Thinking Outside the Box

My dining room was finished a while back (see it here). I searched to no avail for lined, apple-y green curtains. I did not want to spend a fortune for them and things I found that were affordable looked like they belong in a child's room. I ordered from different websites and waited oh so impatiently for them to arrive. After getting a several sets that were not the chartreuse (more grown up word) green that was pictured on the websites I finally just kept one of the sets and made it work.

My other issue with curtains was that I did not want tab tops or grommets. I know: picky, picky, picky! The curtains I settled for had the back tabs or could be fed through a rod pocket.

I love the color in this photo but this is not accurate!

First I tried the rod pocket. I did not like the look at all. Because of the weight of the fabric they wouldn't stay pulled back so I had to use the back tabs. I hung them, steamed the wrinkles out and carefully folded them in an attempt to make them hang neatly. I could not get it neat. "It'll do", I thought. But......it did not work! It was irritating me like a bit of sand in my shoe. Rubbing, rubbing, rubbing. Grrr! Constantly. I felt if I just fussed with it a bit more it would be okay. NOT! I should just find something else......sigh.

I am irritated just looking at this picture.

Every night I sat in the dining room, eating my dinner and being majorly bugged by those curtains. Of all the things in the world I could obsess about and this is all I can come up with?!

I decided to finally buy some curtain rings and see if that would not help.

Clipping them at the top made them too long. I tried the floppy look and hated that. The stupid tabs in the back hung over and I could see them.....like they were taunting me.

You can see the tab on the right. Grrr!

I had completed two windows when the light bulb in my brain finally got up to full strength. Why hadn't I thought of this before! The hems on my curtains are about the same width as the header so I just flipped them upside down. Those silly tabs aren't going to bother me anymore! Genius!

Right about then I seemed to remember that the idea was not totally new to me. Had I thought about it before and forgot? Did someone suggest that to me before and it just took this long to get through the maze of crazy in my brain? Pinterest? Maybe my friend, Tara, had suggested it. I don't know. I am reluctant to take credit for it, for fear that it may not be my genius. And, if I did have a stroke of genius the pressure to continue to perform at that level is too crippling so I'll move on.

I did not stop there. Once I clipped the rings on the back and put them on the rods I did a little fluffing. I simply pulled the hem open and zshooshed it a bit. Perfect! Well, at least they aren't bugging anymore. Tonight I ate my dinner feeling quite happy with myself. I know you're probably thinking I've lost my marbles and maybe it's a dumb idea but for right now I am happy as a clam. (Whatever that means.)

I should steam the bottoms out again.....

So, what do you think? Genius or crazy? What about you? Any 'outside the box' decorating moments? I would love to hear about it.

I joining these linking parties: The French Country Cottage
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