Hey! So, have you heard about how you can use Drop Cloths for something other than tossing them on the floor while you paint a room?
No, seriously folks!
No, seriously folks!
You can use them for pillows, tablecloths, runners and even curtains!
Oh wait…what’s that you say?
You already know that?
Everyone has been doing this for years and I’m just now getting on board the
You already know that?
Everyone has been doing this for years and I’m just now getting on board the
“Drop Cloth Bandwagon”?
Oh man!
And here I thought I was being all cool and trendy!
Well, I may not be the first person to do it, but better late than never right?
For some time now, I’ve been wanting to make a change to the drapes in my family room, breakfast nook and kitchen.
They have served me well for the last 4 years but I was ready to lighten and brighten a bit.
But, I wasn’t ready to spend a lot of cash-ola!
So, I thought I would give the old “drop cloth as curtains” trick a go.
My only problem was that I really wanted them to have some kind of decorative detail to give them some extra “umph”. And that led to another problem.
I originally wanted to fold over the tops and add fringe to the hem but 2 yards of fringe per panel was going to cost me A LOT and totally defeat the purpose of having this be a budget friendly project.
Soooooooo….I thought and I thought and I hemmed and I hawed and I huffed and I puffed and I blew the house down…oh wait, that’s another story. 
But, on one of my many trips to the fabric store desperately trying to find the perfect fringe on clearance, I stumbled across a gorgeous remnant of toile fabric.
I’m a sucker for toile. It calls out to me. It knows I love it so.
And at $12 for 4 yards I was SOLD!
It was a match made in toile heaven.
Mr. Drop Cloth, meet Miss Toile.
He may seem a bit rough around the edges at first. But after a nice bubble bath and spin in the dryer, he’ll just soften right up.
Don’t they make a lovely couple?
Sorry.
I’m weird.
I know.
Ahem….
So, I figured out that I would have enough toile to give each panel a 3 inch flange edge.
I doubled that to allow for folding it in half which meant I cut each strip 6 inches wide.
The length was the same as the length of drop cloth I needed for each panel.
I was feeling rebellious against my sewing machine so I decided to use this little rolled up bit of genius instead. Ahhhh…Stich Witchery…you really are quite magical.
Each fabric edge was folded in half and the fusible web strips were then placed on the inside to create a “hem”.
Then, they were fused together with the iron per the instructions on the package.
This also created a nice crisp outer edge which is what will be visible on the curtains.
Is this all as clear as mud?
Turn your drop cloth panel over so that you are working with the “wrong side”.
Place your fabric edge along the seam of the drop cloth and fuse them together using the Stitch Witchery. This isn’t hard but it is time consuming. Drop cloths are so thick that you have to apply a lot of pressure to get the fusible webbing to really attach.
And, of course, it’s all in the details right?
So, be sure to finish off the bottom by creating a nice “hem”.
So, are you ready for a little Before meets After?
Well here ya go!
Family Room BEFORE:
Family Room AFTER:
The toile trim really ties in perfectly with the other accessories in the room.
Breakfast Nook BEFORE:
Breakfast Nook AFTER:
Ahhhhhh….
I love the nubbiness (that’s a word right?) of the drop cloth and how it has a linen quality about it.
In the kitchen, I decided to just completely give in to my love for the toile and let it stand on it’s own as simple panels on either side of my corner windows.
Kitchen windows BEFORE:
Kitchen windows AFTER:
This corner seems so much more open and spacious now.
Sigh…toile…if loving you this much is wrong, I don’t want to be right!
So, there you have it.
I finally made something out of drop cloths.
Look out folks!
Who knows what might be next?
Has anyone made a drop cloth toga yet?
Hmmmm….now there’s a thought!
Thanks so much for joining me at the Fence today,
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Home Stories AtoZ: Tutorials and Tips Link Party
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia: Tuesday’s Treasures
DIY By Design: Spring into Spring
Savvy Southern Style: Wow Us Wednesday
Coastal Charm: Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
Imparting Grace: Grace at Home
Stuff and Nonsense: Friday’s Unfolded
Common Ground: Vintage Inspiration Friday
French Country Cottage: Feathered Nest Friday
Redoux: Friday’s Redone
DIY Showoff: DIY Project Parade
Sharing this post here:
Home Stories AtoZ: Tutorials and Tips Link Party
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia: Tuesday’s Treasures
DIY By Design: Spring into Spring
Savvy Southern Style: Wow Us Wednesday
Coastal Charm: Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
Imparting Grace: Grace at Home
Stuff and Nonsense: Friday’s Unfolded
Common Ground: Vintage Inspiration Friday
French Country Cottage: Feathered Nest Friday
Redoux: Friday’s Redone
DIY Showoff: DIY Project Parade
Great job, Vanessa! My first thought was how well the textures of the two fabrics work together. Love the new lighter, brighter look.
Wow- that looks GREAT!!
Well done, really is excellent!
Thanks for the awesome tutorial as well!!!!
HA! You crack me up. I’m also just dying for some toile curtains. I like your idea of just using it as trim! Way way way cheaper!
Awesome! I love toile as well although I always have trouble pronouncing it. Because making it sound like you are saying toilet and leaving off the t doesn’t seem right but when you say twal you sound very southern. Anyways, love how these turned out and thanks for the laughs this morning! 🙂 Can’t wait to see you at Haven!
Nice toile fabric. I loved your take on the drop cloth curtains. I also added trim to mine however I wasn’t smart enough to use the Stitch Witchery…yep I sewed but I’ll bet it makes a difference with the firmness of the added material. I did not like mine as much as I like yours. Great job! I also want to tell you I love your rooster lamp/shade!!! very nice. I have an old farm house but my kitchen is an old time version of yours ha!! The layout is the same! I love the corner sink it was my favorite part when we bought this house….I think I’m going to re-make some drop cloth curtains now…
Awesome job Vanessa and I LOVE the toile ones you made for the kitchen!!
Hmmmm the last time I wore a toga…..well, way toooo longggg ago 🙂 I love the new curtains, so pretty and updated the rooms really nicely. Thanks for linking up.
XO
Kristin
Hmmmm the last time I wore a toga…..well, way toooo longggg ago 🙂 I love the new curtains, so pretty and updated the rooms really nicely. Thanks for linking up.
XO
Kristin
Awesome! They look great, I love the toile pattern you used. They really updated your rooms!
I’m a lover of toile, too! It really made a difference in your kitchen windows (duh, that’s where the most is). Love your sense of humor,too.
Janet
Very, very nice! I’m a lover of ‘drop cloths’ also.
I made slip covers for all my living room furniture
and it’s so easy to toss in the washer. Before I
made the covers I put all the clots in the washing
machine with lots of bleach and fabric softener
and the fabric came out so soft and perfect.
Great Job!
Sandy
You little smartie! This looks so good and you did a great time.
Be a sweetie,
shelia 🙂
Loving the toile Vanessa!
Looks great. I love me some drop cloth fabric – – it has so many uses. Love the fabric you used for the trim too! The finished curtains really lighten up the room.
I love your idea of toile trim but I think I would hang the curtains with the trim of the inside of the window where you can see it more. Just a thought. Anyway I love the drop cloth fabric with the toile trim. Sandy B
You know what’s funny? I actually did hang them the other way first before switching it to how I have them now! 🙂 It made it a bit hard to see the toile up against the window blinds but it is fun knowing I can mix it up and move them around whenever I feel like a change. Thanks for the input!
Vanessa
Well this is news to me, so thanks for posting about it 😉 🙂 I alwayas love using stuff meant for one thing to fill a need for something else 🙂 🙂 Love and hugs from the ocean shores of California, Heather 😉
Your new curtains look great. Adding the toile to the edges really dresses them up. I also love how a drop cloth looks like linen.
these look amazing!! great job!!
Those looks amazing. You did a great job coordinating the two fabrics. I love toile and I love drop cloths. It’s a match made in heaven!!
Stitch Witchery..now your talking’…my kind of “sewing”….The drapes look great…and I love the toile in the kitchen…I am so partial to toile!….John B. was crossing his arms and saying…hmmm, there should have been some toile in my toga..some touches at the shoulders would have been just the thing…
I really love the look of this Vanessa. I haven’t done a thing with drop clothes yet either, and I keep putting it on the to do list. (And it keeps dropping lower and lower and…) This makes me want to boot it back to the top.
That’s drop CLOTHS… CLOTHS…
I haven’t done anything drop clothes at the window either, though. Just thought I should mention that.
Great job Vanessa! Love the look!
Mom
What a perfect way to dress up the drop cloth fabric! It looks beautiful and yes, I’m a toile loving fool and just can’t get enough of it.
hugs
sissie
Vanessa, I love the added toile to the drop cloth. Just perfect. Thanks for sharing at Wow.
Vanessa, What a fabulous idea! I love the fabric you chose to compliment the drop cloth. I am saving this tutorial… it is wonderful!!!! I have a room that these curtains would look perfect in! Thanks for the instructions and inspiration!
Your drop cloth curtains are just fabulous, and they really do brighten up your rooms. Good choice to just do the toile in the kitchen. I have hemmed curtains and applied trim with fabric glue! Great stuff!
Love that fabric, Vanessa! Can’t believe you found it on clearance! You go, girl! : ) I love that you put your own touch on the dropcloth drapes and how the toile runs down the side.
Vanessa,
What a beautiful thrifty look you have here..love the toile!!! Drop cloths are wonderful and thrifty…I love using them. Hope to see ya at NTT.
Blessings,
Linda
These are FABulous!!! Do you have a tutorial on an upholstered head board? I bet drop cloths would work wonders on one….
xo
lynn
I love using dropcloth! I love toile! You are right, a match made in heaven! Fantastic job! I really like that you used only the toile in the kitchen, it makes more of a statement. Beautiful tiole btw…
XO Cindy
Thanks for the great tutorial. Lovely dropcloth! I do hope you’ll visit me at My Dream Canvas, its great to connect with you.
You can never have too much toile! I’m hoping to get on the drop cloth bandwagon too. Love all of the ‘afters’.
Sharon @ mrs. hines class
They look great!
Anna
http://www.askannamoseley.com
Don’t you love Stitch Witchery? I just hemmed some drapes with it.
Vanessa, they look gorgeous! I love the mix of the two fabrics! I have a drop cloth obsession! LOL I have made pillow and outdoor curtains and I just love your idea of mixing the fabrics! Beautiful!
How fun the toile looks amazing. Love it. You did a great job, they look wonderful. Hugs, Marty
I’m pretty sure a toga is the only thing I haven’t made out of dropcloths. My weekly shopping list goes – milk, bread, butter, drop cloth, cheese … I’m thinking of using velcro to add an interchangeable flounce at the top of curtain panels. Love your toile! ~ Maureen
Vanessa, they look great! It definitely lightens everything up and ties all the rooms together. No sewing is even better!! 😉
~Angela
Love them! What a great way to stretch $$ by using the beautiful toile as a focal and using the less expensive fabric as the base! That toile is INCREDIBLE. I think that the toga should have just a 2 inch border of toile along the top and over the shoulder, don’t you?! 😉
Wow, I love this idea. I love the “after” pictures. You always make everything look so easy. I agree, you can never have too much toile. =) xo ~Liz
I love toile, too; each design is just so interesting. Your drapes look fabulous, as well as the kitchen curtains. I haven’t used drop cloths for anything, but I should grab one at Home Depot just to add to my stash for when I get a “light bulb” moment…..lol! Great job, Vanessa!
CAS
I love using dropcloths….they are so versatile…I’m getting ready to make one into a canopy on my master bedroom balcony to cut the sun from coming in this summer…
I think you should try slipping your plaid panels on with these new ones…they blend in color and it would frame the window more…if the plaid is on the outer edge, then turn the banded lead edge towards the middle, you might find the plaid ones give the toile the lift they need to pop more against the window light…you could also band both edges, or add a solid piping to the toile where it meets the dropcloth….great colors, and I love that vintage texture of the toile….
Happy Birthday too!…Friends are blessings in our garden of life….
Tootles!
I love your new curtains! Awesome and can I get an amen on that it’s a no-sew!
Great job, Vanessa. This is my favorite toile and the no-sew makes the project even better. They turned out wonderful.
what a great combination! love that toile pattern, everything looks so great! super duper job on these!!
Wow, love them Vanessa! I’ve been toying with making some drop cloth curtains for our living room. I’m very tempted now! Lovely job.
~ Catie
What a lovely inexpensive expensive looking change. You just gave me an idea for one of my guest bedrooms! Thanks!!!
These turned out beautiful! I’ve pinned it to my Sewing board and would love for you to share on our Creative Corner Blog Hop. It starts on Monday’s and is open all week – http://hollysstampingaddiction.blogspot.com/2012/05/creative-corner-blog-hop_28.html
Holly
http://hollysstampingaddiction.blogspot.com/
Awesome, Vanessa! I love this idea. I do love making things with drop cloths, but just the drop cloth fabric by itself is a little plain for me. Your edging idea is a great one!
I’m a toile lover too–what’s not to love? 🙂
The band of toile really does make them look custom!
The curtains look amazing. I love the touch of toile on the edge. Fabulous project.
I liked what you had before, but I love the drop cloth drapes! Best take on these that I have seen! Thanks for sharing!
I just love what you did with the drop cloth. I have been searching for an inexpensive curtain solution to a florida room (just bought a home in Florida) that has 4 huge sliding doors. The trim is wonderful and using the toile for other curtains is brilliant. It all ties together. The only problem now will be to find the right toile. I love it all. Thank you so much for a brilliant idea. I will be adding grommets to mine. Wish me luck. Now it’s off to the home improvement store………..