I've recently moved into a new one bedroom apartment that I like quite a bit, but its lacking one important detail: No blinds, no drapes, no curtains, no nothing on the windows. I have two windows with enough exposure that I feel the need to have some way to cover them, and I'd like something cheap and, ideally, nice looking (blinds are functional but awfully ugly). I'm not above using second-hand equipment or a bit of improvisation, but I'm no tailor and anything more complicated than "screw this thing in here, hang that thing there" is probably going to be lost on me.
Ideally options that don't put much stress on the apartment or walls would be nice, I doubt the owners would have trouble with me
adding to their apartment, but that doesn't mean they want me to tear apart the walls to do it.
Any advice for ways to cover up some windows on the cheap?
Posts
Also, horizontal blinds are cheap and easy to install. Also, they can be trimmed to fit your dimensions.
If you want to be able to block ALL light, it's really not going to destroy the walls to put in some cheap curtain rods and hang whatever fabric you like off of them, or cheap curtain panels from Walmart or whatever.
http://www.glad.com/plasticwrap/pressnseal.php
That is remarkably cheap and I imagine would be INCREDIBLY ugly. Kind of overshot the mark on the former, but if I end up destitute and needing windows covered in the next few months I might try that.
Also you might want to clear this with the landlord.
That's how I've got the light blocked off for my frog tanks and it works perfectly and looks lovely
They cast a shadow like a sundial in the morning light. It was half past 10.
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=143166-79074-143166&lpage=none
+50 Privacy!
Eh.. I've done it. Looks like frosted glass and was cheaper than the real deal.
http://www.amazon.com/White-Frost-Window-Film-Continuous/dp/B0012NH1QA
Look at the fabric, you might want the translucent fabric if you like a lot of light, or you might want a thicker one if you want to block the light. Make sure to get a pair of curtains so you can pull them apart in the middle, some packages contain a pair, others are just one larger panel. Remember that the width of the window isn't the same width you want the curtain to be, unless you like it to be stretched taut. Most people like curtains to be ruffled.
Look at the top of the curtain too and make sure to pick a curtain rod that goes with it. It your curtains are "Tab Top" you will want a curtain rod that is straight and not ugly. If your curtains are going to cover the whole rod then it doens't really matter.