Painter Drop Cloth French Door Drapes.Antler Horn Buttons

 We have French doors in our living room that open onto the Patio and I have never been happy with the way I had them draped or covered. Actually, for the last several years, we have just had a folding screen covering them ... but when we wanted to exit the door, we had to fold the screen. With the cold weather now, I wanted something to help keep the cold out so after I saw Donna at Funky Junk Interiors idea on using painter's drop cloths for a drape, I decided to try it and here is what I came up with.  
(Please click pictures to enlarge) I bought two 6' x 9' drop cloths from Home Depot for about $11.00 each. Lowes had the same thing ... different brand, same price, same weight, but I thought the ones at Home Depot felt softer. I bought swing-arm rods from Lowe's ... little expensive, but nice.

I draped them over the rods and folded part over to make a ruffle or valance. No cutting, no sewing. I left them like that for a couple weeks, then washed and ironed them to make them hang better. Just a couple days before company was coming for Christmas, I finished them up.

We had gone to our daughter and son in law's ranch for Thanksgiving and I picked some drop antlers out of the trash antlers (not all antlers are trash). They have tons of antlers all over the place. We sawed the burr (curly piece that fits to the head) off the end of the antler to use as a button for the drapes. Sawing is neither fun nor easy. Not advisable to breath the dust when the sawing. Protect the hands too.

Here are the eight buttons ... unwashed, in their natural state. 

Some are Whitetail and some Axis, but work good together.

Look better when washed.

The small one was a practice button. 

I randomly tacked four buttons to each panel catching both pieces of fabric in the tack. I also tacked along the outside edges. I used waxed button thread and left long strings to tie and leave some hanging down.

If we want to open the drape for light, we can just swing it to the side. 

 I am pleased with them ... not costly, good weight material, easy to make, helps keep out the cold and still lets in a little light. The rods are black and I think I will paint them bronze or copper.

We have a casual living room so these work in really well.

Our family liked them very much when they were here for Christmas and I expect them to be putting up painter's drop cloth drapes at their ranch pretty soon. Both our children have ranches.

I purchased this rock at an Estate sale ...  (it weighs almost twenty pounds) and has this wonderful painting of a deer. It wedged perfectly in this plate hanger. It is hanging on the wall next to the drapes and ties in quite well with the antler buttons. I also like to use drop antlers in my decorations.

 

Signed ... Francie Hardwick '83

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Hope you enjoyed this tutorial.

Happy New Year to everyone.

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