Martha Stewart's Clever Dishtowel Trick Creates The Cutest Curtains

Shutters and blinds may be in vogue when it comes to designing minimalist kitchen window treatments, but there's something to be said for the textural beauty of hanging up some curtains. Providing both aesthetic appeal and muting some of the harsh light streaming in from the windows, the curtains you choose can also introduce some whimsy to your cooking space. Why not take a tip from Martha Stewart and create the cutest cafe-style curtains for your kitchen by sewing together a stack of pretty dishtowels?

According to one of Stewart's Instagram posts, all you need to make a playful curtain reminiscent of Parisian cafes is a selection of dishtowels in a similar color palette and a sewing machine. Begin by making a straight cut through the center of each dishcloth so you end up with two long lengths. Then hem the raw edges so they look neat and well-finished. Place these hemmed panels next to each other — mixing and matching the sequence to your liking — until you've created a unique design. Finally, stitch all the sections together to produce one curtain. At this point, you can either use clips to attach them to a tension rod running along your window or fold over the top of the curtain and stitch it together to make a pocket for the rod to run through. Either way, hang your dainty curtain up your window at halfway height so the bottom of the fabric meets the windowsill to provide privacy.

Using dishtowels that have a sheerness to them will provide some privacy and dampen down some of the outside light without blocking it all out. Of course, you can use any variety and material you like, but linen ones tend to have a natural feel and a European vibe that looks elegant and stylish.

Dishtowels tend to come in packs that include varied designs but feature the same hue, and it's this feature that creates the quirkiest curtains; pattern-wise, every panel is slightly different, but they all work in harmony due to their shared color palette. While you could purchase ready-made cafe-style curtains, making your own allows you to customize them freely and produce a design unlike any other. Small decorative pieces, like homemade curtains, are what will set your kitchen apart from others and lend your space a distinctive and memorable personality.

If you have any leftover dishtowels, remember that kitchen towels are best stored in drawers, rather than hung on oven doors, to keep them clean. Martha Stewart's kitchen towel folding method frees up drawer space because she folds them into thirds before folding them in half again. This classic hotel fold creates compact little rectangles that are slimline, neat, and easy to stack.