window covers

[Bubblingbrooks]

If you mean to block the sun, Farmfresh has pics of the ones she made (and probably patterns too) .

Yes ... AND I have made window quilts for warmth in the winter as well. (You learn lots living in an old house. )

I actually need to spend a bit of time and effort again this year and make some new window quilts for us too. Our old ones were shot a couple of years ago and I need to make something nicer than the ratty old blankets that we used the last two years.

I used velcro (soft side on window frames and pokey on drapes, it stays cleaner that way.) at the window tops and sides of window casings for attachment. I found I still lose quite a bit of heat (especially at the top) if I use curtain rods to hang them. You could make a box valance for the tops as well and that would also help a lot.

My favorite "filling" is a type of bubble wrap insulation that my hardware store sells that is faced on both sides with foil! Not cheap, but the stuff lasts for years AND the foil helps reflect the heat back into a room.

I basically measured the windows, sewed (at the edges with zig zag stitches) enough of the bubble foil together to cover window and frame with a bit to hang down at the bottoms, then made a simple cover and sewed that over the top on both sides. I found a light weight cotton on the top and a light double knit next to the window really worked best. A dark back cloth might also absorb solar heat and help as well, but I usually open the quilts when I have some sun to shine in. If you screw a couple of doubled cords at the top of the window when you are hanging it, (with one end of the cord next to the window and one end on the inside) you can simply roll up the quilts and tie the cords in a bow to hold the quilt at any height that you wish and it will actually look nice. Remember to be careful with dangling window cords if you have little kids in the house for safety sake.

Another option is to staple a length of 1x2 or a dowel (flat works better if you ask me) that is slightly longer than the window is wide in the casing at the bottom of the window. You can then use that rod to wind the quilt up to the desired height and hook it in "L" or cup hooks mounted at the correct heights to hold it in position. In this case an inverted set of hooks could also hold the quilt tight down against the window at the bottom as well.

You all are giving me some ideas... I need to get sewing this fall.

Tips added - For you non sewing types you could use staples, duct tape for the middles and Fabric or even hot glue to make the outer part of the shades. Don't be discouraged!!

As The Nester says, "It does not have to be perfect to be beautiful"!
That woman uses staples and hot glue in place of sewing all the time!

 

[Bubblingbrooks]

We are not able to just hang something heavy to block cold, as ice dams build up something awful.
The foam insulation idea works, but it blocks what little light we do get.
We go with the plastic that is heat stretched.
Do have plans though, for a fitted plexiglass "plug" for a window that we like to open up on occasion.
It will need a handle in the middle and a foam trim to seal up well.

 

[moolie]

We are not able to just hang something heavy to block cold, as ice dams build up something awful.
The foam insulation idea works, but it blocks what little light we do get.
We go with the plastic that is heat stretched.
Do have plans though, for a fitted plexiglass "plug" for a window that we like to open up on occasion.
It will need a handle in the middle and a foam trim to seal up well.

You could put foam pipe insulation around the edges of the plexi piece instead of trim and that would both insulate it as well as hold it in place.

Like this:

 

[Bubblingbrooks]

We are not able to just hang something heavy to block cold, as ice dams build up something awful.
The foam insulation idea works, but it blocks what little light we do get.
We go with the plastic that is heat stretched.
Do have plans though, for a fitted plexiglass "plug" for a window that we like to open up on occasion.
It will need a handle in the middle and a foam trim to seal up well.

You could put foam pipe insulation around the edges of the plexi piece instead of trim and that would both insulate it as well as hold it in place.

Like this: http://foampipeinsulation.net/wp-content/uploads/Foam-Pipe-Insulation.jpg

That's what we had in mind!

 

[Farmfresh]

I am planning a removable storm window for my basement windows this year. That idea of plexi with the foam edges would work there quite well.

 

[colowyo0809]

If you mean to block the sun, Farmfresh has pics of the ones she made (and probably patterns too) .

Yes ... AND I have made window quilts for warmth in the winter as well. (You learn lots living in an old house. )

I actually need to spend a bit of time and effort again this year and make some new window quilts for us too. Our old ones were shot a couple of years ago and I need to make something nicer than the ratty old blankets that we used the last two years.

I used velcro (soft side on window frames and pokey on drapes, it stays cleaner that way.) at the window tops and sides of window casings for attachment. I found I still lose quite a bit of heat (especially at the top) if I use curtain rods to hang them. You could make a box valance for the tops as well and that would also help a lot.

My favorite "filling" is a type of bubble wrap insulation that my hardware store sells that is faced on both sides with foil! Not cheap, but the stuff lasts for years AND the foil helps reflect the heat back into a room.

I basically measured the windows, sewed (at the edges with zig zag stitches) enough of the bubble foil together to cover window and frame with a bit to hang down at the bottoms, then made a simple cover and sewed that over the top on both sides. I found a light weight cotton on the top and a light double knit next to the window really worked best. A dark back cloth might also absorb solar heat and help as well, but I usually open the quilts when I have some sun to shine in. If you screw a couple of doubled cords at the top of the window when you are hanging it, (with one end of the cord next to the window and one end on the inside) you can simply roll up the quilts and tie the cords in a bow to hold the quilt at any height that you wish and it will actually look nice. Remember to be careful with dangling window cords if you have little kids in the house for safety sake.

Another option is to staple a length of 1x2 or a dowel (flat works better if you ask me) that is slightly longer than the window is wide in the casing at the bottom of the window. You can then use that rod to wind the quilt up to the desired height and hook it in "L" or cup hooks mounted at the correct heights to hold it in position. In this case an inverted set of hooks could also hold the quilt tight down against the window at the bottom as well.

You all are giving me some ideas... I need to get sewing this fall.

Tips added - For you non sewing types you could use staples, duct tape for the middles and Fabric or even hot glue to make the outer part of the shades. Don't be discouraged!!

These are very good ideas. This will give me something to do this fall/winter when I am sitting at home with nothing to do Especially considering we are moving from one trailer to another, this will be a good idea for keeping the house warmer and save on heating costs. I will need to re-teach myself how to use a sewing machine, but at least we have one!

 

[MamiPollo]

These are terrific ideas! I am so glad I found this board!

The window quilt from FarmFresh is perfect for my living room windows. The small one is very drafty and right next to the sofa. The big one is fine during the day, but at night I know I lose a lot of warm air through there even with the blinds shut.

Thank you for taking the time to post such detailed instructions!

 

[Farmfresh]

That is what we do around here - share ideas and lend support.

It is amazing how everyone always has something useful to contribute that helps others on here. I am glad my idea will be helping you.

 

[Emerald]

Hub's has been replacing windows one at time when we can afford it(we are having them made to size as I love the size of the windows in my 100 year old house and putting in smaller ones is tacky) so for the windows that we can not afford to do yet I made window quilts and they are held to the inside of the window frame and tucked in all the way around to keep the cold in. I just used those spring rod curtain holders(or maybe tension rod?) and we found that if you fold over just the top foot of quilt in the day time you get light but the cold still "falls" down inside the quilt (between quilt and window) and doesn't come into the room.
I've made mine a bit different than others mentioned but they work the same..
I used 4 layers- two outer layers of pretty (and super cheap) holiday cotton fabric that was on clearance for .25 a yard-the moisture barrier layer which is Thanksgiving vinyl and flannel backed tablecloths that were on clearance for .50 a piece and I had several old, pilled up blankets that we didn't use and a couple of the black Friday $1.88 fleece throws as the batting layer.
I just laid them all on the floor in this order 1 pretty fabric 2 vinyl tablecloth vinyl side down 3 batting 4 last layer of pretty fabric.
I used my quilting safety pins and pinned them all around here and there and then just sewed a few lines up and down. I cut strips of the cheap fleece throw and sewed them around the edges quilt style and put four loops just about a foot down on the outside "side" and run the spring rod thru and put it right into the window frame.
I was amazed at how well it kept the house warmer and those stray drafts down.
I also liked how it darkened our bedroom-we have a neighbor who thinks it is fun to come and go and come and go all night long. I don't sleep well as it is, and those headlamps shine right into the house.
Here is a picture of one and please don't look at the woodwork! it is the last room in the house to be worked on and we haven't gotten it stripped and refinished yet. Plus we need to re wall paper..

 

[FarmerDenise]

I like all these ideas. We have lots of doorways with no doors in our house and I think I will make some heavy curtains for those this winter. I would like to keep the heat from the woodstove in one room, when that is the only place we hang out. I am thinking of using velet, vevetee or cordoroy. I will have to find it on the cheap though, hopefully at the goodwill outlet!