Question from Mary
In order to block out city and neighbor’s lights, I have hung cotton canvas drapes and a valance in the bedroom, and then attached two layers of fabric with safety pins. This arrangement is very heavy and bulky, so they don’t open very wide in the daytime, and then when it’s time to shake the dust out, I have to unpin and repin the layers to the draperies.
I’d like to find something easier to work with. If I have to pin something to the fabric, I’d like it to be only one layer. I am wondering about using barrier cloth. Would one layer block out light?
I have seen ads for drapes with an acrylic foam backing. I’m wondering how bad they smell and if I would need to wash them first. Is there anything else out there besides acrylic?
I live in an apartment, and I don’t particularly want to get involved with blinds. I would consider using a second set of curtains or drapes on a second rod, rather than two layers that are attached.
Debra’s Answer
I found some black cotton curtains at Target a couple of years ago. I think they still sell them. We get the morning sun in our bedroom, so use them in the morning if we want to sleep in. It doesn’t make the room pitch black, but does block a lot of the light.
I like your two sets of curtains idea. That’s what they do in hotels. You could use two sets of cotton or linen curtains.
