18 Affordable DIY Window Treatment Ideas To Update Your Home On A Budget

Window treatments are a great way to define your space while giving it a finished and cohesive look. However, traditional curtains and other window treatments can often be expensive, particularly if you have windows in unusual sizes, a large number of windows in your home, or very specific needs for draft prevention or privacy. DIYing your window treatments can be an excellent budget-friendly solution, providing creative ways to get exactly what you want, whether that's just some additional interest in a boring room or privacy granting full-coverage.

Many of these treatments take advantage of inexpensive materials you may already have like excess fabric, vintage linens, scrap wood, or burlap bags. Others can be created from elements available for a bargain in stores, like canvas drop cloths or artificial flowers. All of these ideas create unusual and distinctive ways to cover your windows in style at a decidedly lower price point than custom drapery or retailer window coverings. 

One of the best inexpensive sources for fabric to make curtains is canvas drop cloths. This is especially true if you have a minimalist or neutral driven design aesthetic due to their simplicity. They are perfect for covering floor to ceiling windows or glass doors. Just add some clip hooks along the top with rings. Fold a longer cloth over at the top to create the look of a layered valance or cut the material to the length you want.

Turn your fabric scraps into gorgeous patchwork curtains by stitching them together and adding some tabs at the top for hanging. Not only does this allow you to use up your stash of fabric, but you can also easily use fabrics in patterns and colors that tie the different elements in your room together for a cohesive look. Old scarves specifically would add a lot of vintage style. Loop longer scarves and wraps over a curtain rod and tie them at the top, or drape a scarf or piano shawl over the whole window. 

Use some plain white curtains on your windows as a backdrop for your original art. Plain curtains made from inexpensive muslin, canvas, or cotton duck can be painted with fabric paint. Add floral details, branches, birds, landscapes, or other natural scenes for a one-of-a-kind boho look and feel. You could also paint decorative accents on an existing shade, blinds, or bamboo roll-up screen.

Use printmaking ink designed for fabric to create original patterned curtains in one or two shades of color to cover your windows in style. You can purchase a rubber stamp in a design you love or create one with a stamp kit. You could also use a stencil and fabric paint to create patterned sections and borders on plain curtains in white or a light color.

For a fun, whimsical look that's perfect for a child's bedroom, playroom, or nursery, hang a series of colorful and diverse ribbons from the rod. This fun curtain DIY allows light and air into the room but grants a little privacy and visual interest at the window. You could also hang rows of ribbon above a window in a craft room where they can dangle down and double as both window treatments and roll storage.

Turn pretty vintage or new tea towels into easy curtains. You can make a simple no-sew version by using curtain clips and a rod, folding over the fabric at the top if desired. You could also sew a pocket along the top of the tea towel to accommodate an existing rod. This can also be a great way to repurpose pillowcases you are not using on a bed.

There are many peel-and-stick window films that cover the glass in your window, allowing you to create privacy without using traditional window treatments. They come in decorative patterns and geometric designs, as well as floral scenes and colorful options. Create your own by drawing a pattern or design onto contact paper, then apply it to the glass.

Antique stained glass windows make a beautiful addition to an empty window, whether leaning against it on a ledge or hanging as a panel from the frame. They can bring a lot of vintage charm and color to a newer home while offering a beautiful filtered light effect and some privacy. While you can buy stained glass panels at architectural salvage stores and flea markets, you can also make your own using a simple picture frame with a fun faux stained glass DIY or by painting on plexiglass. 

If you have a collection of vintage crochet pieces like table scarves, doilies, and tablecloths, put them to use on your windows. Repurpose your old vintage doilies by turning them into a pretty and delicate boho-style curtain sewn together patchwork-style. Not only does this add softness to a window, but it also still allows the light to filter through in pretty patterns.

Macrame instantly conveys a fun and casual boho style, making it a perfect way to cover your windows. You can use a vintage panel over a window or weave your own custom curtain using a wooden rod and cotton macrame rope. Weave it as loose or thick as desired, adding other elements like wooden hoops and beads for variation and texture.

You can create a curtain out of a tablecloth just by adding some clip hooks along the top. Great options include beautiful heirloom lace tablecloths, fun vintage patterned floral pieces, and delicate embroidered linen cloths. For a chic cottage style look, turn a checkered or gingham tablecloth into an adorable set of kitchen curtains.

There are countless tutorials for turning any stretch of fabric into a DIY roman shade. Many add pockets with slip-in wooden dowels that fold up the fabric gently when you pull a cord or rope. Others allow you to manually fold up and tie off the segments of cloth. Use your favorite vintage fabric or match your curtain fabric to your shades for a unified look.

While barn doors have always been a stylish way to cover doors in small spaces that benefit from their space efficiency, you can also create smaller versions that cover windows. They are a fun alternative to wooden shutters that allow for the most privacy, insulated air flow, and light blocking. Making them DIY style may be easier than you think using scrap wood and inexpensive tracks, like the CCJH Mini Sliding Barn Door Hardware Kit.

Burlap bags that once held coffee, tea, or cocoa beans often have a rustic and worn beauty that makes them perfect for upcycling into curtains and other varieties of window coverings. Just thread a slender curtain rod through the pocket that originally held a drawstring or add some clip hooks along the top to hang. Or, you can turn it into a tie-up window shade by adding some ribbon ties. 

Long a standard of boho-style spaces, beaded curtains can add some vintage charm and a casual feel to your space when used over a window. Glass beads can look especially beautiful when the sun hits them, or try a wooden bead curtain for a more earthy look and 1970s-inspired aesthetic. Just string the beads up on clear pieces of thread and tie them along a curtain rod.

Faux flowers offer excellent potential for creating unusual DIY window treatments. String some flowers along some twine or fishing line and hang them from a wooden rod or dowel, or use some chicken wire stapled to the wall along the sides or top to frame out the window with lush florals like this stunning floral bedroom DIY project. Alternatively, hang several living plants over your window instead of traditional curtains. Not only is this a great look for a more biophilic or bohemian space, but it's also the perfect spot for plants to thrive.

If you need extra display space for décor or plants, use some small brackets to add leftover glass or scrap wood shelves in an uncovered window. This works excellently for kitchen windows above the sink or in rooms on upper floors where you do not need as much privacy. It will still allow some light to filter in without blocking the beautiful view outside.

Wooden window cornices and valances are a luxe look that allows you to hide curtain rods and other hardware out of sight. You can make a simple cornice out of some scrap wood attached in a box formation with nails and hung above the window, or use a wooden plank or sign the same width of the window hung at the top.