by: Alexander Baxevanis

1. Scour your favorite magazine. The first step is all about inspiration. Visit the mega-bookstore or your local library and grab a bunch of home decorating and lifestyle magazines. Look for pictures of window treatments that you really love. Pick treatments that reflect your style and the way you live. If you’re home is very formal, stay away from plain venetian blinds. If your style is casual, don’t pick anything with silk. You get the idea! Buy the magazines or make copies of all the window treatments that you like and take them home with you.

2. Choose a window treatment. Once you get home, take all of the pictures into the room that you want to start in. Find pictures of window treatments that you think will work well in the room, and then hold them up towards a window. Try to visualize what the window will look like with that treatment. Question how it will work for your family. If you have young children or dogs then you’ll probably want to stay away from drapes that are hard to wash and anything that can entangle young heads.

3. Make a list of materials. After choosing a window treatment, make a list of the materials that you will need in order to copy the magazine picture. If you’ll be using blinds, note what type and finish you want them to have. If you’re using drapes, jot down the style and color that you want. Many window treatments, like roman blinds and drapes, can be handmade if you’re crafty. If you want to do all the sewing yourself, then jot down the lengths of fabric and other materials that you’ll need. Don’t forget curtain rods, nails, screws, a hammer and screwdrivers.

4. Go on a scavenger hunt. This is where the cheap aspect of the decorating comes in. Now that you know what you need, start hitting yard sales and thrift stores to gather it. Take you time and find the cheap blinds, cheap fabrics, and cheap hardware that you need to make the perfect window treatment. Be creative and flexible. I bet that once you’re done, your window treatment will look 10x better than anything that you could have purchased!

1. ENJE Roller blind – $19.99:This dark roller blind filters the light and reduces reflections on TVs and monitor screens. This dark blinds would be great for an office or living room. I’d also consider it for a child’s room to help block out the light during naptime. The blinds is available in purple, dark gray, and white.

2. LINDMON Venetian blind – $19.99: I really didn’t know that you could get cheap venetian blinds that look this good. The LINDMON blinds are available in brown, natural, and white. The adjustable slats can be tilted, raised and lowered for full control of light, sun and view. The blinds can be shortened by removing the desired number of slats. Divided blind cords make for for greater child safety.

3. TUPPLUR blind – $14.99: This is a true blackout blind that does not let any light through. If you need to sleep during the daytime, but have trouble getting to sleep you should try this. With the right curtains this blind could look very stylish and unique in your bedroom. At at only $14.99 you could definitely add some trim or other decoration to the blind itself to add even more interest.

4. LUPIN Venetian blind – $14.99: The Lupin Venetian blind is not quite as nice as the LINDMON and only comes in white. However this is a perfectly acceptable and cheap blind for functional window treatments. This would be at great option for the laundry room, or any windows that tend to get dirty quickly.

5. ISDANS roller blind – $7.99: For the truly frugal homeowner, truly cheap blinds. At this price, you might even consider adding this roller blinds to all of you window treatments. It can be pulled down during the day to increase the energy efficiency of your home and prevent the fading of your window and furniture fabrics. However, when guests are coming over you can quickly roll the blind up so that it disappears from sight.