Window coverings are one of the most important focal points in a well-decorated room, but choosing the right ones, at the right price, is a prime consideration for most home decorators. Here are a few tips for creating great-looking window dressings, without breaking your budget in the process:

When selecting window coverings, consider the amount of sun exposure the fabrics will receive, and decorate accordingly, if you want to get the longest life out of your window dressings. All fabrics are vulnerable to sunlight degradation, but silk is the weakest, while acrylic, modacrylic, polyester, and glass fibers are the most resistant to sun damage.

There are a number of ways to save money on your window coverings, without sacrificing appearance. For a custom look, you can cover a tension rod with a thicker piece of PVC pipe. Remember to sand off the numbers on the pipe, or they can bleed off onto the fabric. You can do that with PVC primer, acetone, or even fingernail polish.

PVC pipe is very versatile. You can spray paint it black to make it look like wrought iron, brown to look like wood, or sponge paint it with copper and dark green over light green for a verdigris effect. It can also be painted to reinforce an accent color or to look like gold or silver.

For longer spans, wooden closet dowels are less expensive than drapery rods, but stronger than PVC pipe. Copper pipe also works well for curtain rods and looks great for relatively little cost. If your curtain fabric will be touching the copper, spray the copper with clear gloss to prevent oxidation from staining the fabric.

To further save money, you don’t have to use standard decorative hardware in your window treatments. For instance, even though tie backs of braided cords and tassels can add glamour to your window coverings, Christmas tree decorations of braided cords and tassels cost much less than “official” drapery accessories.

You can also get creative with your tieback holders, and using oddities will add character to your window treatments. For example, I once used old lamp finials for tieback holders. You can also create an ethereal atmosphere by using clear fishing line to secure sheer curtains in delicate swags.

There’s no doubt that window treatments are vital to the overall look and feel of a room, but you don’t have to break the bank to create dramatic window presentations. The possibilities are endless. All it takes is a little imagination.

(c) Copyright 2004, Jeanette J. Fisher. All rights reserved.

Professor Jeanette Fisher, author of Doghouse to Dollhouse for Dollars, Joy to the Home, and other books teaches Real Estate Investing and Design Psychology. For more articles, tips, reports, newsletters, and sales flyer template, see http://www.doghousetodollhousefordollars.com/pages/5/index.htm

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Rustic curtain rods are so simple yet elegant, that they work with almost any type of decorating, from country to metropolitan modern. If you want to give a modern look to your windows, the simplicity of this design is perfect. On the other hand, in a country setting, they add a natural touch to windows and doors and the rest of the home. Using these types of curtains will really work in any setting.

Despite the versatility of rustic style curtain rods, they have the unique advantage of being extremely low cost. Even the lowest priced ones can be found in discount outlets at further reduced prices. Whether you look for them in person or online, you will be able to peruse a wide variety of designs. If you have decorated your home in a country theme, rustic curtain rods are the most perfect choice. The leaf, floral and animal patterns of country style curtains go perfectly with this style of rod, which can also have leaves, scrolls, and ivy on them.

These kinds of rods, despite their low prices, are really well crafted and very artistic. The metal in these rods is hammered and brushed metal so that the rod has a lovely polish or patina to it. They have the unique advantage of not rusting, since they are protected with a waterproof glaze on the surface. These rods are handmade, so the variety available for your decorating needs is almost infinite; each one is slightly different from the others. They can be small, medium or large, so you are sure to find the size that will suit your window frames. The standard size of rustic curtain rods is 24 to 36 inches, but larger sizes, rods that expand from 36 to 60 inches, and from 60 to 90 inches are available. This makes finding the perfect fit for your home easy, You can also obtain these rods in custom lengths. Add custom finials, beautiful hand finished mounts made of iron, iron rings, and mounting hardware all made in the patina finish unique to these rods, and you truly have a work of art. There are rustic curtain rods available in the market that are up to twenty feet long! Shipping costs would be applicable to the rods if you have them shipped to your home, but well worth it if you want to achieve a lovely new look in your home with rustic curtain rods.

Andrew Caxton is a reliable journalist who has published more articles on this issue for http://www.home-decorating-reviews.com . If you would like more information on this topic please checkout his website on interior design, curtains and other window coverings.

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