SHADY LADY: PAINTED ROLLER SHADES

Window treatments.  Love 'em.  Gotta have 'em.  Can't afford 'em?  Well, screw 'em! (Show them how it's done Mr. Hopkins...)  Unfortunately for me, window coverings are pretty much required at my house as I like to keep the strange activities that go on inside private. Nothing sinister, just the usual "behind closed doors" kind of stuff:  Mirror reflection dance-offs (P.S. - I always win), my husband and I practicing the lift scene from Dirty Dancing, our bi-weekly furniture jumping Olympics, and of course, our hilarious improv show ("Tuesday Night Jive") we perform for our dog Maggie.  We have a bay window in our kitchen that has been needing a little somethin' somethin' for a while now, so I thought I'd find some window coverings, preferably some roman shades.  Sadly, the ones I love at Pottery Barn would require me to sell my plasma once a month for at least ten years before I could afford them, so I had to find an alternative.  Some sneaking around on the world wide Charlotte's web led me to some pretty great ideas, specifically one using the cut-to-fit roller shades you can get at any home improvement store.  So, I went to Lowe's, bought some cheapo shades, painted the damn things, and BAM! I now have some cute shades that will hold me over until I can afford the window coverings of my dreams, plasma-free.   

What you'll need:

Levolor cut-to-fit white roller shades from Lowe's ($8.00 each)

Brackets to nail them to the wall (sold separately)

Frog Tape

Black paint

Paint brush

A touch of awesome (not sold in stores)

MY INSPIRATION/DREAM WINDOWS

Now back to my sad, cash-strapped reality...

a.k.a., the kitchen flo'

STEP 1

Measure out notches all around the edges and then lay the tape down.  
I did mine 3 inches out from the edge, which is honestly too much
because as you know, I LIVE on the edge.

STEP 2

Paint around the edges.  It will look wrinkly but don't fret, it will go away 

when you take the tape off.  But do fret about your own wrinkles, because they won't

go away when you take the tape off.  I know that because when I took the tape off I ran

to the bathroom to look in the mirror and they were still there.  Curse you father time!

STEP 3

Remove the tape and voila!  Clean edges.

And for any of you who were wondering, the ghost of Ansel Adams didn't sneak

in my house and take these amazing museum quality photographs.  

That's just my crappy little Kodak.  Can ya' believe it!

STEP 4

Let them dry and then hang them up!  How fun and easy! They frame my bar area nicely.

I will probably need to get my steamer and out and get a few small wrinkles out at some point,

but for now, I am content with imperfection.  

Also wanted to mention that screwing the brackets in was the hardest part of the whole project .

I hate screws.  Scrrrrewwwww emmmmmmm!

Here are some other fabulous roller shade examples and ideas from around the web:

Better Homes & Gardens
Apartment Therapy

Southern Living

What the Vita (With ribbon!)
All Things Beautiful

Aesthetic Oiseau

and of course, Miss Martha knows best...

Martha Stewart Living