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Cost: $ $ $ $ $

Difficulty: • • • • •

Time: 20 mins

My carpet isn't green- my mobile camera is rubbish.
In our master boudoir we always had a TV on one of my OH's old computer desks (even new it cost a tenner from Argos). It was ugly and you could see all the CDs, DVDs and wires all exposed.

This curtain solution took 20 mins start to finish and the only thing that wasn't in the house/heading for the bin was the elastic! Which I bought 3-4-2 in hobby craft so was actually free.

Although in the picture you can see I haven't tucked in the wires etc'... you can't see all the other rubbish LOL! Big improvement!

Posted by Squizita • Published 24th January 2010 • See Squizita's 15 projects »

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Leia B. added Old Computer Desk Into Bedroom Storage. to home projects 20 Apr 19:09
Squizita entered her project Old Computer Desk Into Bedroom Storage. to Secondhand Chic Contest 21 May 14:15

Step 1
Sorry no pics! I didn't know whether it would work.

First, measure from the floor to the top of the 'open' bit your open-front desk. Basically measure up to where you want the curtain to hang from.

Mine was 75cm.
Step 2
Get your cloth. Working from a hemmed bottom (so you don't have to hem it heh heh), measure up to the height you got in step one. Draw a line.

It doesn't matter how wide the cloth is, you want it ruffly and thick at the end so ideally twice as wide as the desk.
Step 3
Draw another line 5-10 cm above the first: this is your 'cut' line. You need it because you are going to fold it over to create a tube for the elastic to go through. My cut line was 85cm above the hem of the cloth.

Cut off your cloth along the cut line.
Step 4
Fold over your cloth so the top cut edge lines up with the other line you have drawn. You should have a 2.5-5cm 'tube' if you pin it (or use masking tape like I did, massive time saver).

If your sheet/curtain/tablecloth has a 'wrong' side, you need the folding/sewing to be on that side because it's going to face inwards. You want the nice side to show. You probably know this but I've made this mistake so many times I thought I'd warn you! ;)
Step 5
Sew along the folded-down edge to make the tube.
Step 6
Now let's force ourselves to look at that uuugly old computer desk. The good news is you get to bash it up with a hammer, innit.

Take 2 tacks, small nails or small picture hooks. Tap them into the desk with a hammer, on each side of the desk at the top. Measure carefully so they are parallel on each side. Leave enough space to tie elastic around the nails. I used small gold nails/tacks, they look better.
Step 7
Cut a stretch of elastic a bit shorter than the gap between the nails... you want some stretch/taughtness. If anything mine isn't tight enough.

Tie one end to one of the nails.
Step 8
Thread the elastic through the 'tunnel' youve made at the top of the cloth. Make sure the right side will face 'out'!

This can be fiddly. I used an arrow shaped pen from Nottingham castle as a large 'needle' - a normal pen with a 'pocket clip' would do but it wouldn't remind you about the time you raved it up at Rock City and had a day of sightseeing with your old uni chum.
Step 9
Pull the elastic nice and tight (don't be as cautious as me!) and tie it to the other nail.

Cut off any scruffy ends and fluff the curtain to make it ruffly looking.

Voila. A big improvement.