Ditch Traditional Curtains: There's A Cuter Way To Cover Kitchen Windows Quickly

Have outdated curtain trends got you down? You don't need to run out and get a fancy new set — you just need to get creative. Craft cute DIY curtains out of something you already have in your kitchen drawers: towels and dish towels. If you have any fun dish towels that you think are too cute for regular use, this is a great way to repurpose them into makeshift curtains. However, even plain or worn-out tea towels can be turned into curtains with just a bit of extra effort.

Your tea towels will form the panels of the curtains, blocking out light or nosy neighbors while adding charm to your kitchen with their prints. Older tea towels could add a rustic vibe, or you can dress them up with patches, buttons, or embroidery. Traditional curtains can be fairly expensive, with patterned fabric generally costing more, making it harder to justify changing them when you get bored or taking a risk on a pattern you may not love. Tea towels are inexpensive, easy to swap out, and come in a wide range of patterns, so you can keep your kitchen looking fresh and cute.  While you can use them in any room, having them in your kitchen means they're still in easy reach if you need a tea towel.

You'll likely need between one and four tea towels per window, depending on the window size and how you hang them. If you have rectangular towels, hanging them vertically will cover more height, and hanging them horizontally will cover more width. If you don't think you have enough tea towels, or you aren't sure the ones you have would make cute curtains, you can always scope out your local thrift store for pretty vintage options!

Start by picking out the tea towels, dish towels, or washcloths you'd like to use and give them a good wash. Hold them up to your window to make sure they fit nicely, cover the kitchen window completely, and that the patterns look nice in the orientation you'll be hanging them in. If your towels have words or pictures on them, they may look odd if they're hung the wrong way. Make any adjustments to your tea towels, such as adding buttons or embroidery. A lace or ribbon border can help extend the tea towel a bit if it's slightly too short to cover the window.

If you don't have a curtain rod but are certain you want one permanently, you can install a curtain rod. However, there are no-drill curtain rod options if you either don't want a permanent rod or aren't able to install one. While tension, magnetic, and self-adhesive rods sometimes struggle to hold heavier traditional curtains, tea towels are lighter and should hang from them without issue. Next, consider getting some curtain rod rings with clips. 

While you can cut holes in the towels for hooks, sew a fold into the top to slide onto the rod, or use this hack to keep kitchen towels from falling, adding velcro to your tea towels, using clips, will allow you to swap them out at any time without modifying each towel. Not only does it make updating your curtains convenient, but it also means you can easily take them down to wash them or use them. Clip the tea towels to the curtain rod, slide them into place, and make any last-minute adjustments to help them fit better. The last step is to admire your beautiful new kitchen curtains!