Do it Yourself Window Treatments for Plantation Blinds

Evaluate the Furnishings

• Any window treatment is largely determined by the type of furniture in a room. If you have, for example, French antiques, install curtain toppers over blinds that pick up colors from the furnishings. Fabric with flowers, paisley print or any color of silk can work over plantation blinds in a bedroom with nice antiques. However, if you add curtains over white blinds in a casual breakfast nook, consider a red-and-white checkered material, for example.

Think Long Term

• Don't install window treatments requiring a sizable investment of money that will look dated in five years. Instead, strive to create window treatments that will be timeless. Window treatments add to the sales potential of any home, so select designs a lot of buyers would find appealing. For example, pink curtains over blinds work well in a small girl's room. Alternatively, use hunter green in a master bedroom or den for broader appeal. Frills are fine, but keep them confined to just a few areas of your house.

Select Quality Materials

• Buy first-quality upholstery material to make window treatments to complement plantation blinds. Cheap materials will de-value the look of the blinds and the room. Invest in materials that are designed to last through exposure to plenty of sunlight and not fade over the years. When cloth gets old and dirty, it makes the other furnishings in the room look dated.

Use Tailored Designs

• Drape a sheer curtain across the very top of a window to add color. But, sewing window treatments with tailored seams, pleats and cording trim will make them look more expensive. Since plantation blinds are costlier than plastic or aluminum blinds, add to the upscale look and feel of your blinds by paying attention to sewing details.

Consider Window Usage

• If you need to pull blinds shut and screen the window for privacy or day sleeping, create heavy drapes to pull across the blinds. Line the drapes to add to the darkening effect. Select an upholstery material that has lots of colors blended into the fabric design, so the drapes will not show dirt. It's expensive to dry clean heavy-duty curtains, plus it's an involved process to take them down and put them back up.