Putting up curtains?

[cailinabroad]

In my German apartment I have the usual windows that open out into the room or open only at the top, depending on how you turn the handle. I like them, but I have no idea how to hang curtains on these kinds of windows. Our neighbor just double side taped some sheer panels to the glass itself but there's got to be a better way, hopefully one that also won't tear up my landlord's walls. Ideas or advice?

[allibally]

We had the same style windows. We only stayed a year... so I sucked it up. Helped that we were on the 3rd floor and had tree coverage. But our windows had these wood board overhangs with metal tracks in them. Where you could clip on curtains to it. Kind of like shower curtain style.

I think you should look into something that is panel style so you can slide them around for when the window is open the wide way. Ikea has them.

[glitterfart]

You can get small flat rods that stick to the frame with sticky tape and will hold the lace sheers, or you hang a rod above the window on the wall so that you can move the curtains to one side and still be able to open the window . Or you go with those track type rods on the ceiling or above the window. Just check out ikea for ideas. They won´t have the flat rods with the sticky, for those you´ll need to hit the Baumarkt, but they´ve got everything else. Or shop a furniture company like Höfner for window displays. Or even Kaufhof has a window treatment department.

[Cheesecake]

We have rods hanging from the ceiling a couple of inches from the windows. If you open it from the top it won't come out further than the width of the windowsill, so if you get floor length curtains they'll need to be that far out anyways. In other rooms we have blinds that are attached to the window itself, so when it's open from the top the blinds are still in front of them. When I open them sideways, I just don't close the curtains, or shimmy them around.
In yet another room we have a metal rail on the ceiling and curtains hang from there.

What kind of curtains or window treatment would you want, maybe we can figure out what your options are based on what style you'd prefer.

[cailinabroad]

To be honest I'm not too picky about the style. It's just that the sun shines directly into our kitchen during dinner cooking/eating hours which makes it crazy hot and impossible to see since you're squinting the whole time. Our bedroom has a similar problem. The other windows I can live with, but these two rooms are driving me nuts and after 6 months I've decided I can't live here 2 more years without curtains.

We don't have a drill or anything so I feel like this DIY project needs to be beginner friendly. I have a sewing machine and could make lightweight curtains, but would the sticky tape option hold up anything more than sheers? We have sticky taped sheers in our dining room right now.

Also, is there a cultural norm for German landlords as far as this thing is concerned? I feel like in the States it'd be ok for a renter to do something like this, but are Germans different when it comes to putting holes in walls?

Thanks for your help everyone! I'll probably be heading down to Ikea this weekend!

[glitterfart]

Germans don´t much care about drilling into the wall. You hae to patch them before you move out, but other than that, it´s not a problem.

The sticky tape ones will only hold small cafe curtains that are fairly light.

[klingklang77]

My DH put up the curtains on his own. We bought some cheap, but nice rods at OBI. We got the curtains at Galleria and IKEA. The only problem was the walls are concrete, and we had to get a special drill for that. Instead of buying one, DH borrowed it from the Hausmeister at his work. You can also try asking your Hausmeister if they have a drill you can borrow. We've hired out Hausmeister to do a few handyman things around our apartment. It was cheaper than hiring someone else. It's worth a try.

[cailinabroad]

thank you! Our landlord built the house himself so I know he's got tons of tools. Maybe if I ask nicely he'll put up the rods for me

Thanks everyone!

[mrspurdy]

we had the same problem with our bathroom window. I found these tension curtain rods that fit inside the window frame and held the curtain in. I just took it down when needed too. Similar to the shower curtain rods that are not drilled in.