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You can afford to decorate if you use discount drapery fabric. Not only that, but these rich fabrics can be put to other uses as well. The weight of drapery fabric makes it ideal for slipcovers for furniture, throw pillows and duvet covers. Should you sew your own? Even some of the best decorators, who know how to sew very well, try to avoid it and find other ways to make things. You can use some of their creative tricks as well. Using discount drapery fabrics in creative ways can save you a lot of money. Fabric folding is one of the ways that you can create a decorator look without sewing.

Folding the fabric in an accordion and then draping and feeding it through pretty sconces or rings on the wall will create a beautiful jabot curtain, tails and all. When you have a curtain with a droopy center, you can just tack the middle to the wall. Adhesive strips are another no-sew way to create beautiful décor. This web-like fabric is ironed onto the back of a fabric and will hold two pieces of a fabric together, or adhere the fabric to another surface.

You have to make sure whether or not the the strips are washable; if you are using a non-washable fabric it may not matter, but if you want to be able to wash your curtains, it will. If you do decide to sew, you really open up a world of possibilities. Even from a novice sewer to an expert seamstress, there is a kind of sewing that can make use of discount drapery fabrics. Beginner sewers should use solid fabrics, or ones with a very simple, small design; using stripes and plaids are difficult to match pieces properly. If the patterns don’t match the project will look home made. You want your efforts to look professional, even if they are not. If you choose the right pattern, this is possible. To get the look of a pattern without really having one, you can use tone-on-tone material, where the same colors are used in both the pattern and the background. Mistakes blend more easily into this kind of pattern. Think about using discount drapery fabric for your pillow, throws and table runners.

The heaviness of these fabrics makes it perfect for these types of projects, not just draperies. This goes for any kind of project that calls for a thick fabric. You can use a foam pillow and put a drapery fabric slip over it and have a beautiful sham for the bed. Zippers can be added to make it easy to remove for cleaning. Drapery fabric also lends itself to spot cleaning, so you don’t have to bring everything to the cleaners. Table runners are an easy project for a beginner sewer using drapery fabric. Sew a backing of plain material and put a fringe or beading on the ends and you have a lovely decorative addition to your home.

You can use drapery fabric to make simple duvet covers for your bed, and have the advantage of changing your bedroom décor without the expense of new bedspreads. You can make more than one and be able to change the look of the room frequently. Using the same fabric, you can coordinate curtains and pillows to the duvet covers. This is a very affordable way to give yourself a lot of flexibility in decorating. You can find coordinating discount drapery fabrics to allow you to mix and match in your decorating scheme.

DECORATIVE DRAPERIES & UPHOLSTERY

Oh, you might imagine this is a flashback to the 1960s, but beaded curtains have returned in a totally new way. Groovier than ever designs create exciting plays on light and texture and even work as room dividers.there are a few paths to including beading in your window designs. The entire curtain can be made from beads and hang in colorful strands from the pinnacle of the window down to the floor.

This makes a great room divider and can be hung from the top of an entrance. It is perfect for areas you would like to define, but not absolutely close off from each other. Beads can be strung in such a manner to form lovely mosaics. The finished designs will appear as complex tapestry, or can be as easy as a monochromatic hanging of different transparencies of plastic or glass beads.

Even wooden beads can be employed to make a natural looking window treatment. Beaded curtains may also be used to shut off a closet area. This works rather well in smaller rooms where closet doors may take up too much space when opened and closed.

Full curtains made of beads aren’t the only possible way to include beads into the final look of the window dressing.

Beads can be stitched into fabric to add glint and interest. Use contrasting colors, or just reflect light with a tone on tone bead stitched in random patterns across the fabric. Beads also make a sublime edging to drapes, sheers or curtains. Imagine a caf style curtain in a sunroom or family room with a fringe of beads. The room right away becomes an informal but classy place for everyone. Adding a fringe of beads along formal drapes creates a more formal and stylish look superb for the living room. You can also dress up furniture with throw pillows accented with the same beaded edging as the drapes. For those that find stitching too gigantic a pain, you can get ready to use drapes or curtains and add your own bead work. Some fringes are designed with a pleasant heavy backing that can actually be hot fastened into place. bear in mind that stitching will give it a more pro looking finish which will stand up to dry cleaning or laundering better than craft glues. Decorating with beads is simple and fun and a fast do-it-yourself fix. Adding new window treatments or beads to existing curtains or drapes will give the room a decorator feel at a little part of the price tag. Using full beaded curtains or drapes is also a superb face lift for closet doors or room dividers. Swag them back with a decorative rope tie and you will have sweeping frame full of light and color as the entry into your most fashionable rooms.

Drapery Decorating from 1920-1939