Have you ever walked into a beautifully designed room, looked around, and squealed, “Oh my goodness, I just LOVE those curtain tiebacks! They make the entire room!”
Um, no. You haven’t. Neither has anyone, ever.
And when you are on as strict of a budget as I have been, that’s pretty much the last thing you want to spend money on. It’s completely nuts that you could easily spend $20–$30 on curtain holdbacks for every window in your house! Nooo thank you.
Luckily, there are so many ways to make super cheap and easy DIY curtain tie backs. Some of them only take a few minutes and you might even have all the supplies you need in your house already!
Here are 18 DIY curtain tieback ideas for a variety of styles (including the ones I made on a whim from things in my junk drawer back in 2018):
18 Easy Curtain Tie Back Ideas
Psssst, you’ll notice that many of these ideas are inspired by products from Etsy. I chose ideas that are clearly DIY-able, although some of the options are really affordable if you fall in love with them. I also happen to have an Etsy shop with fun t-shirt & coffee mugs… but we’ll talk about that later. 🙃
1. Ribbon & Hairclip Tiebacks
THINGS ARE ABOUT TO GET INTENSE OVER HERE.
LOL no. This is basically a joke of a tutorial.
Figuring this out was pretty much an accident. In 2018, my daughter was only 2 years old, and I had ZERO dollars to spend on her room. One day I found a few ribbons in her room and some flower hair clips that would never stay in her hair… and my idea was born.
Here are the step by step instructions:
- Find a Command hook–any Command hook
- Stick the command hook on your wall beside your curtain
- If you’re using a ribbon, tie little loops on both ends of your ribbon.
- Hang/Tie one loop on your hook, wrap it around your curtain, and put the other loop on the hook.
And you have…. BRAND NEW CURTAIN TIEBACKS!
Since I had literally done this in about 17 seconds, I even used a different hair clip for the other curtain–and it was still cute! It showed me how creative I could really be with what I already had.
2. Command Hook + Necklace Chain
A few years later, I was in a different house but needing a similar solution for the same curtain in my daughter’s room. I happened to find a random gold chain in her room–whyyyyy do I find so much random stuff in my kids rooms?!I used one of these clear command hooks that I had on hand and wrapped the chain necklace around it… and look how elegant and subtle!
Projects like these are my absolute favorite, because they are insanely quick, cheap, and easy, and the options are endless. You could get cheap necklaces from garage sales, the dollar store, or thrift stores and make a unique, special, AFFORDABLE curtain holdback for every window in your home.
Related: 12+ Best & Most Unique Blanket Storage Ideas (that actually work for real people)
3. Leather Belt
Have an old leather belt somewhere? Repurpose it!
4. DIY Leather Curtain Holdbacks
If you don’t want to use a belt, get leather strips at a craft store, cut with a pair of scissors, and make something like this… BAM.
Leather options: Brown leather (Michael’s) | Handmade leather (Amazon) | Thin leather cord (Amazon)
Goodness this is beautiful! You can easily make a different style with a different type of leather. Here’s another example from @underkini on Etsy… truly beautiful.
5. Pom Poms & Yarn
Add some personality with colorful curtain tiebacks made out of pom poms! These could be made from yarn, or you could buy pom poms and glue them to strings.
Colorful mini pom poms (Target) | Neutral pom poms (Michael’s) | Colorful assorted pom poms (Amazon) | Pom pom trim (Etsy)
This is especially great if you want bright, modern curtain holdbacks or to add personality to bare windows. This could also be a fun way to include your kids in the process and show them how they can be stylish and express their own unique style without spending a bunch of money or always buying something new.
Or, you could even make custom colors with yarn and a pom pom maker.
3. Tassels
Tassels are another way to add texture to your curtains and windows. You can buy tassels, but they’re also extremely easy to make with yarn or so many other natural materials like jute, string, even leather.
I took a stab at this myself… ultimately I couldn’t nail down a color scheme I really loved, but it only took me an hour to make all of these and they did the job for a long time! I may try again in my new home.
7. Macrame Cord
Are you starting to see how these ideas evolve quickly? My ADHD is getting reeeeal carried away here…
I mean, macrame is just pretty. And it’s so simple! It can also go with almost any style, from antique to modern to neutral… it’s so versatile. This simple macrame cord with the textured linen curtains is just simple and stunning.
You can make these macrame leaves with some simple cording and tutorials online, or you can get kits to make your own.
Supplies/kits: Macrame cording (Michael’s) | Macrame kit from (Amazon)
8. Macrame Feathers
You can also make a completely different type of macrame and have something cool like this:
Here’s a macrame feather kit (Amazon) that would walk you through it!
9. Braided Yarn
This example is a random one I found online, and I especially love it because you don’t even have to look up a tutorial. You can just grab whatever yarn or string you have and make a braid and some knots…. And wa-la!
This is very similar to what I made in my last house. To make it functional, you add a hook to the wall (a screw hook or command hook, doesn’t matter), and tie one end of the yarn on the hook. On the other end of the yarn, tie it with a loop, so you can simply pull the curtain back and hang both ends on the curtain. This picture shows how easy it is to make it all blend in and NOT look as cheap as it really is.
6. Rope
Rope is another really interesting material that could add a very unique finishing touch to your window treatments. You could add some sailor knots like this one, combine a few different sizes of ropes/jute, or simply tie one around your curtain to let the light in through the window.
This can end up looking/feeling nautical or even have a casual western look. You could even use simple twine! I could see this being an especially great idea in a boy’s room.
Jute rope (Amazon) | Twine (Amazon) | Rope (Lowe’s)
11. Wooden Beads
Wooden beads are a really popular decor & design element in a lot of ways that I don’t understand. But I do understand using them for curtains–and it’s probably one of my favorites on this list.
This design could fit a variety of decorative room styles and color schemes, and would be great for heavier curtains. It’s hard to imagine a space where wooden beads WOULDN’T make a beautiful curtain holdback.
12. Colorful or Assorted Beads
If wooden beads aren’t your favorite choice for tiebacks, use any other kinds of beads! I chose the next two photos because they show just how differently beads can be used. The first example is very bold and graphic and colorful–even with the tassels hanging at different lengths. The second one is more elegant, beachy, and uses light neutrals to contrast the dark curtain.
The point is that your options are LIMITLESS.
Look for wooden beads or simple colored beads at any craft store, or get specialty beads from places like Etsy, eBay, or local art shows. Here are a few favorites of mine:
Wooden beads (Michael’s) | Cylindrical Wood Beads (Amazon) | Blue Sea Sediment Jasper Beads (Etsy) | Natural Mixed Stone Gemstone Beads (Etsy)
Plus–the curtain tiebacks shown in this image cost $101, y’all. ONE HUNDRED AND ONE DOLLARS.
Absolutely not. This is why we DIY, people. (Well, also because I have a pathological need to create, but you get it.)
13. Fake Flowers
So this idea is essentially what I did with my original DIY curtain tiebacks. However, I happened to use hair clips, you can use fake flowers.
I love this idea because, well, if you’ve ever been to a craft store, you know how many different types of faux flowers there are. You’ll be able to find ANY size, shape, color, or fabric to suit your window treatments.
Faux Queen Anne’s Lace (World Market) | Artificial roses (Amazon) | Floral stems & picks (Michael’s)
Here are just a couple examples of different styles of this:
14. Faux Greenery
You can add onto that fake flower idea by using faux greenery! This photo example isn’t actually my favorite, but your girl is obsessed with fake succulents and eucalyptus and anything I don’t need to keep alive. I could imagine it being beautiful!
15. DIY Felt Flowers
Okay, technically these still fall under the “fake flowers” umbrella, but I’m separating them because you can DIY your own felt flowers.
Felt sheets are LESS THAN A DOLLAR. And you can get felt flower templates for free on Pinterest or from a seller on Etsy. But if you want to just buy felt flowers, that’s a great option too.
Felt flowers (Amazon) | Felt flower garland (Michael’s)
16. Simple Ribbon Bow
I found this one, and it was too pretty not to include. This silk ribbon tied into a bow on top of the sheer drapes is just so simple and so stunning. This would be perfect for a girl’s room or just any feminine space–and so cheap and easy!
17. Wall Hooks
Have you ever gone to Hobby Lobby and just looked through all the hardware for 20 minutes even if you didn’t have a need for it?
Oh, just me? Never mind.
…But seriously, there are so many fun, cute, and unique wall hooks at craft stores and online. You could just turn them 90 degrees and suddenly… you have a beautiful curtain holdback! Of course, you’d have to make sure the hook you get is big enough to hold your window dressing–so take your curtain fabric into account.
There are literally thousands of options, but here are just a few examples of hooks that I think could be easily used as amazing and unique curtain tie backs:
- Brown branch wall hook (Hobby Lobby)
- Simple matte black large hook (Lowe’s)
- Wooden mounted coat hooks (Amazon)
18. Vintage Doorknob
Okay, this one is last because it may not be one that you have lying around your house. However, it is STUNNING.
And I actually do have two vintage doorknobs in my house! Do I know where they are right now? No. But as soon as I find them… I know what I’m doing with them!
If you don’t have any of these around but love this look, you can look around on eBay, Facebook marketplace, and sometimes Etsy.
Or, you can actually buy doorknobs like this that are brand new–but of course that won’t have the vintage feel. There are always ways to disguise that, though!
Glass door knobs (Home Depot) | Antique door knob (Etsy)
If you’re trying to find a DIY solution to tie back your curtains, I hope this has given you plenty of ideas. I honestly want to try every idea on this list–so if you want a tutorial for one of them, find me on Instagram or TikTok and let me know. I can’t wait to hear from you!
More related posts:
Pssst, I’ve made some pretty fun t-shirts for people who like my content–or for great gifts! Check out my designs in my Etsy shop Black Door Fits!
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