Stage your Windows with Pre-Fab Drapery Panels

Windows play an important part in making a room looked polished but window treatments can be quite costly. The idea of home staging is to invest a little for a lot of impact.
If your windows are crying out for some sprucing up, don't despair--there is hope!
Home decor store clearance bins are terrific resources for drapery panels that won't put a dent in your wallet. And, if you shop wisely, the result can be quite effective.

Things to keep in mind when staging the windows

in your home:

BEWARE OF SKIMPY FABRIC--the picture on the package looks terrific, but when you hang them up and the light shines through too much they just look like thread bare sheets--there's no depth or texture
LAYER PANELS FOR A MORE LUXURIOUS LOOK--If you can nab a pair of light, neutral sheers at a bargain, do!  As an addition to patterned or solid coloured panels, they'll give your windows a more polished, professional look. They can also remedy the show through of thinner fabric panels if you can't find heavier weight ones on the cheap.
BE AWARE OF THE TYPE OF HEADING--Try to stay away from rod pocket panels--they have a dated look and are more suitable for small kitchen windows than for a complete window dressing. Tab top panels can make a casual statement and are more suited for bedrooms than for living areas. Keep you eye's open for back tab panels. The way they gather on a rod can be quite refined, resulting in a designer look. And because they're still tabs, all you need to hang them with is a simple drapery rod. Even if you decide to layer panels with sheers, you can hang them on the same rod by just offsetting the tabs.
GO LONG!--Prefab panels generally come in two standard lengths--84" and 96". Get the longest you can even they're too long for your window. To shorten with ease, just iron to crease the hem, then keep in place with adhesive hemming tape. Prym Sewing has a product called 'Res Q Tape' (available at Wal-Mart) that is acid free and won't leave a residue when it's removed. So, if you find drapery panels that you love, you can keep them for your new house and cut & hem them when they have a permanent home!