I found four beautiful curtains without having measurements. They were only $12 a pair at the thrift store, so I bought them. I’m furnishing the rental house with as much second hand as possible.
A couple weeks later, I realized the curtains are too narrow for the window I decided to hang them in. I guess it’s time to get creative!
Better way to shop
Normally, I have a piece of measuring tape in my purse and have all sorts of measurements recorded in my phone. It’s the best way to shop in a thrift store, really any store. Go with a purpose and buy the right things.
Three narrow curtains into two wide ones
Anyway, The front window in the living room is a bit too wide for two panels. It really needs three to close properly. There is one other window in the room and it only needs one panel. Lucky for me, now I can cut one panel in half and attach the halves to two other panels. This project is pretty easy because the fabric is textured and I already own the perfect matching thread.
Step by step
Step one: Fold the curtain in half, mark with a pen or pins, and sew two rows of stitching from the top to the bottom. This is to keep the fabric from stretching or fraying out of control when cut.
Next step: Cut between the rows of stitches.
Third step: Decide how to attach the panels together. In this case, I was taking the easy way. I didn’t want to take the other seams apart so I pinned the cut piece behind the full and zig-zagged over the raw edge. Then, turn it over and top stitch the pieces together.
Step four: Finally, do the same with the other cut piece and panel.
I love to reuse curtains. Colors and fabrics can be mixed and matched for a fun and playful look, too. Maybe I’ll look for other narrow curtains and do a bit of mix and match in a future post for the bedroom curtains.
