In our house we have a set of french doors that lead to our patio.  In the winter they make the room very cold.  In the summer they make the room very hot.  We realized very quickly that we needed curtains.  However, with french doors the curtains need to do a good job of getting out of the way when the doors swing in.

So we installed the Dignitet cable curtain line and the coordinating clips from IKEA.  I bought some gray and white fabric and made panels.  This successfully turned our back room into a cave of darkness.  Needing to brighten it up I headed back to IKEA and got their plain white Matilda curtains on sale.  I always love a sale at IKEA.

After hanging them I loved the light that it brought into the room, but I didn’t like the plainness of it all (or the extreme length).  So I hemmed the curtains, then headed back out and got myself a chevron stencil and some Martha Stewart multi-purpose paint (great on any surface…including fabric) from the craft store.

A few of the purple colors were on sale, Helitrope and Mardi Gras Beads, so I snatched them up.  I hadn’t decided on a color yet and the sale really helped me start to love purple.

I didn’t want the clean look so I didn’t mix my paints well – I just kind of swirled them together.  That way I’d get a bit of a blended and marbled look.

I also wanted it to look a little worn and rough so I made sure not to be too careful with my painting.  I sponged it on roughly, missing some spots to make it look worn and edgy.

I think the hardest part was matching up the edges as I continued my chevron line across the bottom, but the rough look made it very forgiving.

I made sure to put down my cutting mat underneath, and I’m glad I did.  The paint soaked through the fabric in some spots and my mat saved me from needing to wash the floors.

I had to leave it overnight to dry completely, but I love the results.

Edgy, interesting, purple.  When the walls are eventually gray it will really pop.  And it’s not so busy that it darkens up the light colored curtains.  Sometimes buying what’s on sale and just going with it really works out for the best.

Stenciling curtains is really a quick and easy project.  And it’s an inexpensive way to dress up boring windows or patio doors.  If you choose to buy a different brand of paint, make sure you get some fabric medium to mix it with so it won’t flake off the curtain material.

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