I have been building and renovating homes for more than 20 years, and the comment I get a lot is how people are so surprised by how expensive remodeling can be. While this is true, the real spending comes after we builders leave and the decorating starts. The furniture, artwork, lamps and the piece de resistance: window treatments.

I would come back to a home that we had built and see these beautiful window treatments with custom valances, and layered shades that cost thousands of dollars. What always irked me was that we spent all the time building or renovating the home and the guy who put up the window treatments got all the glory. Well, that has changed over the last few years. Nice looking window treatments are now available to the do-it-yourselfer and at truly affordable prices.

Now, of course, the sky is the limit as to what you can do, so I narrowed it down to four of the most popular choices, which you can customize them any way you desire. You should consider three things when selecting window treatments:

1. Style: What’s the room’s general décor? Contemporary, traditional or something else?
2. Color and design: Will it blend with the room or become a focus?
3. Function: What kind of light control are you looking for? Do you have safety concerns or want more energy efficiency?

Here is what’s hot these days in window treatments:

Cellular shades. These are one of the most versatile treatments around. They come in a variety of colors, fabrics and cell sizes. These two-sided shades offer great accents to your rooms, or you can match the fabric to the room color to really get that custom look. These shades are also available in cordless setups, which are easy to operate and are a safe alternative in homes with children and pets.

Mini blinds. They continue to be a great choice but more interesting options have been available for quite some time. Larger slat wood blinds were the rage a few years ago but some issue occurred with the wood being exposed to all the sunlight and sometimes warping would occur. So faux wood blinds came along and look great and stay true under almost any condition. They can also be used in moist application like bathrooms.

Woven wood shades. Look in just about any home magazine and chances are you’ll see these window treatments being featured. A rise in popularity has occurred recently that accents textures both in the material and the light that is shown through. Many of these window treatments are actually made from real bamboo reeds and can come in a variety of patterns and colors.

Plantation shutters. This treatment definitely will be a focal point in your rooms. These custom fit units when sized correctly will be an extension of your trim-work and will change the look of your room. These by far are the most expensive window treatment and also expect a lead time of at least five weeks, but boy does it look sharp!

All of these do-it-yourself window treatments have one thing in common: You are the one doing the measuring. This is important because the size you give to whatever company you choose to do business with will be the size they send you. Here’s an overview of some key terms that will come up when measuring a window for new treatments:

Inside mounting: emphasizes the actual size of the window and allows the trim work to be visible; can make the size of the window seem smaller

Outside mounting: lengthens and widens windows and makes narrow windows look wider; might be necessary if buying a stock item that will not fit within the inside measurement or if the window is not deep enough to contain the mounting brackets

Here are some other items you will need to do it yourself and get it right:

• A good tape measure that will stay straight to give you exact measurements
• An electronic stud finder to locate framing behind the drywall or plaster to ensure a strong hold
• A level to make sure what you are installing is level to the rest of the house; laser levels do a great job if you are hanging multiple window treatments in one room, helping to keep them all consistent
• Quality hollow-wall anchors if finding the stud is not available; this is key because there is a lot of junk out there that claims it can do the job

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We’ve talked a little bit before about gardening on MLuxe. If you’re a fruit-grower, consider making some freezer jam. This is perfect for when you have a bumper crop of berries you can’t possibly eat, but it’s also an easy way to enjoy summer’s flavors on cold winter days.

About.com’s Frugal Living offers up some great tips on how to make freezer jam. You’ll want to collect the following things:

• Fruit: the riper the better! Raspberries, strawberries and rhubarb all make great freezer jam
• Pectin: acts as a thickener
• Sugar: makes the jam sweet
• Jars: you will want to make sure they are able to be frozen. Don’t forget to clean them well before beginning

The actual process for making the jam is simple. The Web site notes that some freezer jam recipes do call for cooking the fruit, so it never hurts to look around for recipes.

After washing the fruit and removing any stems, mash it with a potato masher. Combine sugar and pectin in a separate bowl. When they are completely blended together, mix them with the fruit for three minutes. Pour the jam into jars and let it thicken for 30 minutes. Freeze and enjoy!

Photo courtesy of thebittenword.com on Flickr

Cleaning: some of us like to do it more than others. It’s not just the time and labor spent that can make a person eager to put it off until tomorrow, but also the harsh chemicals and fumes used in most cleaning products.

There has been a recent interest in environmentally-friendly cleaning products, and the “green” section of the drugstore cleaning aisle continues to grow.  Brands such as Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day and Seventh Generation have many loyal fans and many traditional cleaning product brands are dipping their toes into the world of green cleaning.

Along with the interest in finding cleaning products that are gentle on the earth, many consumers are now faced with tighter budgets.  So what’s the best way to combine effective cleaning, green dreams and newfound frugality? Make your own cleaning products, of course!

Mary Hunt, who has a well-known syndicated column called “Everyday Cheapskate” and a website called Debt-Proof Living, is a proponent of making your own cleaning products.  Not only will you save lots of money (her main concern), but you’ll also be helping the planet.  Most homemade cleaning solutions use products found around your house like: soap or detergent, baking soda, vinegar or lemon juice.

Here are some tips to make your own cleaning agents. For more tips, visit the Debt-Proof Living website and learn more about making your own cleaners.

To clean pretty much everything, combine ½ cup ammonia, ½ cup vinegar and ¼ cup baking soda in a gallon of warm water.  This would work especially well for cleaning countertops since the baking soda helps get rid of any food odors that might be lingering.

Need to remove some tough stains from glass? In a spray bottle, mix together ammonia and rubbing alcohol in equal parts.

Mary offers a couple recipes for bathroom cleaning. For bathtubs and shower tiles, mix together 1 2/3 cups baking soda, ½ cup liquid soap (no detergent!), ½ cup water and two tablespoons white vinegar.  For cleaning toilets, a green way is to brush baking soda and vinegar around the bowl.

It is worth pointing out that none of these recipes contain bleach. Remember that it can be deadly to mix bleach with ammonia, vinegar or another acid-producing substance.

Be safe, be green, be cheap and be clean!

Photo Courtesy of The Healthy Shoppers on Flickr

Leah Moss at Re-Nest shares great ideas on putting glass jars to great use for decorative (and functional) effect. As she says in her headline, don’t throw away that jar!

…I’m now guilty of selecting food goods based on the decorative weight of their containers for future uses. Glass jars clearly take the cake. Here are some new and old reasons to save a few…

Her post offers 10 creative ideas, ranging from creating “magical floating chandeliers” to replacing your ineffective junk-drawer organizer. With links to more details step-by-step instructions from sources like Martha Stewart, Country Living and the This Young House blog, you sure to find some creative inspiration somewhere.

Have you found a creative use for glass jars or other commonly tossed-away objects?

Photo courtesy of Bee Boxes on Flickr

There’s been a lot written lately about the Topsy Turvy Tomato Planter, a simple device that lets you grow your tomatoes upside down.

The manufacturer says it helps water and nutrients flow better to the fruit on the plant, prevents spoilage by keeping tomatoes off the ground and can save you the back pain of performing the necessary maintenance on the ground.

The folks at Shelterrific point out that your tomatoes don’t need a $20 infomerical product to grow well upside down. Rather, they include a link to a do-it-yourself set of instructions, which would free you to use whatever look and feel you want for your specific purpose — not to mention saving some money.

The blog Green Joyment has some instructions and a bunch of videos showing similar projects, so you can get an idea of how these plant hangars work.

And if you’re interested in the original Topsy Turvy Tomato Planter, here’s a pretty thoughtful review.

Photo courtesy of kkimpel on Flickr