• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • DIY home decor
  • Free printables
  • Seasonal Projects
  • Shopping guides
  • About
  • Contact

Temperance Rose

Fun DIY home decor & craft projects!

DIY home decor · 18 August 2018

Easy DIY no-sew farmhouse curtains from a tablecloth!

Pinnable image for DIY farmhouse curtains project

Disclosure: Some affiliate links are provided below. Learn more.

For about a year I’ve been seriously lusting over those linen farmhouse curtains with the pretty ruffle on top (if you search for “farmhouse curtains with ruffle” on Pinterest, you’ll see what I mean). I love how linen curtains compliment farmhouse home decor and I’m an absolute sucker for feminine details like ruffles. I had a look around for pre-made curtains that matched the style I wanted, but none of them were within my price range. Undeterred, I decided I would try to DIY some farmhouse-style curtains. However, there were two problems standing in the way of my ruffled curtain dreams.

Firstly, I don’t own a sewing machine. My old machine kicked the bucket about a year ago and there was absolutely no way I was going to be sewing curtains by hand. Not one to be defeated by trivial matters like “not having the essential tools for the job”, I went to trusty google and did some research. I was determined to figure out how to make curtains without sewing (not even a tiny bit). So I typed in what ended up being every variation of “no-sew curtains” and “easy DIY curtains” I could think of. I came across a large array of bloggers much more talented than I who had written tutorials showing you, step by step, how to make DIY curtains. The tutorials were so easy to follow that even an idiot (aka me) could do it. Inspired, I headed to the fabric store.

And this, my friends, is where problem number two reared its head. I arrived at Spotlight (a store akin to Michael’s in the US or HobbyCraft in the UK) only to find that they were asking $17 a metre (!!!) for linen. I needed 9 metres of fabric. That worked out to be $150 for the fabric alone.

Way, way overbudget.

Feeling like the personification of the noise “urghhhh”, I put my dreams of pretty farmhouse ruffled curtains aside for a few months and busied myself with the other 250,000 projects I have going at any one time.

That is, until I was in Kmart one day and stumbled across these “linen-look” tablecloths.

They were perfect.

They looked like linen. The fabric, I found out after sticking my finger sneakily inside the package, was soft but a little structured – perfect for curtains. They were the exact colour I was wanting for my DIY farmhouse curtains. At 2.25 metres each, they worked out at $5.30AUD/metre – much more reasonable than $17AUD/metre!

I excitedly purchased a few tablecloths and immediately got to work, experimenting with different techniques until I found one I liked.

And here’s the finished result:

A picture of the DIY farmhouse curtains on a curtain rod

How to make easy DIY no-sew farmhouse curtains

To make your own easy DIY no-sew farmhouse curtains, you will need:

  • Tablecloths. I used these tablecloths from Kmart Australia. If you’re not in Australia, I found some great options on Amazon, such as this real linen tablecloth, this blue-striped tablecloth (very farmhouse!), or this super cheap polyester tablecloth. Any of these would work to make your curtains.
  • An iron
  • Curtain clips/pegs
  • Hemming tape (optional – only necessary if you need to fuse two tablecloths together). I personally use Heat ‘n Bond ultrahold in all of my no-sew projects, as it’s the strongest iron-on adhesive I’ve used.

Some notes on measurements: The exact number of tablecloths needed to make  no-sew farmhouse curtains depends on a few factors, such as your window size, how pleated you want the curtains to appear, and the desired size of your ruffle. I used four tablecloths for my curtains. To get nice pleats and ruffles, I suggest purchasing enough tablecloths that you have fabric 1.5 – 2 times the width of your window.

Step 1 (optional): Fuse two tablecloths together

If your window is particularly large or you want a dramatic ruffle, you may need to join two tablecloths together to have enough fabric. I used iron-on adhesive tape to fuse two tablecloths together without sewing. Simply follow the instructions on your brand of hemming tape before proceeding to the next step.

Step 2: Iron your tablecloths

I know. I’m sorry. Ironing sucks.

However, ironing your tablecloths makes the process of making your own curtains easier and it improves the look of the final product.

Ironing the tablecloths in preparation for making easy DIY no-sew farmhouse curtains Cry while ironing if it helps release the pain.

Step 3: Create your ruffle fold

Before you begin the folding process, find a large flat space where you can lay your tablecloth out flat. I recommend something like the living or dining room floor.

Now, it’s time to create your ruffle fold.

Fold the top of your tablecloth over itself so you have a little ‘ledge’ like this:

A large fold in the tablecloth which forms the basis of the DIY farmhouse curtain ruffle

This ledge will eventually create the ruffle for your no-sew farmhouse curtains. You can make your ledge in any size you like. The more fabric folded, the larger the ruffle and vice versa.

Step 4: Create pleats by folding

I wanted my no-sew farmhouse curtains to look like pleated curtains. I had to experiment with a few different folds before I found one that gave the desired effect.

This step might look confusing, but it’s actually really simple once you’ve done it a few times. If you don’t get it on the first go, don’t worry (I didn’t either…my first attempt was a mess, if I’m to be totally honest!)

Make a little fold, like so:

A woman's hand holding the tablecloth fabric which has a small fold in it

Then, right next to the first fold, make an identical fold. It should look as though you have a set of bunny ears in your hand, like this:

A woman holding two equal size folds in the tablecloth that resemble bunny ears

Grab one of your curtain clips and clip your bunny ears about 2/3rds of the way down, like so:

Curtain clip attached to tablecloth fabric for easy DIY no-sew farmhouse curtains

After you have done this, make a much larger fold (to space out your pleats), and then repeat the above, making another set of bunny ears. You will have something like this:

A picture of the tablecloth-curtain with two curtain clips attached

Repeat until you reach the end of your tablecloth-turned-curtain-panel.

Finished!

Once you have finished clipping your panel, attach your curtain clips to your curtain rings, slide the rings on to your curtain rod, and feel bam – your easy DIY no-sew farmhouse curtains are complete!

A picture of the DIY farmhouse curtains on a curtain rod

Look at that lil ruffle. Love me a good ruffle.

Close up of the DIY farmhouse curtain pleats and ruffle

DIY farmhouse curtains pulled open

The best part about curtains is being able to fool others into thinking you’re an adult with your life together, instead of just three small children stacked on top of one another wearing a big coat.

Not quite ready to make your curtains? Pin me for later!

Pinnable image for DIY farmhouse curtains project

Get more ideas & freebies

A fortnightly newsletter containing the latest projects and freebies + my favourite free craft and design resources from around the internet!

Reader Interactions

Recommended for you

Super easy no-sew mini baskets to organise your bits and bobs!
13 February 2019
Make a super cheap DIY flower drying rack in fifteen minutes!
8 February 2019
DIY rustic flower market sign – Free SVG included!
29 January 2019

Comments

  1. Ella says

    21 September 2018 at 8:34 AM

    Looks easy. Thanks for sharing. Going to try this weekend.

    Reply
    • Temperance says

      23 September 2018 at 4:41 PM

      Good luck, Ella. Let me know how it goes! xx

      Reply
  2. Kelly says

    7 December 2018 at 10:40 AM

    Hi Temperance. Thank you for posting this tutorial. I was wondering how many of the little pegs you used and how wide your window is? I’m not sure how many clips to buy.

    Reply
    • Temperance says

      17 December 2018 at 12:51 PM

      Hi Kelly, thanks for reaching out. Apologies for the delay – I missed your comment among an influx of spam comments. My window is 220, the curtain rod I used is 250. I used 26 clips in total (13 on each curtain). Hope that helps! Let me know if you have any more questions.

      Reply
  3. Leanne Hansen says

    31 January 2019 at 7:46 AM

    This is such a cool idea and so much cheaper than buying ruffle curtains from the store. Thanks for posting this – I’m going to use it when I furnish the master bedroom in my new house.

    Reply
    • Temperance says

      3 February 2019 at 12:21 PM

      Thank you for your kind words, Leanne. I’m glad you found it useful. I hope you have a great time decorating your new home 🙂

      Reply
  4. HannaH says

    11 February 2019 at 5:46 AM

    Hi there! Love this idea. When I’m looking at your picture, is the horizontal line below where your ruffle falls where you used the adhesive tape to put the two table cloths together?

    Reply
    • Temperance says

      12 February 2019 at 10:15 AM

      Hi Hannah! You’re right – the horizontal line is where I used the adhesive tape. I liked how the line looked, but if you don’t like it you can always fold the top part so that it covers the join 🙂

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Hi there, I’m Temperance! I like to create things and hide my 72 unfinished DIY projects in the corner. Read more »

Newsletter

A fortnightly newsletter containing the latest posts + awesome free craft & design resources!

Popular projects

Popular printables

Free wall art printables featuring vintage bird illustrations. Inspired by old scientific prints, each of these printables feature a line art illustration of a bird and information about the bird’s family and genus. Great for spring decorating, these vintage prints are a quick and easy wall decor option! #freeprintable #freeprintablewallart #freevintageprintables

Recent posts

I love these sweet DIY bird’s nest napkin rings. Pair them with some fresh rosemary springs and some speckled eggs for a cute Easter or spring table setting. The best thing about these handmade napkin rings is that they can be made using supplies you probably already have around the house - making them a nice and cheap spring DIY project! #diynapkinrings #napkinrings #eastercrafts #springcrafts #diy #diyhomedecor #spring #easter

Pretty DIY bird’s nest napkin rings for spring & Easter table settings!

Vintage-inspired free printable watercolour flower gift tags

Super easy no-sew mini baskets to organise your bits and bobs!

Contact | Privacy Policy | Affiliate Disclaimer | Sitemap

© 2019 Temperance Rose · Design By Bloom