I agree that the award banner material may be expensive. The best suggestion would be to find an inexpensive fabric that you like and make a curtain as ICanCountTo19 said. Our team hangs purple curtains, and they look great. The curtains can be prebought at a display company (
www.camelbackdisplays.com) or custom made. If you custom make it, there is no reason you can't sew a sleeve at the top and the bottom to achieve a tought look rather than a free drape.
Hope this helps.