Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Drop Cloth Curtains

Awhile back I started a project, attempting to make drop cloth curtains for my new blue livingroom.

I found the canvas painters drop cloths at a local discount store for cheap ($2.69 as opposed to $9.99 at the home improvement store) and bought four and some dark brown RIT dye. I wanted to dye the drop cloths a dark chocolate brown.
I only used one bottle of dye and knew they weren't as dark as I'd wanted, but before I tried to dye them more I thought I'd see how the "chocolate ice cream" color would look. Maybe it would work okay.


I don't really like it. But worse, where other people can use drop cloths and make very nice looking curtains, mine look like dyed drop cloths. Not only that but I don't think they are long enough.

Neither of us seem to know where the rod is supposed to hang in reference to the trim - right across it? Right above it? A couple inches above it?

Where J is holding the rod here, the "curtains" just touch the floor. If we raise it up any, they won't reach the floor like they're supposed to.
So I'm thinking, even if I relegate these drop cloths to the back porch like I said I could if they didn't work out for the livvyroom and buy real curtains, I don't know if they are even going to reach the floor.

Argh.

*ETA:  Drop Cloth Curtain Post Update

3 comments:

KalideskopeGal said...

Just found your site, and was wondering about dyeing canvas drop cloth. Did you find a solution to this? If length is the only issue, could you add a pretty fabric to the top, bottom, or even a third or so of the way from either side to lengthen them? I do think the brown with your pretty blue walls would look very nice.

Melissa said...

Hi, KalideskopeGal. Honestly I tossed the drop cloth/curtains aside and haven't messed with them again.

I pretty much knew beforehand that I needed more dye to achieve the darker brown I was looking for, but thought to take it one step at a time; maybe the lighter brown, or "chocolate ice cream" color, would look okay.
It doesn't, to me. I prefer darker, so maybe I'll dye them again.

Yes, if I need them longer I'll have to sew a strip of material on at the top or bottom.

We've got a lot going on right now, getting the yard cleaned up, garden put in, and the house ready for a big family party later in May when our youngest son turns 18 and graduates high school, so for now the blinds will have to do and I'll mess with curtains later in the summer.

Thanks for visiting and the vote of confidence concerning my color choices, since I'm decorating-challenged and I usually end up trying something only to find out it looks nothing like it did in my mind.

Curtains said...
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