Do you have an old lace curtain gathering dust in your wardrobe because you can’t find a place for it in the house? Here’s how to turn it into a caftan or a trendy jacket with just a few snips of the scissors and a bit of sewing!

Hardware

  • An antique lace curtain
  • Sewing scissors
  • Matching ribbon for the curtain
  • Sewing thread to match the curtains
  • A sewing needle
  • A clothes peg
Coloured paper strips and cutting tools for a DIY paper marquetry workshop

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Applying coloured paper strips to a geometric shape for a DIY tutorial

Stage 1

  • Start by washing your curtain carefully. If it has yellowed slightly over time and is made of a natural fibre (cotton, linen, etc.), soak it for a few hours in a basin of lukewarm water with 3 to 4 tablespoons of bicarbonate of soda.
  • Rinse, then wash gently by hand. Depending on the condition of the lace, dry this curtain either flat or hung up in a place out of direct sunlight. UV rays could cause antique lace to become brittle.
Smoothing coloured paper strips with a flat tool in a DIY workshop

Step 2

  • If your curtain is quite old, like mine, which came from my great-grandmother, you might have a few snags to mend. You don’t need to be a lacemaker to repair these signs of wear and tear. Choose a strong thread in a colour that matches your curtain and mend the tears with small stitches. If there are any gaps in the fabric, weave the thread through the lace stitches to fill them in.
Cutting coloured strips of paper with a cutter for a graphic DIY creation

Step 3

  • Fold the curtain in half lengthways and find the centre. Unfold and cut out an oval so that you can fit your head through the centre of the curtain. For my part, I used a combination of existing lace pieces and simply had to cut out an oval shape that was almost in the centre of the curtain.
Gluing decorative paper strips in a DIY marquetry tutorial

Step 4

  • If necessary, stop cutting by placing a strip of bias binding all the way round the oval. To do this, cut a piece of ribbon the length of the circle’s diameter plus 2 cm. Fold the ribbon inwards twice, 1 cm at each end, then fold it in half lengthways. Stitch this folded ribbon to the edge of the circle with small stitches, thereby securing the raw fabric which might otherwise fray.
Graphic composition in strips of coloured paper for a modern DIY creation

Step 5

  • Put the cape-curtain on a dress form or on yourself. Fold the front sides back, wrapping them round your waist. Mark the point where these sides meet with a clothes peg. Check that your arms can move freely, and adjust the height of the connector at the back accordingly.
Tracing and cutting out a coloured paper composition using a ruler and a cutter

Step 6

  • Remove the cape-curtain whilst keeping the clothes peg in place. Cut two 40cm lengths of ribbon and sew a ribbon onto each side, at the point marked by the clothes peg.
Graphic shapes cut from coloured paper for an artistic DIY project

Step 5

  • Put on the caftan. Tie the two ends of the front panels at the back, tightening them as much or as little as you like to achieve your desired fit around your waist.
Final creation in paper marquetry with blue and green graphic motifs

Step 5

  • You can wear this curtain-style garment as a cape or caftan, or cinch it in at the waist with a belt, letting the back panels drape loosely over the front to allow for freedom of movement. Your curtain will then look just like a kimono or a Roaring Twenties jacket!

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