen these at Lowes and they make a swirly design which I thought looked cool), or maybe duplicating the IPOD shadow people on one wall or something?? Or.... he likes to skateboard/surf so I was thinking of maybe finding some inexpensive stuff to hang on the walls. Of course I will get his input, but was wondering if anyone had some great "teen room" ideas to add to the possibilities when I talk to him about it???? I don't want to make it too cutesy.

Great thread idea by the way Lildago!

[DesertRose]

Lildago, you did a great job on that window covering!

Igotalife, not too long ago I saw a decorating show where they mounted skateboards on the wall as shelves (with L brackets). That could be a fun thing to do if your stepson is into skateboarding.

[Ana Bannana]

There are some great suggestions here! and lildago you did an awesome job!
For future reference, I believe Lowes and/or Home Depot and JCPenney all sell a bendable curtain rod. JCPenny typically has great window coverings, check their website, I order from them much too often for home dec. items.