no sew window mistreatment

I've been itching for a change in the kitchen and when I was at the fabric store looking for green/red christmas fabric I saw this lovely black/cream floral in a heavy decorator's cotton. I snatched it up, thinking that by February I would have time to sew some pretty curtains. But I think reading the Nester's blog slogan "it doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful" over and over has had it's effect, because this afternoon I decided:
February is too far away.
I want curtains today.
and why not? I have 15 minutes!
I've made this valance a few times, in different houses, and always like it. It's simple and pretty and doesn't take yards of fabric. Let me show you how to do it, and then you too, can have a little sumthin-sumthin hanging over your window glass.First, go out to your husband's work/shop area and borrow the heavy-duty stapler gun. Then go dig in the scrap wood and find a piece of baseboard or molding that is the length of your window...John cut this piece for me last year. It used to be the baseboard in our kitchen before we remodeled. If he doesn't have scrap wood (and of course he does. Doesn't every husband keep each little bit of trim, plywood and 2 x 4 he finds?) then you might have to go get a board at Home Depot, cut to fit. Not too wide or heavy! And nothing pretty, it'll be covered up anyway. In our old house I used L brackets as the support-you are basically just resting the board on top of them. These are the old cup-style brackets from the previous curtains but they work fine, too. Now choose your fabric, from the store or from your stash. (and of course you have one. Doesn't every wife keep every fat quarter, linen yardage and piece of calico she finds?) Cut just an inch or two more than the length of your window. Fold it in half for the following reasons: 1.so there is a nice view for your neighbors outside, too 2. so the sunlight doesn't fade it as quickly, or shine though and make it look cheap 3. so the weight will help you get nice folds 4. and most important-so you don't have to hem! If you use a 60" decorator fabric, this will make a 30" long valance.

Now staple it along the board. Oh, I don't know? I guess every 5-7 inches or so, just to keep it on there but not so many that when you change your taste in curtains you can't re-use the fabric. That inch or two on the end? Just wrap and staple them, hiding the selvage ends so you don't have to sew the sides, either.

Lay the board on the brackets and this is what you have. Now I have done this shorter in width (say 15 in or so) for a straight, simple valance in the boys room, but it's too sharp and linear for the kitchen. The whole point of fabric in the kitchen is to soften up all that sharp, boxy cabinetry. So let's soften it up! Go get some fat ribbon, in a color that coordinates with the fabric you chose-I had this wide black grosgrain in my scrapbook stash. Loop it over the top and pull it through, and tie a bow. Do it near the end of the valance-I'd say about 12 in or so in from the sides, on both ends. Just eyeball it, but get it somewhat symmetrical. Next, tie the ribbon in a soft bow, about 1/2 to 3/4 of the way up-the point is for natural gathers to develop. Again, just eyeball it and tie it wherever it looks best to you. Leave enough ribbon to hang down a little...remember? we are going for softness!

When it stretches into those soft folds, it will pull away from the side a little. I've seen this on "real" window treatments but it bugs me. If it bugs you, also, you can get a thumbtack-fold the fabric up and over and press it underneath, to hold it straight. When you let go, the tack will be hidden but your valance will have nice straight sides. Ah, much better!

Here's how it looks with the ribbon:

Now you can fluff and arrange. Just pull the fabric into gentle folds-the weight of the folded fabric will make it keep its shape, especially if you use a better quality decorator cotton.
When you are finished, stand back and grin at the beauty you created with just 2 yards of fabric and 15 minutes of time! And in six months (okay, three, for some of us.) when you desire a change? Just take off the old fabric (don't forget to add it to your stash!) and then can re-do the curtain easily. (you'll need a screwdriver to pry up the staples)