3 Easy ways to dress up your window treatments that won't take a lot of time or break the bank.

Whether you have custom or store-bought window treatments, you can do something today to dress them up, make them look different, and enhance the whole look in the process.

Here are 3 quick and easy tips.

#1. Add Beads. Beaded trims are available in 100's of choices at many local stores: from mass market to more upscale boutiques. One way to use them, is to take a string of beads and swag it over your valance. Another is to add them to the bottom of the valance or along the sides of the panels. If you don't want to do it yourself, a local seamstress or a window treatment shop will happily add them on. Or you can accomplish it yourself through the many no-sew, iron-on options available for a DIY-er.

#2. Cords and Tassels. Similar to beaded choices, decorative cords are available in your nearby mass and custom markets. They add a very special custom-looking touch to your windows. So, if you have pulled back curtains or drapery panels on your windows now, what do you use to hold them back? Is it something special like a nice and weighty tassel?

#3. Contrasting fabric. This is a little bit more involved than simply adding a tassel, but really isn't complicated at all and can have a dramatic effect in the room. Consider pulling the colors of the room together, by adding a contrasting border to your panels. Or it can be a contrasting insert at the bottom 1/3 of the panel. Or it can be a contrasting cuff at the top of a panel or a valance. The main idea is that your existing window treatment gets a punch of another color, which happens to bring into it other colors from the room.

Why would you want to make these changes.

Here are 3 main reasons:

Window treatment looks better. It's just as simple as that. Adding these embellishments make your treatment look more rounded, finished-off, and custom.

Décor gets a face-lift - even if it's a little touch, is something new and extra that you didn't have before.

Room looks more pulled-together - as your room evolves with new accessories, window treatments can stay "current" with your new additions. As an example, you've found a pretty beaded lamp shade - why not bring those similar beads up to the windows?

How do you know you need to dress up your window treatments?

Ask yourself these questions.

Does my room look completely pulled together?

Does it feel like something is missing?

Do I feel like a change (that won't cost a lot)?

Do I want my windows to have a more custom look, but don't want to spend a lot of money?

See, you get the idea.