• Finish window treatments with swagsbest place in the room image by Jake Hellbach from Fotolia.com
  
  A swag is the most polished way to finish a window treatment. Because a swag involves creating curves and folds, it will generally soften the effect of plain, straight panels. Swags are often made of luxurious fabrics with fringes, cords, tassels and other decorative elements. Swags are appropriate in nearly any room, but will be made less formal for kitchens and bathrooms with cotton fabrics and casual trimmings.
  
  

Informal Swag Treatments

• While the term swag has traditionally been applied only to draped elements, some retailers have renamed curved valances as swags. A valance is a separate curtain panel gathered on a curtain rod; the special valances called swags are designed with curved hems and are hung over matching curtains or bare windows. The effect created is similar to a draped swag, but much less formal. These swags are often made of washable fabric, sometimes in prints and plaids, and are designed to be used in kitchens, bathrooms and bedrooms.
  
  

Swags Draped over Poles

• The simplest form of a swag is a drape curved over a bare window or drapery panels that's supported by a pole. This kind of swag may be called a scarf because it is made from a single length of fabric. Gatherings of fabric at the corners could be informal and arranged by hand or the fullness may be sewn into pleats, similar to pleated draperies. The additional length of the scarf may form side panels of varying lengths, depending on the decor of the room. The pole, with or without decorative finials, will be visible in this treatment.
  
  

Structured Swag Treatments

• Swags with built-in structure are usually made in pieces: the drapery panels on the sides, the swag (single, double, or triple over the top) and the additional length of fabric at the sides formed into a pleated jabot, or a pleated or gathered cascade. The designs of a structured swag range from the tightly pleated turban style to the loosely gathered Austrian swag. This kind of swag is attached to the rod or pole so the support is hidden.
  
  

Variations

• Structured swag design offers a number of variations, but all convey a degree of formality to a window treatment. Silk, damask, jacquard and velvet are appropriate for a swag treatment and may be embellished elaborately. Swags may match or contrast with the draperies hung with them; lining fabrics are often exposed in swag treatments. A swag may be designed with scalloped edges, long cascades or jabots between each curved portion.