Works For Me: Closet Curtains

I have a couple of rooms in my house that have awkwardly-placed closets.  In both rooms, opening the closet doors was tricky, causing us to bang into furniture or other doors.  So I took down the doors and made curtains for those closet openings--problem solved!  And it actually looks pretty cute.  Here are the examples:

In my daughter's bedroom (behind the curtain there is a gate up to keep her from destroying her closet!):

And in the kids' bathroom (the room was so small I couldn't even get a full-length shot of the curtain, but you get the idea):

Really, you don't have to be able to sew to do this--you could even do it by hand if you don't have a machine.  It's just a giant rectangle with a foldover at the top to slip in a spring-loaded cafe curtain rod.  Just make the width of it roughly 75% wider than the width of the doorway, and you're in business. 

Do you have an idea that works for you?  Let me know if you post one, and I'll link to you below.  Those of you without blogs are welcome to leave your own idea in my comment section!

OTHER WORKS-FOR-ME WEDNESDAY PARTICIPANTS

List is updated every couple of hours, so keep checking back!  Also, if you noticed I've messed up (or left out) your link, please e- mail by clicking on my e-mail link (left).  Thanks!

• Monica
• Michelle
• Mary Ann
• Michele
• Kim C
• Jane
• Carol
• Julie
• Nettie
• Jules
• Jenn
• Stephanie
• American Girl
• Jan
• Mary
• Amy
• Rachel
• Peach
• Gabriela
• Lammyann
• Faith
• Shalee
• Megan
• Becky
• Theresa
• Janice
• Julie Carobini
• Christy
• Chilihead
• Barb
• Kim
• Tess
• Traci
• Courtney
• Holly
• Jamie
• Mary
• Sandra
• Stephanie
• Katherine
• itybtyfrog
• Melnel
• Rabbit
• Rebecca
• Jodi
• Julie
• The Family CEO
• HolyMama!
• Tina
• Minnie
• Brenda
• ABCMomma
• Maria
• Kathryn Judson
• Amy
• Gina
• Jeana
• Mom2fur
• Lolly
• Shannon Miller

Comments

[TLC]

That is really cute! Thing is, I have cats. I want them to stay out of my closet. And I wonder if they would shred the curtains.

But it really is very cute!

[Michelle- This One's For the Girls]

Cute, cute! I love the colors of your rooms too.

Mine's up!

[Mary Ann]

Mine is up! This is my first week participating, but I've been enjoying the great ideas each week. Thanks, Shannon, for doing this.:-)

[Michele]

I'm participating this week Shannon at Reformed Chicks Blabbing .

[KimC]

Great minds think alike :)
We do the closet curtains too, but my kids were always pulling down the spring loaded rods when they tried to pull aside the curtain. So I screwed a couple of mug hooks into the top of the opening and hung the curtain with a piece of dowel instead. Cheap and sturdy, and the curtain covers it up nicely.
My own WFMW tip is up here.

[Neighbor Jane]

My daughter did a closet curtain in her bedroom, too, and it adds a lot to her room. Her curtain is made of muslin (off-white) to accent a sage green room and it's really pretty.

I love your vibrant colors.

My tip is up.

[Carol]

Nicely done! This triggered me to recall some works-for-me's I can offer up in the future.

Not as decorative, but mine's up, too.

[Julie]

I've posted a http://gloriana.wordpress.com/2006/05/17/works-for-me-wednesday-travel-tip/> travel tip for Works-for-Me Wednesday.

[Neighbor Jane]

sorry...somehow my link above draws a blank...let's try it again!

[Nettie]

Cute curtains! It is fun seeing some of your decorating. My tip is up now, too. I'm excited to read everyone elses!

[Jules @ Everyday Mommy]

I'm in!

And, I can think of more than one closet door in our home that could benefit from this idea.

[Jenn]

Hello-found out about Works for Me Wednesday from Meredith over at "Like Merchant Ships" and "The Family CEO"....

I'm joining in this week over at Frugal Upstate. I even borrowed your graphic. What fun!

[Stephanie]

Ok, I am going to bite this week! Mine is up, too!

[american girl]

What a great idea! Hmmm...now where can I implement it in our house...

I'm participating this week, for the first time!

[Jeana's mama]

I love this idea! We are planning to build a cabin on our place at the lake, and I think I might do this instead of doors! Maybe even kitchen cabinets too! Cuter (and cheaper) than regular doors too.
I already posted my WFMWed. post--on procrastination.

[Mary]

Mines Up...Great tip BTW!

[Amy from Ezekiel's Garden]

Great tip!

Mine is up, too, over at Ezekiel's Garden.

[Rachel]

Love the fabric choices! Great idea. I have an idea up this week!

[Maria]

I love that idea, both of my kids rooms and maybe even mine could use somehting like that.

[peach]

Cute, cute! Very resourceful, I must say. Mine will be up momentarily.

[Gabriela]

Hi Shannon,

Cute curtain-doors. I love the fun colors in your bathroom.

My tip is up. Have a great day!

[lammyann]

GREAT GREAT IDEA!!!
Mines up too! :)

[aggiejenn]

LOVE this idea! Now, where can I take out doors in my house...

[Faith]

Great idea!!! You always have the best! Mine is up too.

[Shalee]

Great idea... You're such a lady of infinite wisdom!

Mine's up too. (And here I thought I was being so good to get it done by 8:15 AM!!!)

[Megan]

I did this too in our apartment for a couple of the closets but I have a problem with mine - my girls keep pulling them down, no matter how tight I make the rods. Any suggestions for that?

Mine's up too.

[Becky]

Now that is an idea I can use - especially in my bathroom! My WFMW is up!

[Bev]

my tip is up - no idea how to link it here though!

[Sandra]

Love that idea Shannon, I have a few weird closets too, this is so much, I love how you can coordinate the fabrics and colors. Awesome :)

My WFMW is up too :)

[Traci]

I have 4 closet doors where this would work perfectly. I would have never even thought of doing this. First I have to figure out where I will store all of those doors though...

[Edge]

I just did this in my girls room, not as much for space as for peace! Now 2 people can get in the closet at the same time, and have you ever seen a curtain slam? NONONO~! No more squished fingers for me!

[Kim]

Mine's up, Shannon!

I like this idea. I have a closet in my library/office that is always open because one of the dog's crates is in it. Doesn't look too Martha Stewart-ish, let me tell you. Wonder if Eve could learn to get around a curtain to get into her crate?

[Edge]

doh, don't know my own blog address, apparently

[Tess]

Mine are up!

[Courtney]

How cute!!!! I am participating this week also.

[angie]

nice idea! we're about to move (AGAIN) and i think i may have a few "small closet issues" in the new place. thanks for the tip and you have GREAT tastes in decorating and color schemes.

hey, can i participate in WFMW's?

[Holly]

My idea is up for today.

[Jamie]

This is super cute! I am going to have to do it.

Mine is up, too.

[Stacey]

I love this idea Shannon!! Did you make the shower curtain, too?

[chilihead]

Can you believe I've never been upstairs in your house? What cute rooms! Great idea.

[Christy]

Ooh -great one, Shannon! I love this. I did something similar with our cedar closet that I turned into an office. It has sliding mirrored doors and the tracks on the bottom were all broken. So I got some cheap curtains from Ikea and hung those instead.
And how cute is it that your shower curtain & closet curtain MATCH?? I love it!

[owlhaven]

Love the curtain idea. My boys currrently have no closet doors because they kept falling off the tracks over and over and my husband got utterly sick of them.

I am going to post my idea pretty soon....

Mary

[Theresa]

Love it Shannon...I just did this in our Master Bedroom. Can you believe in a brand new house that a door on the Master Bedroom is an upgrade (in AZ of course)?? We didn't know it hence, no door! Now I have a cute little curtain hanging with a cafe rod too!

[Sandra]

I can't remember if I told you mine was up....so....MINE IS UP! LOL

[Stephanie]

Mine will be up in about two minutes.

[Theresa]

I meant Master Bedroom CLOSET! Just to clarify... :-)

[Katherine]

Can you come decorate my kids' rooms? Love that fabric. Mine's up too. Thanks!

[itybtyfrog]

Adorable girls room and what a great idea!! Posted a WFMW on my blog.

[melnel]

Mine is up now too! It's a bit scientific, but I thought about it all morning. :)

I love wednesday just for all the tips!

Thanks, Shannon. :)

[Shannon from Rocks in my Dryer]

Chilihead, you have never been upstairs in my house? That's WEIRD!

And no, I didn't make the shower curtain. I BOUGHT the shower curtain (Kmart), then bought an extra and used the second one to make the closet curtain and a matching window curtain. Maybe I'll post a pix sometime.

[Rebecca]

View from the Prairie Box is joining you this week, Shannon. Thanks for running with this great idea!

[Jodi]

What beautiful fabric you've chosen! Your daughter's room looks so sweet.

I'm joining in for the first time:

Cartoon Living:Works For Me Wednesday

Thanks,
Jodi

[Julie]

Mine is up. Great tip. I was just visiting my friends house and we were trying to find a space for her to scrapbook. Our solution was to take the 3 sliding doors off the hall closet and use the curtain idea. Worked like a charm.

[The Family CEO]

Mine's up. Thanks so much!

[HolyMama!]

very, very cute. and no smashed fingers in doors!

i did one this week!

[Susanne]

Thanks Shannon for letting me post an idea on here seeing I don't (as YET) have a blog. Carol at She Lives made me remember I do have an idea. Hers is similar & expanded. Check it out at her sight. We keep a "birthday box" at our house. When shopping I keep a look out for really good deals on appropriate gifts for the kid's friends. I buy it then and into the box it goes. When the kid's bring an invitation home instead of running out to shop & pay thru the nose for something, they get to "go shopping" in the birthday box for their friend. I've gotten $25.00 items on clearance for $3.00. It was great when in elementary school they were bringing one or two invitations a month home.

[Shannon from Rocks in my Dryer]

Susanne, you need a blog of your own to share these clever ideas!

[Kali]

I have done this in the children's room and in the bathroom. Both are done with shower curtains. I just add ribbons to the holes and stick up a shower curtain rod to hold them up.

[Tina]

So cute, love the materials you selected.

My tip is up.

[Minnie Hart]

Great tip! And awesome colors!!!

Mine is up as well. :o)

[contrary1]

I have used the curtain bit too, and here I thought I was the only one. My kids & bi-fold doors just didn't combine well. I don't use a rod however. I have screw eyes, small guage cable and a spring on one end. No one has been able to 'break' these yet!!

[Brenda]

I'm laughing at "have you ever heard a curtain slam?" Love it.

Shannon, this is a great idea! I want to do this with my closets.

Mine's up, too!

[Gibee]

Very cute!!! Did you make your shower curtain, too? Or did you use shower curtain material to make the curtain for the closet?

If you made the shower curtain, how'd you get the grommets on???

Love the fabrics!

[Chrissy]

I found my way here via "the shoe". I'm really enjoying it so far!

[grammyelin]

65 comments! Shannon, you are the QUEEN! Wow. I am in awe. I knew that "Works for me Wednesday" was a good idea, but din't know that everyone in the whole world agreed with me! Go, Shannon! (The curtains are a great idea, but putting the baby gate behind it, takes it over into stroke of genius!)

[abc momma]

Nice. I was considering this to put in the doorway of the bathroom off the master bedroom.

Mine's up.

[Maria]

Finally got one up today.

[Kathryn Judson]

I tried to send you an email to let you know I was participating, but got an error message. If I'm double notifying you, I apologize.

Anyway, I have a post up this week.

[Amy]

This is our first time participating and I am so excited! We have our entry posted on The Motherload (http://www.momadvice.com/blog)

Thanks for letting us participate! Blessings!

[Amy]

Sorry, Shannon! I think my post wasn't working. My name should be clickable now. Thank you again!

[peach]

Golly Girlfriend!! I am now post number #71, which is just cooler than cool . . . no more saying you're not cool. People like you, they really, really like you . . . me included!

I think we now are able to say we knew you when. Before WFMW became the newest wildfire idea in mommy blogdom! I agree with Grammy Elin. You ARE the Queen!!

[mom2fur]

I'm going to try to get my husband or one of my sons to knock the hinges off the door to the closet in my office/sewing room. I never close it and the door against the wall takes up space I could have for a bookshelf. I like the curtain idea--very pretty!

[Jeana]

Man, check out that list! I've got one up.

[anneberit]

Great meme!! I'll look into joining next week ;)

[Lolly]

weird - I sent mine in earlier - but apparantly it didn't take! We do this too and I LOVE it! My post is up too!

[Shannon Miller]

Shannon - Here's mine! Thanks bunches for this great idea!

http://idylwild.blogspot.com/

[Amber]

I really like this idea. And the curtains add such a nice touch of color to the bedroom.

[owlhaven]

Shannon, you're taking over the world with this game!!

Just thought you needed another comment!

Mary

[Camy Tang]

WOW, awesome idea! Thanks!
Camy

[goslyn]

Wow, 75 comments. I am so impressed.

Loved the curtain idea. Our coat closet on the sun porch has a curtain "door."

Way to go on turning WFMW into a huge success!

[Gina]

I have joined the WFMW. I posted last week and yesterday. I am enjoying this idea of sharing tips so much!!!

[Heth]

We have a closet curtain on our pantry. You know, the one I spontaneously painted that one day. Very cute fabric Shannon.

[Amanda]

Hi! I have really been wanting to make closet curtains for my closet. But I dont know how to measure my closet to get fabric big enough for my closet. I have a house that was built in the 60's, so it is a little old. The closets are huge. We dont have normal doors on them either, they have to have the sliding doors, well I just dont have the money for them, so I was wondering if you could help me out. I need to know how I can measure the area to find out how much fabric I need. I want 2 pieces of curtain though, not one, so I can split them in two to get into the middle of the closet, well I am sure you know! Thanks!
Amanda