Dear Home-Ec 101,
I have a very large window that bears the brunt of the western sun in summer. Do you have any suggestions for easy, inexpensive window coverings that will block or reflect a lot of heat?
Thanks!
Trying to Keep My Cool In Montana
Ivy says:
What, it gets hot in Montana? 
I kid, I kid. We Southern gals totally like to tease our Nothern counterparts about it not getting very hot where y’all live whenever possible. The same way you guys like to tease us when we’re wearing parkas and it’s 55 degrees outside.
The North vs. South war notwithstanding, I agree that western exposures with great big windows are definitely a pain in the tuckus no matter where you live. The best window coverings to reflect heat are light in color. I once had some canvas curtains that were perfect at reflecting heat, plus they had the added bonus of being heavy enough to also keep in the heat in the winter. The fabric was something like this.
You can make curtains very simply. Here are a couple of tutorials my girl DIY Maven over at Curbly wrote on making curtains. This one could easily be lengthened to the length you need and this one is a cute valance that could go over the top of whatever you might make. If that’s all too much sewing for you, just cut the ends straight and make tab-top curtains.
If you just *really* cannot bear the thought of sewing, try places like TJ Maxx, Ross, and other discount stores. Just remember to use light colors, or darker, lined curtains.
