I love Kate Quinn Organic clothes. It is my go-to brand for my daughter, because I know I can trust that the fabrics will be soft, comfy organic cotton and that the quality will be impeccable. Apparently, the folks over at Zulily feel the same way! This week, you can grab not just organic clothing for boys and girls, but also organic crib bedding, curtains, pillows and more for up to 60% off!

The colors and patterns are amazing and as appropriate for a grown-up space as they are for a nursery. The curtains are 84″ long, and if that’s not long enough, you can always add a strip of solid-colored fabric across the bottom. In any case, $45-47 a pair is a great deal for organic window treatments!

Why It’s Green:

• Made in the U.S. of organic cotton
• Fair Trade-certified

Price: $12.99-59.99

NOTE: If you’re not yet a member of Zulily, you’ll have to sign up to take advantage of this sale. Signing up is free. If you make a purchase after signing up via my link, I will receive a small site credit to shop at Zulily.

© 2008-2011 Green Your Decor. Do not republish any items from this feed without permission.

Living on the third floor is taking some getting used to. Aside from the obvious difference — having to walk upstairs — there are some changes I didn’t anticipate. The biggest one? It gets hot up here!

We previously lived on a first floor apartment with few windows, so it was relatively cool all the time. Even during the hot Georgia summers, we could get away with turning off the air and opening windows some days. Not the case here. Even if I turn the air conditioning down to a chilly 68 degrees, I’ve only seen the internal temperature of the apartment dip below 75 at night. Because the sun in beating right down on our roof with no buffer, it takes a lot more electricity to cool our large apartment. I really don’t want to have a sky high electric bill at the end of the summer because we’re not used to the heat.

The difference in temperature is especially pronounced in my new office space, which is sandwiched between two windows in a corner of the apartment. I instantly knew that regular thin curtains weren’t going to cut it. Thermal curtains would be required.

But while finding regular organic cotton curtains isn’t terribly difficult, finding thermal curtains made of organic cotton, or even conventional cotton, is a lot harder — especially if you want to buy in person rather than online. I decided that the energy savings would make up it if I had to buy curtains made of polyester. I settled on the Canopy interlined thermal curtains from Walmart (aff).

But I ran into another problem. We have really tall ceilings, and most pre-packaged thermal curtains are just 84″ long. I also like to hang curtains close to the ceiling to help the room feel as tall as possible. As you can see in the photo, this combination makes for some really short curtains. Not cute.

I needed 4 curtains for the two windows in the space, but I bought 5, planning to cut the extra one and use it to extend the length of the other 4. I need them to be 98″ long. I haven’t had time to add the extra fabric yet, but that’s the plan.

I kid you not when I say the difference was immediately noticeable. I’ll have to wait and see if this makes a difference in our electric bill, but I know it’s made my workdays a lot cooler already. If we outfit every room with thermal panels, I can’t imagine they wouldn’t make a difference.

Disclosure: I am a member of the Walmart Moms program. Walmart has provided me with compensation for sharing a energy efficiency project with you. Participation is voluntary and as usual, all opinions are my own.

© 2008-2011 Green Your Decor. Do not republish any items from this feed without permission.

The laundry room was a clutter magnet, and no matter what we did, we could never keep the two shelves in the room looking neat or organized. That simply wouldn’t do for the SYLVANIA Blogger Makeover Challenge. I had to make the room look good! My solution? Cover up the shelves!

I initially planned to hang bamboo blinds, because I knew they’d be easy to pull up and down as needed to access everything behind them — including laundry detergent, my hubby’s toolbox and more. However, we quickly discovered that — much like the situation in my daughter’s room — the entire ceiling in the laundry room is covered with electrical wiring. Hanging blinds was a no go, because we were afraid to drill through the ceiling.

Instead, we decided to grab a simple tension rod and use a curtain to cover the shelves. And this seemed like as great a time as any to finally paint a chevron pattern on a piece of fabric. In this case, I chose a simple drop cloth as my medium. Why a drop cloth? Well, mostly because it was cheap, but also because I knew I wouldn’t be afraid to “mess it up.” I was also able to find one in the exact width I needed, which meant I could avoid sewing.

You’ll need…

• Drop cloth (buy a size as close to your final measurements as possible) or curtain
• Straight pins
• Tape measure
• Pencil
• Painter’s tape
• Low- or zero-VOC paint (we used Behr’s paint & primer in one)
• Roller and tray

Step 1

Hang your drop cloth in the space with curtain clips so you can find the right length. Pin the excess to the length you desire, and cut off the excess.

Step 2

Measure your chevron lines, and trace them onto the drop cloth LIGHTLY with a pencil. I cannot stress enough how important it is to sketch your lines lightly. It can be tricky to get the measurements right, and chances are, you’ll have to draw your lines more than once. I got so frustrated with the measurements at one point that I was ready to scrap the project altogether. Thankfully, my husband swooped in and saved the day.

Eventually, we got the measurements right.

Our curtain is 68″ wide. I wanted two points on the chevron, so we divided the width into 4 sections, each 17″ wide. The marks we made gave us the ends and centers of the chevrons. Vertically, the curtain was 47″ long. We divided that into 4 sections, each 11.75″ tall. Then, we essentially connected the dots.

Confused? Yeah. We were too for a while. So I created the graphic below to better illustrate what the final measurements should’ve been. They were slightly different, because we messed up. But this is how it should’ve looked. Click the graphic for a larger view.

Measurements will differ depending on the size of your curtain panel and the number of chevron points you want, but you get the general idea. If you still need help, check out this chevron curtain tutorial from Kristen over at kfd designs.

Step 3

Using your light pencil marks, use painters tape to mark off the segments. You’ll need to tape on the outside of the sections that are to be filled with paint. So the center between those two segments, the tape lines will be might closer together. That is how it’s supposed to look.

Step 4

Lay a thick sheet or drop cloth on the floor and place your taped curtain on top of it. I would advise using cardboard or something else to prevent the paint from soaking through the curtain to the floor underneath. We didn’t, and the paint soaked through the drop cloth AND the sheet underneath to the carpet. NOT a good look, but we fixed it with some low-VOC paint thinner.

Step 5

Roll on your paint! Use as much or as little as necessary to achieve the color saturation you want. Because we were using red paint, we had to roll it on pretty thick to avoid bare spots.

Step 6

Pull the tape while the paint is still damp. Then let the paint dry completely. Hang your curtain(s) and enjoy!

Again, this project was incredibly frustrating for me during the measuring phase. But the result? Completely worth it!

I love the tailored look of the crisp chevrons against the organic look of the canvas dropcloth. It is easily my favorite part of the laundry room makeover.

If you try this project, I’d love to see your results!

DISCLOSURE: This post is part of the SYLVANIA Blogger Makeover Challenge. I received a $500 Lowe’s gift card along with compensation for my participation. However, as usual, all opinions are completely my own. Check out all the SYLVANIA blogger room makeovers on their Facebook page. (sponsored opp)

© 2008-2011 Green Your Decor. Do not republish any items from this feed without permission.

Remember those bamboo blinds that I hand-painted last summer for my mother’s patio? Yesterday, I stumbled upon bamboo blinds with a similar style pre-painted on them at World Market. It is available in warm colors (red, orange and cream) and a cooler palette (blue, green and yellow). And even better, they cost less than what I paid for each of the original unpainted blinds.

I can’t vouch for where the bamboo came from or whether the difference in price is due to a difference in quality (although reviewers at the site say they’re good quality for the price). However, if you want a look similar to what I achieved, but don’t trust yourself to paint the design personally, these are a great alternative.

Why It’s Green:

• Made of bamboo

Price: $29.99

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When my family moved closer to the city, I lost my office — as in the room with 4 walls and a door that I could hole myself up in when I really needed to focus on work. Now, my office space resides in the sunroom that is right off the living room and one of the first things you see as you walk through the front door. Because of its prime location, I wanted to do everything I could to make it really beautiful, but functional. The first task would be covering up those windows, since the only logical place to put my desk is right up against them.

But of course, it’s called a sunroom for a reason. The space has 4 huge windows that go from about a foot and a half below the ceiling all the way to the floor, as you can see in the photos above. Three of those windows face the parking lot a few feet away, and our apartment is right near the entrance to our complex and the school bus stop. In other words, we get a lot of foot and car traffic right past these windows, so leaving them uncovered was not an option.

Window treatments can be pretty pricey, particularly if you’re trying to go organic. And as organic window treatments go, variety can be difficult to come by. I wanted something bold, fun and graphic. Since I was unable to find any that I really liked, I decided to buy some organic fabric and make my own. Except you need a LOT of fabric to cover this many windows. I gave myself a budget of $100 and decided I would come up with a more creative solution.

One night, I was searching eBay for organic bedding for my daughter’s room when it still was in the planning stages, and I came across Pottery Barn’s organic tile duvet cover. The idea hit me. I would use a king size duvet cover and cut it down to make 4 curtains. The measurements were perfect, and the eBay price was just $40.

Of course, all of this was before we moved into the new apartment. When I came up with this “brilliant” idea, I was planning from memory based on the brief tour we had of our new digs. I only accounted for only the 3 windows along the main wall. Once we moved in, I realized that there was a fourth window in the corner (shown above). Privacy wouldn’t be as much of an issue because it was facing a different direction, but I couldn’t just leave it uncovered, right?

Well, on a trip to Ikea to pick up the fancy cardboard storage boxes you see in the before photos, I happened across some panels that were the perfect color to complement my duvet cover fabric. They’re 100% cotton (not organic, but better than polyester), and they were very long, designed to be adjusted based on the length of your windows. Perfect! At $40 for a pair, I was still under budget.

So do you want to see how my duvet cover-turned-curtains turned out? Check it out below:

The Ikea curtains were the hidden tab style, so I made mine to match. I basically followed the same steps from my no-sew curtain post until I got to the tabs, which were really easy to cut and sew. In the end, I wound up with 6 hidden tab curtain panels — 4 of which are made of organic cotton — for a total of $80. How’s THAT for design on a dime?

What do you think? The room isn’t totally complete, but a couple of consignment store finds from last weekend put us a lot closer. The full room reveal is coming soon!

© 2008-2011 Green Your Decor. Do not republish any items from this feed without permission.

SALE ALERT! Amy Butler bedding (including the bedding shown below) is currently on sale at Rue La La for 40-60% off! If you’re not a member of the site, you’ll have to sign up to take advantage of the sale. Signing up is free! Sale ends 11/23 at 11 a.m. EST. (aff)

If it seems like I’m an Amy Butler fan girl, I’m not ashamed to admit that I am. I’ve always loved her patterns, but once she starting making the transition to organics, I fell in love with her anew. And then I won my gorgeous Bucharest bedding and the deal was officially sealed. And as if I could love her work any more than I already do, I discovered some new things today:

1. She makes organic cotton shower curtains!
2. New bedding designs are available!
3. Some of her bedding has matching window treatments!

OK. I’ll stop shouting now. But really, if you could live in the luxurious comfort that is a 400 thread count Amy Butler comforter, you’d be shouting too.

You can now purchase Amy Butler organic bedding in the Green Your Decor store!

Trust me when I tell you that my husband and I spent a lot of time trying to find the perfect shower curtain for our bathroom, and we settled for a simple yellow and white traditional cotton option from Target, much to my dismay (I REALLY wanted organic). Had I known a beautiful shower curtain existed to match the fabulous bedding we already owned, my indecisiveness would’ve been eliminated.

The window treatments are similarly available in a few patterns, including Dancing Garden and Poppy. Still, they are a beautiful example of how great it is to have patterned options for organic window treatments. You could definitely make your own curtains with an Amy Butler fabric, but premade options that are this pretty are hard to find. The catch 22, of course, is that they are only available in one length at 84″. However, you could always add a panel of coordinating fabric to the bottom (maybe in navy or green) to make them long enough for your needs. Coordinating valances are also available. I’m not a fan of the look of a valance, but I could easily imagine hacking one into two pieces to lengthen a curtain.

And lastly, how could anyone NOT swoon over this new bedding? Of late, I’ve been fighting the urge to paint a whole room in a moody shade of navy, and the new Dream Daisy collection reminds me why. It features bold floral prints that could be happily at home in modern decor, and I love the way the photos are staged! The Full Bloom collection, in shades of coral, green and blue, isn’t really my cup of tea, but gorgeous nonetheless. These beds look like such a comfortable place to sleep and lounge! And my own experience with Amy Butler’s luxurious bedding has guaranteed that I will, eventually, buy another set, because it is by far the best, highest quality bedding we’ve ever owned.

P.S. If you love all those toss pillows shown in the photos as much as I do, they are ALSO made of organic cotton and also available for purchase. Sweet!

Why It’s Green:

• All made of organic cotton

Price:

• Shower Curtains: $29.99-39.99/ea.
• New Bedding: $39.99-179.99
• Window Treatments: $99.99/pair of panels; $49.99/valance

NOTE: This post contains affiliate links.

© 2008-2011 Green Your Decor. Do not republish any items from this feed without permission.

I am regularly inspired by decorating duo Sherry & John Petersik of Young House Love. However, it is pretty rare that I can put that inspiration to good use in my own home. So after my search for fun, organic window treatments for Ja’Naya’s room turned up only solid curtains and drapes, I decided I’d look for an organic fabric instead, and make the curtains myself. Except for one little detail. I’d never done it before. Ever. That, and I don’t own a sewing machine — yet. So imagine my joy when Sherry and John shared the steps behind their no-sew curtains!

Click here to check out another set of no sew curtains I made for my sunroom.

Rather than repeat all their steps, because I followed them pretty closely, I’ll just let you read them in detail at the Young House Love site. Here’s an abridged version:

1. Measure your window for width and height of your panels. Add two inches to each side to accommodate your hems.
2. Cut fabric to the correct length and width.
3. Iron hems with iron-on hem tape or fusing web, which you can find at any craft or fabric store, or even Target or Walmart. Be sure to follow the instructions on the package, because different procedures are required for iron-on tape and fusing web. I used the latter.
4. Iron the entire panel.
5. Hang them with simple clip-on curtain rings (aff).
6. You’re done!

It’s really that easy, but if you want the details, please check out Young House Love. As easy as this project was though, it reminded me just how much I hate ironing…lol. Still, I’m really happy with the way they turned out. You can see from the first photo that the clip-on rings give the panels a really nice fold and hang. You’ll see more of these curtains when I reveal the final room design soon!

I was fortunate enough to have in-kind sponsor Harmony Art send a few yards of their Let It Grow organic fabric, and I got pretty lucky for two reasons.

1. Curtains generally require quite a bit of fabric — typically about 5 yards for a pair of 84″ curtains. But the 90″ width of Harmony Art’s fabrics meant I needed just 2.5 yards to make a two curtain panels. And…
2. Harmony had exactly 2.5 yards of Let It Grow on hand to send me. Now that’s what I all fortuitous!

You can find most of Harmony Art’s fabrics at Near Sea Naturals, and discounts are available for bulk orders.

Disclosure: Harmony Art provided several yards of their organic fabric for me to use in conjunction with this room design project for my daughter.

© 2008-2011 Green Your Decor. Do not republish any items from this feed without permission.

The floral pattern on these Bethany sheer drapes from Pottery Barn isn’t really my style. So why am I posting about them? There is a point, I promise you.

Second to naked walls, one thing I absolutely hate living with is naked windows. A room just doesn’t feel complete without window treatments of some kind. I’m also partial to the cozy feeling of closing my drapes in the middle of the day to make a usually bright room just dark enough for a nap.

The problem for me is the lack of variety in curtains and drapes of the eco-friendly variety. Sure, sustainable window treatments are out there, but mostly in solid colors. No patterns or prints. So unless you want to buy some fabric and make them yourself, there just weren’t any options. Thus, while this particular pattern isn’t “me”, I do commend Pottery Barn for making organic window treatments with a little bit of personality.

And now that I think about it, I am planning to redo my daughter’s room in soft pink and green eventually, so these would look really nice layered with some white solid curtains or framing a roman or bamboo shade. See. They’ve got me thinking outside my comfort zone already I’ll probably skip the Bethany organic bedding, but a little bit of floral never killed anyone, right? The Bethany panels are available in lengths up to 103″, so unless you have crazy high ceilings, you should be able to snag a length that will allow you to hang the curtains from a few inches below the ceiling (ie. not at the top of the window frame, but way above it) all the way to the floor. Oldest designer’s trick in the book.

WHY IT’S GREEN:

• Made of organic cotton

Price: $49-59

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Even after more than a year of writing about greening the home, it is still difficult to find manufacturers who are making eco-friendly curtain panels or drapes. Custom window treatments are easier, but if you’re looking for ready-to-hang options, they are few and far between. That becomes painfully obvious if you take a look at my relatively small curtains category. So when I find curtains that are A) made of recycled materials and B) modern and stylish, I’m thrilled! These Radiant rod pocket curtain panels have both descriptions all sewn up.

They are made of recycled water bottles, which makes me super giddy. But what makes them even more unique is the subtle textured circle pattern that covers the length of the curtain. And to top it all off with a nice big bow, they are available in 7 colors and 4 lengths: 84″, 96″, 108″ and a whopping 120″. If you’re fortunate enough to have ceilings that can accommodate that kind of length, you’d be doing yourself a huge favor by hanging window treatments like these from ceiling to floor for a dramatic look.

Given that my husband and I are getting ready to start looking for an apartment (read: a new space for me to decorate), I’ll have to keep this bookmark close at hand.

Why It’s Green:

• Made of recycled plastic bottles

Price: $49.99-64.99

© 2008-2011 Green Your Decor. Do not republish any items from this feed without permission.

For years, I’ve been dreaming about having free reign to decorate a space as I pleased and actually putting my ideas for customization into action. Apparently though, that requires a couple of things, the most important of which is having our own home where we can decorate as we like. Doing a surprise patio makeover for my mother was one of very few times over the last few years when I’ve been able to take a decorating idea from concept all the way through to creation, and I loved every second of it. But by far, my favorite part of the new patio space is the custom-painted bamboo blinds that cover up the ugly storage nook where the lawnmower lives. I had the bright idea to paint the blinds with a simple floral pattern after seeing how Nicole Balch over at Making It Lovely painted a gorgeous rug directly onto the floor of her front porch — when she was nine months pregnant, no less. So here’s how I turned a pair of boring, but functional bamboo blinds into the focal point of my mother’s patio.

1. Decide what you want to paint before you start

I knew the design would have to be simple if I had any chance of actually being able to paint it freehand, without the benefit of pencil sketching. The textured surface of the bamboo blinds made sketching impossible, so I had to have a clear idea of what I wanted the design to look like before I started painting on the blinds. I created a pencil sketch on paper of how I wanted the flowers to look. The pattern was simple enough, so I moved on to the real thing.

2. Lay the blinds flat and straight

Bamboo blinds have a tendency to shift if you’re not careful. In order for the design to look the way you imagined once you hang the blinds, you have to ensure that they lay perfectly straight on your painting surface. If you don’t, the design can end up seriously distorted once hanging.

3. Paint outlines first, then fill in the blanks

I used a very thin artist’s brush to paint the outlines of my flowers onto the blinds, then went back with a wider tipped brush to fill in the pattern. Because bamboo blinds have gaps between each bamboo twig, the fine-tipped brush would have made for a loooong process. The wider brush made the filling in much easier, and creating the outlines first meant I could stand back and check the progress of the design as I was going along. In fact, I seriously considered leaving just the outlines because I loved the look, but I figured it would be more substantial and impressive if filled in the flowers.

4. Let them dry for several hours

We actually let them dry for a full day before hanging them just to make sure the paint wouldn’t drip, but in the Georgia heat, I suspect we could have hung them after about 2 hours.

5. Hang them and admire your work

We hung our blinds in a very non-traditional space. For one thing, they are outdoors. But they are also not even on a window. They’re hanging from eye hooks in the patio roof. But no matter where you choose to use your blinds, be sure to take a photo so you’ll always remember what you did. Like I said, this simple project, which took me a total of about an hour to paint, has turned our cluttered, unused nook into concealed storage and my favorite part of the patio space.

Total cost: $80.76

• Radiance Imperial Matchstick Rollup Shade, $34.88/ea. (Walmart)
• Artist’s paintbrushes, Approx. $4 (Home Depot)
• Behr outdoor paint sample, Approx. $4 (Home Depot)
• Biodegradable plastic dropcloth, Approx. $3 (Walmart)

What do you think of this project? Does it seem easy enough to attempt on your own? Have you done any similar customization projects for your home or someone else’s? I’d love to hear about them! And if you have any green decorating projects for any part of your home that you’d like to share, you can submit your project information and photos for a chance to be featured right here at Green Your Decor!

© 2008-2011 Green Your Decor. Do not republish any items from this feed without permission.

I love the look of layered window treatments, and I’ve been looking for some eco-friendly roman shades for a long time. I love the idea of hanging the shades behind some sheer panels or even heavier drapes for a look that has some dimension. Alas, roman shades made of organic cotton or other eco-friendly textiles are either hard to come by or prohibitively expensive. So even though these window treatments aren’t exactly what I was looking for, I am overjoyed to have found these Park B. Smith Eco Astor Recycled Cotton Magic Blinds.

They aren’t roman shades, but the look is pretty close. There is, of course, the fact that they require a curtain rod, which would make it hard to layer window treatments. However, they are still a great option for the price. They are available in two sizes: 30 x 72 and 40 x 72.  This would be an issue if we were dealing with roman shades, as they have to fit your window size exactly to avoid problems during installation. These have the pleated look of a roman shade, but hang on a rod, so there’s more leeway in terms of window size. They are also available in four colors, including denim.

While you may not be able to layer these on a single window without using multiple rods, you can use them on one or two windows in a woom with multiple windows, using drapes or curtains on the rest. Varying your window treatments like this in a single room will add dimension and interest. These particular blinds would pair really well with the Eco Astor Recycled Cotton Tab-Top Curtains I featured a few months ago.

On that post, reader and fellow green blogger Skye Kilaen of Crafting a Green World made the excellent point that, from a sustainability perspective, recycled fabrics are even better than brand new organic fabric. If your issue is chemical sensitivity, I would stick with organics, but if you are choosing sustainably-made materials because you are concerned about the Earth, recycled fabrics are a great option.

Why It’s Green:

• Made of recycled cotton

Price: $49.99-59.99 (aff)

© 2008-2011 Green Your Decor. Do not republish any items from this feed without permission.

Finding green steals is sometimes a science. After months of doing this, I tend to know where to look and which retailers’ newsletters to subscribe to. But sometimes, I happen upon a great deal completely by chance. And anyone who says these sets of organic cotton grommet-top curtain panels aren’t a steal must not have seen the prices on other eco-friendly window treatments. A set of 2 84″ curtains for just $50 is almost unheard of and by far the best deal I’ve found anywhere.

Smart Bargains is carrying the panels in 5 neutral, obviously nature-inspired colors: camel, natural, green, chocolate and striped.  I personally prefer grommet-top curtains to almost every other style (of which there are many). The grommets lend themselves to a clean drape and a modern look that just isn’t possible with traditional rod-top panels or fancy pleated panels. At $50 for the set of 2, I really can’t complain that there is only one available size. 84″ will be adequate for most home decorators, although I do tend to prefer longer lengths to give a room some extra height.

Considering I’ve been needing some curtain panels for my daughter’s room and my room (and the ceilings are fairly low in both rooms), I’m ecstatic to have found this deal, and I’ll be taking advantage of it myself.

Why It’s Green:

• Made of organic cotton with eco-friendly dyes
• Produced in an IMO-certified facility

Price: $49.99 (aff)

© 2008-2011 Green Your Decor. Do not republish any items from this feed without permission.

Since I started Green Your Decor, I’ve gotten a lot of requests from people looking not just for eco-friendly curtains and drapes, for but eco-friendly rods, finials and other window hardware. But alas, they are not easy to come by, at least not online. There’s always the option of buying from your local thrift or consignment store, or rummaging through a family member’s unused hardware. But if you’re looking for something a bit more definite, you will appreciate this Recycled Glass Decorative Rod Set from JC Penney.

They are stylish, to be sure, but more importantly, the beautiful glass finials at the ends of the rod are made from recycled glass. There’s no information on whether the metal rod also contains recycled content, but the optimist in me will hope it does until I can get a concrete answer. It is available in 3 lengths: 28″-48″, 48″-86″, and 86″-120″. So if you’re like me and you like using that old designer’s trick of hanging your curtains significantly wider than the window to make it appear larger, you definitely have that option.

Happy window dressing!

Why It’s Green:

• Finials made of recycled glass

Price: $40-60

© 2008-2011 Green Your Decor. Do not republish any items from this feed without permission.

The world of eco-friendly window treatments is still fairly small. A handful of larger retailers — most notably West Elm — have gotten into the market with some stylish, affordable options. But for the most part, unless you’re willing to shell out $75-150 per curtain panel, your best bet is still to make them yourself from sustainable fabrics like hemp, organic cotton or even plain old linen.

These curtain panels aren’t ideal, because they aren’t made of organic cotton. But they are made of recycled cotton. The style is a mix of modern and traditional. They have the clean lines of a double tab top with a wooden button detail that lends itself to a more rustic feel. They are available in 4 colors, including denim, shown above in the center.

Not really my style, but when it comes to green window treatments, you can’t beat a price of less than $25 apiece.

Why It’s Green:

• Made from 100% recycled fabric from leftover cuttings

Price: $22.99 (aff)

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When researching home textiles, I tend to stick to sustainable fabrics like organic cotton, hemp, linen and the like. But as most of you know, there are many shades of green, and many characteristics that can make a product eco-friendly.

When I first learned about Eclipse Curtains, my first question was what they are made of. Much to my dismay, I learned that they weren’t made of a sustainable fabric, but polyester. I was tempted to walk away right then and there, but another quality of these window treatments made me take a second look — they are blackout curtains, meant to block light, reduce noise and, lo and behold, help reduce your energy costs.

I was definitely intrigued by that last characteristic, so Eclipse sent me a curtain to use and review.

Blackout performance

Having only used the single curtain for a few weeks, it is hard to tell whether it will affect my energy costs any, but I can give you my perspective on its performace otherwise. I hung the Robert Thermaweave black curtain panel in my bedroom next to a traditional curtain that I’ve had for a couple of years. I thought that curtain, which is  made of dark brown cotton twill, was pretty good at blocking light. Compared to the Eclipse panel, it may as well have been sheer. Long story short: If you like sleeping in darkness, you’ll love Eclipse curtains.

Insulating performance

When I first hung the curtain, it was still hot outside. The area directly in front of the Eclipse panel was noticeably cooler than the rest of the room, and much cooler than the area in front of the curtain next to it.  The curtain itself was pretty hot, given that it is black and held in heat. But that’s the point — it kept the heat contained to the area between the window and the curtain instead of allowing it into the room.

Now that the weather is much cooler, the opposite is true. We turn off the heating and cooling system during the day fairly often. Where much of the house can get pretty chilly, our room stays much more temperate. This wasn’t true before, as our room often cooled down before any other room.

Style

My amateur photos don’t do the curtains justice, and amazingly enough, neither do the photos that came directly from Eclipse. The style that I received, the Robert Thermaweave, is truly sleek and stylish. It is made of a tuxedo black polyester with a slight sheen and a subtle grid pattern. They would be great in a room where black is an integral part of your color palette.

And if you don’t like black, they are also available in a variety of other colors.

The verdict

While I wish Eclipse curtains were made of a fabric more sustainable than polyester, I still think they have potential to help reduce your heating and cooling bills. For them to be truly effective, you’d have to use them in almost every room, or at least keep the doors closed to the rooms where you used them. The fact that they are also very affordable makes them more accessible to a much wider group of consumers. And since reducing energy consumption should be on every eco-diva’s list of ways to save the Earth, I think Eclipse curtains have got a fighting chance.

Why It’s Green:

• Helps reduce heating and cooling bills by offering extra insulation near your windows

Price: $12-40 apiece

Want to win?

Eclipse graciously offered up a pair of black Robert Thermaweave Curtain Panels for one lucky reader of Green Your Decor. Valance is not included as shown in the photo, and trust me — they look much better in person than they do in the photo. Simply visit Eclipse, then come back here and leave a comment about one thing you liked or learned by 11:59 p.m. EST on Wednesday, November 5, 2008.

Want to enter more than once? Boost your chances of winning by completing one or more of the tasks on this list. Please leave a separate comment for each entry:

1. If you haven’t already, sign up for Green Your Decor’s email updates by 11:59 p.m. EST on Wednesday, November 5, 2008. You must verify your email subscription to be eligible. After you sign up, FeedBurner will send you a verification email. Please do not ignore it — your entry will be invalid if you do not verify. All current subscribers are eligible to win. And there’s no need to leave a comment letting me know you subscribe by email. I’ll know you’re a subscriber
2. If you’d prefer to receive your updates via RSS, sign up for the GYD feed. Then please leave a comment letting me know that you’ve done so, and be sure to include your email address. RSS subscribers are anonymous otherwise.
3. Blog about GreenYourDecor.com and post a link to your blog entry here.
4. Stumble or give a thumbs up to any page at GreenYourDecor.com via StumbleUpon and post a link to your SU profile to verify your thumbs up.
5. Fave Green Your Decor on Technorati. Then come back here and leave a comment with your Technorati user name so I can verify it.

So that means every participant can receive up to 6 entries. You have until 11:59 p.m. EST on Wednesday, November 5, 2008, to enter. U.S. mailing addresses only. A winner will be chosen via Random.org and contacted via email. Good luck everyone!

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