Forget Curtains: Turn Bottle Caps Into A Unique Way To Cover Walls And Windows

Curtains aren't the only way to cover a window. In addition to blinds, shades, and window film, there are plenty of creative and affordable ways to cover your windows, such as using plant hangers or upcycling thrift store handkerchiefs. Here's one more option — stringing hundreds, or even thousands, of bottle caps and making a beaded curtain from them.

Of course, you may be asking yourself, can beaded curtains be cool again? The answer is yes, especially when you make the curtain yourself. TikTok user Julie K showed off her personal take, which she uses as a wall hanging. She hung up hundreds of colorful bottle caps, creating a decidedly psychedelic, tie-dye-inspired pattern.

Your bottle cap curtain doesn't have to be so bright or inspired by the 1960s. Go for a single color, such as black or white, or pair two colors to create a striped or checkerboard pattern. Depending on the size of your curtain, you will need a lot of bottle caps, so recruit some friends and ask them to save the caps from their soda bottles.

Along with a sizable collection of bottle caps, you'll need a strong, invisible string to make the curtain, such as a fishing line. You'll also need something to make holes in the bottle caps, like a 3 mm drill bit and drill or a craft knife, and a dowel or rod to tie the fishing line to. If you're creating a pattern in the curtain, make a template on a large piece of paper and lay the curtain on top as you work, so you can see when to change cap colors.

@jkoborg

My bottle cap curtain art! #bottlecaps #art #artist #recycledart

♬ original sound – Julie K.

Start off by drilling or poking holes in the bottle caps — put two holes opposite each other in each one. Measure the height and width of the window or wall area where you'd like to hang the curtain. Cut a length of string to match the window height, plus about 6 inches, so you can tie the top to the dowel and tie it off at the bottom. Tie the string onto the dowel, then thread the bottle caps onto it. Continue until the line of bottle caps matches the height of the window, then tie a knot in the end of the string. Repeat until the dowel is fully covered.

A bottle cap curtain is a great option for kitchen windows or in the bathroom, where you may want privacy without blocking the light. Along with using the curtain in front of windows or as a wall hanging, you can also use it to replace closet doors in a small space or as a room divider in a studio.