Add Privacy To Your Kitchen Windows Without Blinds Using This Smart DIY

There are lots of modern solutions to cover windows instead of dated, flimsy blinds. In fact, there are better ways to add privacy without sacrificing your personal style. While blinds may be efficient, they can also be difficult to clean, cumbersome to open and shut, and even noisy. They also aren't the best option for letting the sun in if you want to embrace the advantages of natural light in your space. However, Paige Carroll (known on TikTok as paigealexiscarroll) shared a simple DIY using cheesecloth to create delicate, sheer cafe curtains. 

The effect is both cozy and romantic and helps to add a layer of privacy without blocking the natural light. To borrow this idea for your own kitchen, or, let's be honest, any room in your house, you will need just a few simple supplies. The first thing you will need, of course, is cheesecloth. Carroll uses a table runner, but any cheesecloth will do as long as it is large enough. To hang the cheesecloth, simply use curtain rings with clips and a telescoping tension rod.

To get started on this project, you will first want to measure your window to get an idea of how much cheesecloth you will need. In her DIY, Carroll creates cafe curtains that only cover the bottom half of her kitchen window. You can do full-length curtains if you prefer them. You will just need to get more cheesecloth to cover the larger area. When measuring, you should get the width of your window, as well as the height from the rod to where you'd like the hem of your curtains to be. Once you have your cheesecloth, cut it to the correct width. Curtains should typically be about 1.5 to 2 times the width of the window. However, if you'd like fuller curtains, cut them to about 3 times the width since the fabric is so thin. Then, cut the material in half to create two curtain panels. 

If you don't like frayed edges, a simple rolled hem done by hand or using a machine will help to keep everything clean. To hang your new window treatments without drilling, all you need to do is put your curtain rings on the tension rod and hang it at the desired height. Then simply fasten your new cheesecloth panels to the clips attached to the curtain rings and slide them on. If you don't have any cheesecloth (or you like the idea but don't love the fabric), try the same method with a different type of sheer fabric like lace or chiffon instead.