Black Shredded Drapes

I wanted to make black shredded drapes for Halloween. I have 9 ft. tall drapes in my great room and I knew I would need 3 yards per window x 2 panels. I needed two 3 yard panels for each window. So....I used my coupon at JoAnn's during coupon commotion and got my black fabric for around $1 a yard. It is just simple black cheap quilting fabric. I started at the top and sewed a pocket to go on the curtain rod. Then cut about 1 inch apart across the bottom about up an inch. This is after I started cutting strips then realized that they wouldn't have the torn edge that I was looking for. So, to not waste this pile of perfectly cut strips....I took my iron to them.

I just kept wadding them up and pressing my iron on them to give them the look I wanted. I hurried to take this picture so I wouldn't burn my fabric.

This is the pile of drapes after I was done sewing and shredding. Yes, it really is a few feet high. It took me about three hours of sewing and shredding to finish them before I was ready to hang them ( I made six panels, 2 for each of the main windows and one for the living room and one for the front door). Then I sewed a 9 foot strip of netting over the top to add a little umph in the great room! I also tied eyelash ribbon onto the drapes to add that Eeirie feeling.

This is what they look like hung when hanging straight. I hung a 3M strip on the wall by the light switch and then pulled the drape to the side and tied it back with purple toole and ribbon.

 I am trying to keep with my black and purple witch theme this year(Yes, I do a different theme each year from mad scientist, pumpkins, witches, ect.) Most of my decoration I reuse every year and I just make a certain item stand out each year. I usually add a little something to make the theme a theme. This year it's inexpensive black shredded drapes and painted purple tufted chair.

I hung a panel from my entryway into the living room. It pulls the theme through out the entire house. 

I used purple as the tie back for the drapes. This pulled in the black/purple theme. 

I hung this drape with 3M removable hooks...so I can take them down when the season is over with. 

I sewed button holes in the end of the two drapes that I used in the living room and the front door so the 3M hooks could be used. I definetely wasn't going to hang a curtain rod for only the halloween season....why when there are such great products like 3M removable hooks. 

This is what the drape looks like from the hall into the great room. You can see the drape swept back making the chairs and the fireplace the focal point. 

Just so you don't forget, these are the drapes that I took down to hang my black ones. They will look great again when I hang them back up after Halloween.

Sorry for the blurry picture but I was using the shutter setting and didn't realize it was blurry 'til this morning and I would have to wait until night again take the picture...so here you go. You can see how I hung the drapes with 3M hooks outside to the inside of the entry.

I had a few ideas for Halloween this year that tried to carry my black/purple theme through with a limited budget. I can't redo my house for each season even though I love halloween so I add a few elements that were inexpensive to carry the theme like black drapes, painted purple chairs and a painted purple witch portrait bust and then let the rest of the halloween items I already have be the details. Perfect! Inexpensive and great looking!