These sure are strange times, aren’t they? We’re about 3 weeks into “social distancing” to avoid the coronavirus. I think it’s Saturday…but I’m not entirely sure. Anyways, at this point, the novelty has worn off for many people, but everyone seems to be settling into some kind of “quarantine routine.” Suddenly, we are busy in a new way, but also have time for things that we might not ordinarily get to do. I’ve had this post in the back of my mind for about 6 months, and think now is the perfect time to put it together in case any of you out there need a new project while you stay indoors. May I present…how to make your own “dish towel” curtains!

Learning from the Master Crafter

When it comes to marrying into artistic skill, I hit the jackpot! My mother-in-law is one of the most creative and crafty people I know (although she would never admit it 😊). One thing she’s taught me over the years is to not automatically buy decor or home furnishings that you really like – see if you can make them yourself!

A few years back, I wanted one of those large metal letters for our house, but the size I wanted was pretty pricey. She calmly said “we can make one of those, you know…” I had no idea what kind of magic she was going to pull off, but with a cardboard letter, glue, and gray spray paint she did it!

Cardboard Letter G — (Sorry about the old photo quality, it was the only one I could find)

The Makings of a Master Retreat

One project I’ve been slowly working on is making our master bedroom feel more like a master retreat. I love our children dearly, but that is OUR room. The only pictures I have in there are pictures of us. We’ve never bought bedroom furniture, but have acquired (and built) some pieces over the years that are starting to come together.

Recently, I bought a new comforter. One thing you should know about me – I LOVE floral prints. Love them. Do I care if they can look “old lady-ish?” Nope, not at all. As you can imagine, my husband is less of a floral guy. Anyways, we found one we agreed on but the problem was that it didn’t match our old curtains.

Cue my mother in law 🦸‍♀️

“Why don’t you just make your own out of paint tarps like I did for our living room?” Me, staring. It seemed like a pretty big task, especially for someone who doesn’t sew (by the way, no sewing required 🙌), but I had the master crafter in my corner, so we got to work!

How To: Make “Dish Towel” Curtains

We call these “dish towel” curtains because that is what they end up looking like. These would go perfectly in a farmhouse, rustic, or relaxed room design.

Supplies

Seamless canvas paint tarps
- **IMPORTANT** make sure you get seamless! This may require over-handling the package in the store, or combing through online reviews, but it is worth it! The seam may go through a random part of your curtain otherwise 😖 seams around the edges are ok
Painters tape
Spray paint (2-3 cans, depending on pattern)
Plastic drop cloth

Instructions

DIY Dish Towel Curtains

Wash, Dry, and Iron your tarps

My least favorite step, but so important. When I got my iron and ironing board out, my 3 year old said “Mommy? What is that?” That gives you a clue about how much I iron, haha.

Lay out your pattern.

While doing Step 1, think about your design. Stripes are my recommendation. How many stripes? Should they be thick, thin, or a mixture? Do you want them in a bunch, or spread out? Once you have an idea, lay it out with construction paper and see what you think.
**Tip** Most painting tape is 1″ wide, so design your pattern accordingly (unless you want to have to cut the tape)

Tape pattern on canvas.

If you’ve used 1″ increments in your pattern, you can immediately start taping the canvas. Otherwise, you will need to first cut the tape to match your margins, and then you can start taping. Keep in mind that you want this to be as neat and straight as possible. The tape will act as a protecting barrier against the spray paint.

Fold canvas accordion-style and tape plastic tarp to edges

This step will protect the non-patterned part of your curtains from the spray paint.

Time to paint!

Take your dish towel curtains outside and get painting. You’ll want to move your arm in a gentle sweeping motion. May require 2+ coats, depending on your desired style.

Remove plastic tarp and tape

These dish towel curtains will dry fairly quickly, but make sure that they are completely dry before removing the tarp and tape. This was one part of the project that I didn’t mind a little toddler assistance, haha.