16 DIY Kitchen Window Treatments That Block Sun and Add Style

Painted Roller Shades

You can add a coordinating color or favorite pattern with this DIY kitchen window treatment on basic cordless roller shades. To get this preppy pink look, outline your design (here, a two-inch-wide border stripe) with painters tape, then brush on your favorite color. Let it dry completely on a flat surface before hanging.

Custom Bamboo Blinds

If your kitchen window is too wide or too narrow to accommodate standard window treatments, consider making your own. Bamboo blinds can be cut to size with a bit of handiwork. You'll need essential tools, including permanent adhesive glue, a utility knife, a permanent marker to delineate your dimensions—and an afternoon to create.

Classic Striped DIY Kitchen Window Treatment

Installing a DIY kitchen window treatment doesn't have to block the light. Look for a bright, semi-sheer fabric, like this classic blue-and-white stripe, and fit it to a basic roller shade. When glued in place, the covering adds style without leaving you in the dark.

Roman Shades

For an inexpensive DIY kitchen window treatment, fashion a DIY Roman shade using wood dowels and a fabric you love. This requires sewing and hand-stitching, but the results are well worth it. Double-layered fabric provides extra light-blocking and privacy.

Farmhouse Window Shutters

Add farmhouse charm to your kitchen with easy DIY shutters. They require only four steps to make. After cutting the required lumber to size, simply screw together, fill any holes, and attach the hardware. To complete the look, pair the shutters with farmhouse accents, like fresh flowers, greenery, and colorful linens.

No-Sew Roman Shade

For these easy, no-sew DIY kitchen window treatments, decoupage medium takes the place of a sewing machine. You'll need a faux wood blind cut to the size of your window and thick upholstery fabric a bit larger than the blind. Simply remove some slats, attach the fabric, and in minutes, you'll have a stylish kitchen window shade.

Tasseled DIY Kitchen Window Treatments

For an easy update, decorate simple cafe curtains with tassels or pom-poms. Purchase individual string tassels or tassel trim and simply hot glue in place. Apply them to the back hem of your curtains for a crisp, clean look.

Shibori-Dyed Kitchen Curtains

Dress up plain kitchen curtains with shibori, the Japanese version of tie-dye. Start by mixing an indigo dye kit in a large bucket, following the directions on the package. Then, use rubber bands and wood blocks to fold or tie the fabric. Place the panels into the dye mixture. The longer they're left in the dye, the deeper the blue will be. Remove them from the bucket and allow them to dry, then wash the panels before hanging.

Upcycled Kitchen Curtains

Make use of old leather belts for this fun DIY kitchen window treatment.

1. Take a large swatch of fabric—we used two yards of heavy-duty linen—and hem the edges.
2. Attach a one-inch-square dowel at one end with a staple gun. This is the top of the shade.
3. Take a leather belt and staple the non-buckled end to the square dowel about five inches from the edge.
4. Flip the shade over and attach a large gold tack, also five inches from the edge. Repeat on the other side.
5. Hang the dowel at the top of the sill, then loop the belts up and around, hanging the buckles on the tacks.

Spray-Painted Kitchen Curtains

Put your art skills to the test with this free-hand curtain upgrade. Press the curtain and hang it, protected by a sheet of plastic, on a vertical surface, like a tall outdoor fence or wall. Apply a few pieces of painters tape inches from the bottom, then spray-paint below the tape to create a solid border. Remove the tape, then spray loops across the fabric, graffiti-style.

Classic Cafe Curtains

Make these DIY kitchen window treatments in just a few minutes. Press tea towels, scarves, or hemmed fabric with an iron, then attach your choice to a rod with ring curtain clips. A tension rod works best for this project, as you'll need to adjust the rod's height depending on the fabric's length and width to fit the window frame.

DIY Curtain Tiebacks

Don't let stylish coasters gather dust on your coffee table. Put them to work with this pretty curtain tieback project. Remove rubber feet or pads from the coaster with a putty knife, then adhere it to a metal curtain tieback with a high-strength multipurpose epoxy. Let the epoxy dry, install the tieback with a drill and wall anchor, and pull back the curtains.

Painted Chevron Shade

Transform a store-bought Roman shade with just painters tape and a few well-placed lines.

1. Unroll the shade and find the center point of the fabric.
2. Use a triangle shape (we used an artist's triangle) and pencil to trace lines onto the fabric.
3. Use a straightedge to double-check that the chevron stripes are level, then adhere painters tape to the lines and brush on fabric paint.
4. After it's dry, remove the tape and install the shade according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Easy DIY Valance

A valance adds charm to any kitchen without sacrificing window space.

Make your own:

1. Cut a 2x4 to the width of the window.
2. Trim a piece of fabric six inches longer and four inches taller than the desired length.
3. Hem the bottom, then wrap the fabric around the wood and staple it into place.
4. Attach the 2x4 with screws or L brackets.

Another option is to cut fabric to the width of your window, then use fusible tape to fashion a loop at the top and a faux hem at the bottom. To finish, slide the valance onto a curtain rod.

Faux Roman Shades

Fusible tape and a few well-placed tension rods are the secrets to this no-sew Roman shade.

1. Cut fabric one inch wider and four inches longer than the window you're covering.
2. Attach fusible tape to the sides and bottom of the fabric to "hem" in half-inch seams.
3. Repeat on the top, but increase the seam size to one inch, so there's room for a dowel.
4. Mount the dowel, then place tension rods in the window frame at random intervals.
5. Drape the fabric over the rods to mimic a Roman shade's curves.

Trimmed Kitchen Window Panels

Perk up standard curtains with playful fabric edging. This no-sew project is as easy as it gets. Adhere fabric strips to the bottom edge of your curtain with fusible tape. Try this trick on existing curtains, or add trim to store-bought treatments.