Creative Window Coverings

Your windows take up a lot of real estate in your home or apartment, yet there remain surprisingly few options for creative window coverings for personalizing your home decor. Your options are typically to choose blinds or curtains, and then you have a few alternatives within those choices. Vertical blinds or horizontal? Heavy drapes or sheer panels?

However, with a little thinking outside the box, you can create some creative window coverings that don't involve either blinds or curtains. Here are a few ideas for creative and unique window coverings to suit your decor:

Shutters

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Shutters don't have to be just an outside window treatment. You can create some unique treatments by hanging shutters inside. You can hang them vertically as is traditional, or you can create a different look by turning them horizontal. Hang several shutters or just hang on at the top like a valance.

Old Doors

Cut old doors down to size or hang one the length of the wall to create a unique look in any room. You can even put the door on a hinge to allow it to open to let in light. Depending on the type of doors you choose, you can create a dramatic or somber atmosphere with this choice of window treatment.

Beads and Garlands

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Beaded curtains were all the rage in the 70s. You can update this old classic with designer beads, pom poms, strips of tattered fabric, or even scarves. You can also make garland by stamping or die cutting shapes and attaching them to ribbon or string.  

This type of window treatment is a great option for really expressing your own creativity and personalizing your room decor.

Bookshelves

Make the space work double duty for you by placing book shelves or other organizational units in front of your windows. You can transform these items into window coverings -- instead of making your friends think you just put furniture in front of your windows -- by putting them on casters so they can be "opened" to let in light and placing decorative contact paper or fabric on the back to create a nice effect for those looking in from the outside.

Think beyond curtains and blinds for your next room redesign, and you may find some options for a truly unique look for your room.

What creative coverings have you used for window treatments? Tell us about your ideas in the comments!

Kay Winders is presently the resident writer for http://www.badcreditloans.org, where she researches the best way for people to pay off their debts without damaging their credit. In her spare time, she enjoys freelance writing, the beach and gardening.