Windows

We switched rooms a couple of months ago, which is still one of the best decisions we've made. 

Since then, we've been adjusting to things in this smaller room.

My closet is still upstairs, which I don't love, but it's fine. We have a bookshelf full of movies and random books, which also serves as storage for things like the iron. It's not perfect, but it works and there's not a good space for it by the washing machine anyway. 

I'm brainstorming ideas to go over our bed, since it's currently just a blank white wall, but what really bothered me was the lack of curtains. Lack of window coverings hasn't been an issue in any of the places we've lived before, which is probably why we didn't have any. In this house though, it's bugged me to have those bare windows. 

I saw an idea on a blog once about using burlap as a window covering, and I must say, I kind of loved it. Burlap isn't the most luxurious fabric, but it is neutral, has a great texture, and is CHEAP. A new WalMart opened up right down the road (seriously like five blocks away) and we went to visit it and they had burlap for a little over $2/yard. I decided right there to go for it. I hadn't measured the windows but I knew that I wanted curtains that touched the ground. To be safe, we got six yards of burlap. That was, of course, way too much but I can use it for other projects so I'm perfectly fine. Then all it took was a night of measuring (I didn't truly measure, just held it up to the window and cut where it looked good), hemming (I did hems on the tops and bottoms, but just did a zig-zag stitch down the sides - I don't mind the rough ends sticking out and I think the stitching will help with future fraying. I would guess that it took me two hours from start (getting my machine) to finish (hanging the curtains). 

Right now, I don't LOVE the bows tying the curtains to either side, but the fabric is stiff, so this is helping to bend it so the curtains will eventually stay there on their own. The truth is that I will probably end up leaving as-is until we move, but that's okay too. 

This was a simple project, under $20, and makes the room look much more put together. It doesn't darken the room too much, since it's see-through, but our neighbor has a motion-sensing light that shines right through the window with the birds on the wall, and I noticed that it's not quite as bright as usual with these curtains on there. 

Still thinking of inexpensive art to go on the blank wall above our bed... I've heard good things about engineer prints and might go for it!