DIY Certain Curtain Separation

After moving into my 700 square foot open loft, I instantly realized that I needed to separate my living quarters from my sleeping quarters. I thought through the obvious ways; standing screens, large armoires, tall furniture, but I eventually set my mind on curtains. After a little googling, I came across an Apartment Therapy article on How to Hang 30' of Curtains for $40. Their story sounded familiar to my situation; open loft needing separation but still having a desire to let some light wash through the space. I wasn't necessarily fixed on a $40 budget, but I did need it to be fairly inexpensive. I read through the How-To's, got the main idea of how it all works, then took my own approach.

The Materials:                                                                                              

Wire Rope 1/16: Home Depot                                                                                                     

Screw Eye #210 Zinc: Home Depot                                                  

TurnBuckle Eye/Hook 5/32" by 4-3/4": Home Depot                      

EZ Tap-N-Lock Wall Anchors: Home Depot                                 

Bleached Muslin 36": Joann Fabrics

Stitch Witchery 1/4": Joann Fabrics

Keyring: Corner Store

The Tools:

Cable cutter

Drill and appropriately sized drill bit

Hammer

Scissors

Iron

1. First draw out a plan of the space you wanted to segment, noting the actual lengths and heights. For me, the curtains were going to follow an L-shape with three connections to the wall, and one connection between the wires.

2. Then decide on the effect you want from the curtains. I took notes from Restoration Hardware, deciding to do the Rod Pocket (C) curtain as this would hide the wire, having Standard Pleats (2) and a True Puddle.

3. Next was to find the curtain. When initially looking for curtains I was drawn to the rough and carefree texture of linen, yet with the coverage I needed as well as the unusual height, traditional linen curtains would have been incredibly expensive, therefore I kept it easy. After visiting Joann, I found the light and gauzy Muslin fabric that was perfect to make the curtains I wanted.

To Construct the Curtains:
You will need:
    - Cloth
    - Stitch Witchery 1/4"
         1. Cut the cloth to the desired length (including a half inch on the top to create the pocket, and the  
       chosen additional inches on the bottom for puddleing).

         2. With the use of an iron and Stitch Witchery, create a pocket at the top of each curtain.

         *If desired, Stitch Witchery could also be used on the bottom of the curtain to create a tailored   

         edge. With the cloth I chose, very little fraying occurred and what did simply added to the rustic  

         charm of the curtain.

         **If using Drapery Rings instead of a Rod Pocket to hang the curtains, this step 

             could be skipped, unless the tailored effect is desired.

To Hang the Curtains:
To hang the curtains between two walls you will need:
   -2 wall anchors if attaching to hollow walls or masonry
   -2 screw eyes (that fit the anchors if anchors are being used)
   -1 turnbuckle eye/hook
   -wire rope with several additional inches than what is necessary
         1. If using wall anchors, insert them into the walls using the instructions given with the anchors
        (most commonly by drilling a pilot hole and hammering the anchor in).
         2. Screw one screw eye into anchor/wall.
         3. Cut the wire rope several inches longer than the actual distance between walls with a cable      
             cutter.
         4. Tie one end of the wire to the second screw eye and screw it into the other  
             anchor/wall. I followed the knot used for tying picture wire to d-rings.

         5. Run the free end of the wire through the curtains.

         6. Using the same knot, tie the unattached end of the wire to the eye portion of the turnbuckle.
         7. Connect the hook of the turnbuckle to the second screw eye in the wall/anchor, suspending the    
             curtains.

       *If the curtains sag, unhook the turnbuckle from the eye screw, shorten the length of the
             turnbuckle by screwing in the hook and reattach to the screw eye in the wall.

If connecting one wire to another you will need additionally:
   -1 wall anchor
   -1 screw eye
   -wire rope with additional length
   -1 keyring
         1. Insert the wall anchor.
         2. Tie one end of the wire to the screw eye and screw into the anchor/wall.
         3. Attach the curtains to the wire
         4. Tie the free end of the wire to the keyring.
         5. Connect the keyring to the suspended first wire.

    *Unlike the first wire, this wires length will not have the ability to be adjusted by the turnbuckle, so    

      the length of wire should be a little more precise, and slight sagging should be expected.

And there you have it, internal curtains to claim your space, create character and show off your crafty abilities. While I missed the $40 mark made by the "Home Hacks", I still kept it affordable, at $151.72 before tax