Net Curtains

Net curtains are a simple way to dress your windows. They give a soft and whimsical appearance to a room. They can give a room a feminine air, so net bedroom curtains may not be suitable for a boys room, den or study. However, they are suitable for most other rooms in the house. The main advantage of net curtains is that they allow light to penetrate, but also give privacy to the home owner.  Depending on the amount of fullness you include in the net curtains, your level of privacy can be controlled.  A small amount of fullness will result in people outside the house being able to see shapes and forms through the net curtain.  A net curtain of two and a half times the width of a window or door opening will give sufficient fullness to provide enough privacy for external people to be unable to make out what or who is in the room.

Cheap net curtains can be purchased at most variety or fabric stores or you can buy net curtains online.  Many variety and chain stores have net and lace curtains in set lengths that are packaged.  You just need to come prepared with the length and width of your window and choose the appropriate size.  These ready made curtains are usually hemmed and have a tab, loop or casing for hanging on a rod.  Rods and the associated fixtures such as net curtain wire for hanging ready made curtains can be purchased at any hardware store.  You will need a drill, screwdriver, ladder and perhaps a saw to put these up.  You do not have to be very skilled to do this, but it is always recommended that you measure twice and cut once because if you cut either the rod or the curtain too short, you will have to go to the expense of purchasing more.  This will make what you originally planned as a discount or cheap net curtain a much more expensive one.Ready made net curtains come in a variety of patterns and styles.  Very patterned styles are considered lace curtains.   Lace curtains can be extremely expensive when sold as fabric by the meter, but you certainly get what you pay for, as the cheap curtains often look that.

Buying custom curtains or made to measure curtains, where a sales person will come to your home, measure up and leave you with a number of books of fabric swatches, gives you ultimate control.  You won’t be restricted to a limited number patterns and designs in your lace or net curtain selection.  This option allows you to more thoroughly follow a theme through rooms with your curtains.  Many laces have designs woven into them that make them particularly suitable for a kitchen, bathroom or bedroom.  Your budget is the only factor when making a choice such as this.  Purchasing a heavier weight fabric will result in a more rich and opulent look to your window furnishings.  When you spend a lot of money the disadvantage is that it is really important to make the right choice.  When money is no object many home owners engage the services of a design consultant to make sure they make the right choice.  A design consultant will advise you on style, colour and themes for each room.  This can be quite overwhelming for many homeowners who do not have a natural flair for home decorating and design.  Having a qualified person to advise you gives you confidence in your choices.

If you have a little girl and you are trying to create a lovely feminine space for her, it may be worth considering creating a valance curtain for her bed.  This is done with the same principle as curtains for your window, except that you are putting the net curtain around the base of the bed to hide an ensemble base, divan or bed legs.  The same net curtain could be used as the window treatment to create continuity in the room.  It is recommended that net valance curtains be more gathered than a window treatment as you will not be concerned about privacy or light penetration for a bed, but merely creating a soft and floating look to the bottom part of the bed. 

If you don’t have any sewing ability yourself, you can organise a curtain making company to make the valance in a fabric you have chosen.  It can be done most simply by creating a loop at the top of the net curtain valance and threading elastic through the loop to create the desired gathering and hold around the bed.  It is then as simple as stretching the net curtain valance over the bed and the elastic will hold it firmly in the desired place at the base of the bed.  The benefit of this design as apposed to having the valance attached to a sheet that slides under the mattress is that it doesn’t need to be repositioned when tucking in sheets.