I'm not a fan of vertical blinds and they were everywhere in my LA apartment when I moved in. Since I'm a renter, I wanted an easy way to replace them with curtains, and after trying a few different things, it turns out drapery hooks were the answer!

Step 1: Remove the Slats

I removed the plastic slats from the existing clips and wrapped them up to store them (I'll have to put them back when I move out!)

Step 2: Get Drapery Hooks and Hang Your Curtains

The key to this project are drapery hooks - they happen to fit perfectly in the hole in the clips for the plastic slats and stay firmly in place (I've had these up not for years and they never fall off when I open and close the curtain). All you have to do is pin the sharp end of drapery hooks at the back of the curtain, at the top, and then slip the other end into the hole of the existing clips. Couldn't be easier and you can open and close the curtains just like the blinds, but now you don't have to look at those slats! If you're concerned with too much light coming through, you could use black out curtains instead.

Step 3: Optional: Make a Window Cornice

I could have stopped there but I also wanted to dress up the top of the window so I made a window cornice out of cardboard and 1" x 2" furring strips that rests on the existing plastic valance. Because of the valance, I was also able to add some decorative panels I got at IKEA by using a tension rod that rests on the sides of the valance. So happy with the result!

Step 4: Optional: Hiding the A/C Unit

But again, I couldn't stop there and I made made this piece of furniture out of wood scraps that I had to conceal the A/C unit when it's not being used - the cover comes off when I need to use the A/C and it doubles as a shoe rack. You can see how I made it in the video.