15 DIY Curtain Makeovers

Applique butterflies and flowers sweeten sheers for a little girl’s room.

 A pair of $4 cloth napkins gains new purpose as cafe curtains when hung from a tension rod. Switch them out throughout the year for a quick refresh.

Dyed lines jazz up plain cotton curtains. Use a ruler to ensure straight lines; then apply dye with a squirt bottle.

Shaded ombré is a popular color treatment. Apply it to curtains by dipping the cotton fabric in a bucket of dye, slowly lifting it out (the lower portions are in the dye the longest, so turn darkest).

Washers knotted on with textured yarn or thread link the brown curtains to the industrial-look valance.

Gather your curtains at whatever height you want with the addition of a ribbon in a pretty accent color.

Sewing on cording in a coordinating theme adds texture. Here, we added cording between two fabrics to finish the nautical look. Blue cording woud stand out even more.

Many sewing machines can be programmed to monogram fabric. Use that function to add a formal note to your curtains.

Hot-glue on a bouquet of handcrafted rosettes, leaves and yarn stems.

Use an extra curtain panel in the same or contrasting fabric to create ruffles on the bottom of two straight panels. 

Sew on a border of contrasting fabric to finish the look. Here, a Greek key pattern adds geometry next to florals.

Using a doily as a stencil, apply paint for an airy look.

Floral stamps finish the sunny look on these yellow-striped curtains. Stamps come in thousands of patterns, so there is bound to be one to suit your decor.

Make a bold statement by marbling white curtains.

Mark off any geometric shape with painter’s tape on your Roman shade. Fill in with latex paint in a hue you like.

Trace letters onto curtains; then straight-stitch a simple message of affection or inspiration.