Not Curtains Or Blinds: She Transforms Rugs For A Budget-Friendly Way To Cover Windows

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Looking for an interior design plot twist that also saves you money? Head to the rug section the next time you need new window treatments, and look specifically for a chindi rug — a rag rug originating in India that's made from various strips of scrap fabric — for this DIY decor project. TikTok user Birdie Wood showed how you can use the floor-covering fabric for an all-new purpose: creating a boho-chic curtain alternative. To do it, she cut apart all of the strands of fabric in the rug and tied them over a curtain rod, resulting in a flowy, billowy, and colorful window covering.

For the creator, the price was a big draw for this DIY window treatment. She found her rag rugs at Five Below for $5 each, but you can also shop many affordable rugs online, like this Cotton Craft Chindi Rag Rug for $10 on Amazon. Since you're unraveling the fabric into wider strips, one rug will cover a lot of ground. Other than the rug, you'll just need a curtain rod and a sharp pair of scissors (and some time and patience) to cut apart all of the strips.

This DIY is one of the more uniquely stylish ways to decorate with rugs, because chindi rugs often incorporate a mix of fabrics with several different colors and patterns. When you unwind them, you'll see the full patterns, which aren't usually visible when they're twisted into the rug form. Because of this varied collection of fabrics, using a rag rug as a window covering works best in a boho eclectic style room or in a maximalist space.

Chindi rug rags are typically sewn together, so cut the strings binding them into tight little tubes. This frees the fabric into individual strips. Determine how long you need your curtain to be, and cut or tie together the strips of fabric to make pieces that are long enough to cover your window. You can also go with a shorter valance-style window treatment with shorter strips of fabric. Or, mix in shorter and longer pieces to create depth and variation, as you might see in a swag. When you're ready to hang the strips, tie them around your curtain rod — loop the fabric around the bar and pull the rest through like the creator did, or tie them in a knot or a bow onto the rod. You could even enhance the character of the treatment by using a unique alternative to a traditional curtain rod, such as a copper pipe, to hang the fabric strips.

There are so many ways to customize this simple project without adding to the cost. For instance, you could cut the strings to a certain point but leave the top several inches of the rug intact. The top portion can then act as a header, while the bottom edge flows loosely. Use curtain clips to attach the rug to the rod. Another idea? Separate the strips like the inspiration project, but sew, tie, or glue the pieces onto a horizontal wide ribbon or piece of fabric so they move together. No matter how you hang the strips, you can bunch them up and tie them with a ribbon for a drapey look, loosely braid several strands together, or even add strands of beads to fit the boho vibe and incorporate new textures.