First the inspiration, at Pottery Barn for $108/panel:
And now the result:
To make these curtains, I used a rod we already had in our old apartment. I bought curtain rings at Burlington Coat Factory for $5.99, and two 6x9 canvas dropcloths at the Home Depot for $5 each. I folded the tops of the curtains over until I got to the right length, and clipped on the rings. Then, I used some fusible webbing and an iron to hem them at the top. Hemming these at the top and using clips means there's little pressure on the ironed hem, and it will last. If you're a sewer, you can sew a pocket rod into these, but the fabric is very thick.
The total cost of this project is $18.50, tax included, thanks to some supplies I had on hand. Even if you were starting from scratch, you could do it for under $50, rod included. Not bad for a total window transformation!
A note for the wrinkle nazis: this fabric is VERY thick and holds wrinkles extremely easily. This is after a wash, dry, and iron. I'm hoping gravity will get rid of some of them, but for now they'll do.
