Dining Room Drapes

We moved into our house eight years ago and after three years of staring at naked windows, I made the drapes for my dining room. They were basic rod pocket lined drapes that sheer on the rod. 

I just wanted them to hang on either side of the window and add color and interest to the room. I have blinds on the windows so I didn't think about ever closing them to block the sun. But our dining room is west-facing and the afternoon and early evening sun can be blinding when our family is gathered around the table. 

The drapes are so thick that it was difficult to move them on the wooden rod, so opening and closing them was a pain. Last summer I took them down to have them dry cleaned and decided that I was going to do something different to them before I rehung them. 

Wooden curtain rings were the answer to my problem. But finding them in black was another problem all its own. I finally ordered some in natural wood tone and my husband came to the rescue with his trusty can of black spray paint. 

I had to take the hem and rod pocket seams out of the top of the drapes, measure them for a new length, and re-hem the tops. I then sewed the wooden rings to the drapes, spacing them 6" apart. 

I LOVE my "new" drapes. They hang so nicely and are going to be a snap to open and close when the need arises.