Easy Blackout Curtains
Thank you all so much for your kind words and encouragement about my baby girl’s nursery reveal. Since I am writing this at 11pm on her due date, I guess she’ll be late… but whenever she makes her debut, I’m thrilled to have such a serene place for her. One of the things that will make this room wonderfully functional for her are the gorgeous ruffled blackout curtains.
If you’ve been around for a while, you know that I made these ruffled curtains for this room about a year ago when it was doubling as a guest room and nursery for my second son. At the time, I was so focused on making it a light and airy guest room that I wanted curtains that would allow the light into the space…
Then I woke up to reality. My babies just sleep better when it’s dark. And this room has amazing natural light (which is wonderful!)… but it needs to be blocked out from time to time. But what’s a girl to do with her gorgeous curtains that she worked so hard on that were NOT blackout?
Sometimes the simplest answer is the best. I found blackout curtains at Walmart for ~$10 each that were a very similar color to my curtains, and I simply hung them behind mine.
They are not the same length or even width, but it doesn’t matter. If a bit peeks out, at least they are the same color.
The integration was the key, and I have two tips for you on that. First, I had made the tops of my curtains with a simple grosgrain ribbon tie. Much softer than a channel in my opinion. The blackout curtains I bought had a channel, but I simply attached a few pieces of the same grosgrain ribbon instead. I also used longer pieces of ribbon to help compensate for the difference in length of the curtains. Voila.
And the other super secret trick? A little safety pin at either end to keep the curtain from sneaking out. Real rocket science, my friends.
And there you have it. I actually might even like the curtains better now since they appear fuller. And for $10 per window, it was worth it to me to be the easiest fix ever. Remember, any curtains can be blackout curtains in a pinch! 🙂
MORE DIY DECOR:
DIY Smocked Drop Cloth Curtains
What pretty ruffled curtains. I love your idea to put blackout curtains behind them too. In my last home, I made simple, unlined curtains from white cotton sheets and I sewed on white grosgrain ribbons but tied them to wooden rings because I needed to open and close them daily. I wish I had seen your ruffled curtains back then. Just lovely!
Thank you so much, TJ! I’m so glad you like them. 🙂