How to Make No Sew Bleached Drop Cloth Curtains
7 Materials
$100
1 Day
Easy
How to Make No-Sew Bleached Drop Cloth Curtains (plus how to bleach drop cloth without the whole house smelling like a pool!)
You guys…I am so excited to share this project with you! When we moved into our house, the one thing I hated was the heavy brown curtains.
Well, five years later they still hang on the curtain rods, taunting me. No more! I have exchanged them for soft, textured, gorgeous drop cloth curtains that would be at home in any farmhouse or cottage.
We searched everywhere for affordable curtain solutions, but our options were either insanely expensive or not quite our style
When my husband came home with a pack of drop cloths for a project, I knew I had found the solution to my curtain dilemma. We could have honestly just taken the drop cloths out of the package and hung them up, but I wanted them to be a little softer and more neutral, so we decided to bleach them first.
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If that says the product is unavailable (it seems to keep changing), you can click here and search “5 ft. 9 in. x 8 ft. 9 in. 8 oz. Canvas Drop Cloth”. It should be the ‘Everbilt’ brand in the blue packaging.
We purchased 6×9 drop cloths. We could have saved a few dollars by using the larger 9×12 drop cloths and cutting them in half, but I am no seamstress and I would have added several sewing hours to my project to save about $10…not worth it!
To prep, I cleaned out 2 large plastic tubs and filled them halfway with water. I added 8 cups of bleach (1/2 gallon) to each tub and stirred.
Then I added two drop cloths to each tub, making sure they were both completely covered and saturated. I used a stick to stir to keep the bleach from irritating my skin.
Once the drop cloths are completely covered in the bleach mixture, allow them to sit for at least 3 hours. I let our drop cloths sit for about 7 hours because of timing and they were perfectly fine.
We strung a line across our back yard (you know, because we’re fancy) to wash out the cloths. Since houses are often power washed with bleach, we decided this very diluted mixture wouldn’t be too bad for our lawn.
We hung each drop cloth on the line, making sure there were no wrinkles. Then we sprayed them to remove the bleach.
Then I cleaned out a third plastic tub, filled it halfway with water, and added some vinegar. I submerged the rinsed out drop cloths in the vinegar mixture to neutralize the bleach. If you skip this step, the bleach may keep working and deteriorate your fabric over time.
After letting it soak in the vinegar mixture, I rung the curtains out and took them to the washing machine. I washed each curtain in a cycle with no detergent, then a cycle with detergent. Then I threw them in the dryer with a dryer sheet.
Then hang them up and enjoy the new brighter, happier home!
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Comments
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2 of 60 comments
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I will try this project! Love the idea! Thanks for sharing. 😁😉
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I clicked on your link for the drop clothes & it said sorry can't be found
Frequently asked questions
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Couldn’t you have bleached. And do the vinegar all in your washing machine. Thanks
You don't have to bleach them, right? I have a couple that I use as throw covers...just the natural color. They soften nicely with normal washing.
What did you use to hang them on the curtain rods?