Pretty (Simple) Porch Curtains -- A Must

Many thanks to BFF Amber who got me started on my blog-addiction. I now want to redecorate every room in my house weekly using a different technique I have seen. There are so many cahuuuute, cute ideas out there, and I am just eclectic enough to believe each idea would be os-so-fabulous in my house. Enter disapproving husband...no redecorating today. Probably not tomorrow, either.

Well, dear friends and cousins-once-removed Matt and Sheila are doing some "staging" and simple redecorating projects to their home. Oh snap! I'm in. I went to their house one Friday night recently and found Sheila atop a ladder replacing their back porch ceiling fan. Great idea, too. The brown-should-be-white old one is gone and in its place is a sleek, sophisicated, 21st century black one. Oh, and she repainted the whitewashed porch ceiling. So the black fan really "pops". She then showed me some nice bamboo shades she was planning to hang for afternoons when the sun is beating into the porch. Um, no no no...Enter motivation.

Look, I have nothing against bamboo shades. They serve their purpose well. But had an even better idea! How about some outdoor curtains? Once I showed the idea to Sheila and assured her they are all the rage on HGTV and DIY Network, she was hooked. Here is a before shot of her porch (with the new fan already hung):

We decided on a nice white muslin fabric. Light and airy, but still thick enough to block the glare. Both of us know our way around a sewing machine, but since that's about the limit of skills, we decided to do a no-sew version. So we first used heat-activated hem tape to secure the edges:

Grommets are the coolest! They come in varying sizes and finishes. They are super easy to use, and just about everyone swears you cannot mess them up! Grommets are very forgiving to a novice skill level. Everyone is correct! I would tell you the steps, but we just followed the package instructions and found success!

Hey Sheila, hold that up so I can put a picture of your smiling face on my blog!!!

And now for the after pictures. I was not present for the curtains' grand hanging. The way Sheila tells it, hanging the curtain rod was by and far the hardest part of the project. Gee, I'm sure sorry my camera missed that hilarity!

(I put another of the "before" for comparison)

Up next, we'll finish the porch with small sitting chairs and perhaps a little side table and lamp. Cozy huh? This was fun. Stay tuned for more decorating dessert!