Curtains

[captain_kirk]

I need to put in new curtains/blinds in a basement studio in Auckland - can anyone suggest a cost effective way to do this? Any suggestions?

[tamara]

Hi Captain Kirk

Make your own is a good cheap option but I guess that the quality of the curtains will depend on the skill of the curtain maker (usually me).

Spotlight is a good place to go to if you are making curtains or getting them made. You take the measurements of the windows and they will cut to size for basic curtains. I think that they have a make service too. In Manukau they have a whole floor of curtain material as well as some ready made varieties, netting etc.

As far as blinds go I would stay away from them. We used to have them in our own home and were told by the Venluree people that they need to be cleaned every 6 months. While that is not expensive especially if you drop them off to them. It can be a nuisance with tenants.

Just my thoughts

Tamara

[Spabath]

Spotlight are good, curtainmakers are better to get something 'right'
However, there are other places you can sometimes get good cheap ready-made curtains: warehouse? Briscoes?

[muppet]

Hi Guys

And there is http://www.trademe.co.nz

Regards

[hawkeye]

I've just made roman blinds for our house as we have 2 rooms, each with bay windows and another 2 windows (in total 12 windows) and curtains would have cost a fortune.

I used duck cloth which is 180cm wide and only $12 pm which was wide enough to cut 2 blinds out of the width so I ended up only needing about 14m of fabric. (Duck cloth is like calico coloured canvas, and quite heavy- easy to work with). With all the rings and cord etc I neded it cost probably another $100-$150 but all up very cheap.

Another solution I've used in older flats with large sash windows or French doors ( longer than the max 2.35m length of ready mades) is to buy 3 curtains from spotlight, Briscoes or warehouse to make a pair - 2x 2.35 and 1x 1.65 long, all the same width, in the same fabric. Cut the short curtain up to make 2 extra lengths and sew onto the bottom of the 2 long curtains, making a bit of a flap where they overlap as a bit of a feature. This is quick and easy.

Alternatively I have taken 2 thermal calico curtains from the Warehouse and added an insert of a textured natural cotton fabric about 30cm from the bottom of the curtains to extend the length. Fooled the valuer who reported that the curtains were of a good quality!

LJ

[warwick]

We just buy curtains from The Warehouse. Roman blinds for narrow windows e.g. toilet, laundry e.t.c.; and roller bamboo blinds for kitchens, they seem to go well with stainless handles and light fittings.

[drelly]

A word of warning about buying cheap curtains... if they have the plasticy backing on them, they don't like the washing machine! It sticks together and tears when you pull them out.

[revdev]

Hello Captain,

We just freshened up a 2 bdrm IP with new rails and thermal backed curtains from the Warehouse for around $360.00

Looks the business!

G

[Scarface]

Some good deals on Save Mart if you wanna save some money. Qualty second hand; will be reused anyway

[dannyboy]

this may sound silly, but you can make fabulous curtains using newspaper, we did this to our old caravan and they look stunning, all you have to do is keep all your old newspapers, cut out your favourite pictures and news topics, glue all the sheets together (obviously measure the size of the area that needs covering) then paste on the front all your pictures. the newspaper is attached to the curtain rings using chip fat (a good and cheap glue) when the chip fat has dried you can use lovely tassled tie backs to enhance your new curtains!! cheap and quick!!

[Fish]

dannyboy, got any tips on cheep clothes?

[Gypsygirl]

Dannyboy has proably got some fantastic clothes design ideas - you just wouldn't be able to wear them in the rain

[grotto]

Curtains

I've bought most of the curtains for our places from Op Shops (Salvation Army highly recommended).

Last house lot cost me $40, and were really good quality, clean, and just needed a quick iron.

They were not the colour/pattern I would have chosen for my own home, but I don't think any 2 tenants would ever choose the same colour/pattern.

I know the same quality of curtains purchased new would have cost nearly a thousand dollars.

[Foxy]

Spotlight has 'Magic Curtains", same price as fabric but in smaller range. However - for non-sewers it has the tape already attached - just cut to length and hem - very very easy. Much more costs effective than anything else I have found and better quality than ready mades.