Help me pick new window treatments

[snoopy5386]

We currently have curtains in our living room and they desperately need to be replaced, they are black and extremely faded in some spots. I want to do the cheapest window treatments that I can stand because we are planning to move sometime in the next couple of years, but since DH needs to get a new job first in an extremely small field it could be 4 or 5 years before that happens and I can't keep the ones we have now for that long.

I've got 3 windows, two of them are pretty large, about 4 feet wide and the other one is about 2 feet wide. I would like to do blinds and valances instead of curtains, but I have a feeling that it would end up costing a lot more money than just buying new curtains. And of course, the windows are not a standard size so the blinds will have to be cut to size.

So what is the cheapest place for blinds? Curtains? We have an ikea about an hour away and a Target, Walmart, Lowes and Home Depot within 5 minutes of here.

 

[DiZneEChIcK]

I have good luck at JCPenney (sometimes they do mark things down even with their new stupid pricing thing), next would be Target (still expensive), then Walmart (mostly cheap quality, except for the eclipse brand). I never pay more than $10 a panel for curtains, that is my limit. Ikea's prices are not bad, if you need to go there for other things as well, I am about an hour away too, but we lump trips there into needing more than one thing.

My #1 store for curtains is Christmas Tree Shops, if you have one by you, there is one in Bridgewater, Freehold, Springfield, if you are near any of those. They have a good selection for good prices and their quality is middle of the road. They also have cheap rods (4.99 for small windows and 6.99 for large windows) and sheers/topper curtains, you could easily outfit a room for under $100.

Do not buy blinds at Blinds to Go (they are crap and expensive) or curtains at Marburn curtains (nothing in there except valances seem to be the same length).

 

[riley2008]

I've got 3 windows, two of them are pretty large, about 4 feet wide and the other one is about 2 feet wide. I would like to do blinds and valances instead of curtains, but I have a feeling that it would end up costing a lot more money than just buying new curtains. And of course, the windows are not a standard size so the blinds will have to be cut to size.

So what is the cheapest place for blinds? Curtains? We have an ikea about an hour away and a Target, Walmart, Lowes and Home Depot within 5 minutes of here.

We got blinds from Home Depot - the vinyl 2" wide ones. They were cheaper than Lowe's and were cut to fit. (You have to shortened them yourself - not hard.) Also, don't forget to check the post office for coupons in their moving packet.

For cheap curtains or valances, if you can sew a straight seam, or know someone that can, use sheets. Wal-mart usually sells the flat sheets by themselves - a cotton/poly blend. Target is a little pricier. These can also be dyed, painted (neat stripes or print) and otherwise decorated to suit your decor. I've also know people that just allow the sheets to "puddle" on the floor, rather than any sewing. (Was a very nice look at a beach home - used white sheets on either side of large french doors.)

 

[Stupid_Judy]

I've gotten many inexpensive window treatments at Lowe's. They also sell the temporary paper & plastic ones, you can look into those since you don't need them on a long-term basis.