Lately I’ve been all tied up in knots. Beautiful nautical knots. While planning my curtains for Pollen Proofing my Screened Porch I looked around for some drapery tiebacks online and was surprised at how expensive they can be!
While searching through listings on Etsy I found a set of beautiful soft cotton rope ties that I felt would be perfect for my coastal themed screened porch. However, at almost $50 a pair they were way out of my price range. I didn’t want to end up spending more for the tiebacks than for ALL the drapes combined!
At first I thought I might simply go down to my local hardware store and buy some rope to make my own but the rope they carry is stiff and rough. So after Googling “Cotton Rope” I was led to Knot & Rope Supply and found exactly what I was looking for. I love Internet shopping don’t you?
This is what I ordered and at .61 cents per foot it was an excellent buy!
I love that it is soft to the touch too.
So this is all you need:
- 5/8″ 3-strand cotton rope (about 1 yard per tieback)
- Scissors
- Scotch Tape
And this is the “how to”:
- Cut as many pieces of rope as you will need with scissors. Yes, scissors! The softness of this rope makes it super easy to cut.
2. Wrap cut ends with scotch tape to keep them from fraying. That part comes later.
3. Bring the two ends of your rope together and tie a simple knot, about 6-8″ from the ends of the rope.
4. Remove tape and unravel the ends of your rope. This is the best part!
5. Wrap the tie around your drape, slip the knotted end through the loop, and pull it tight. That’s it! The knubby texture of the rope holds it in place so it won’t slip down your curtain.
Note: These tiebacks were used on drop cloth fabric and have stayed perfectly in place. I’m not sure how it would work on a slipperier fabric.
I made five tiebacks for my porch and spent under $10 dollars for all of them, as opposed to nearly $225 I would’ve spent by purchasing them ready-made online.
Wow! Just WOW! Feeling blessed by God who inspires me in my thriftiness!
Blessings friends,
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Very clever, attractive and creative!
Well, that’s just pretty cool, and thrifty too! Thanks for the inspiration, Patti
Have an awesome week!
Sharon
Those are fabulous! A little bit of ingenuity can save you a fortune.
They are darling Patti! You are such a clever do it yourselfer! Thanks for sharing with SYC.
hugs,
Jann
I love this idea!
Cute look Patti. They look beachy! Thanks for sharing at Home Sweet Home!
Patti, you are so smart! I love the tiebacks–they have a distinctly nautical feel, which I really like! (Have I told you that my oldest son is now an officer in the U.S.Navy?) And they look GREAT on your porch draperies. Well done!
Thanks so much for joining the Grace at Home party. I’m featuring you this week!
Such a great idea, thank you for sharing! You might also be interested in using Curtain Claws to create unique tiebacks – learn more here: https://www.igg.me/at/CurtainClaws
Thank you for both the curtain and tie back post. I have a drop cloth tacked up in our screen porch. We live in the New Mexican desert, and blowing dust storms are my enemy. My husband was sceptical, until we got one of the drop cloths. Two days from now we are scrubbing and then painting our porch. Then the curtains go up. Thank you for showing it can be done.
Yay Anne! It really helps, especially when I remember to close them before OUR wind storms!
I’m disappointed in this tutorial. I used the same website you did and bought my rope. As per your instructions, I purchased 1 yard per tie back. I made two cuts and realized that no way a yard enough to do one tie back. I can’t make a knot 6-8” from the bottom after I put my two ends together. There is hardly enough rope to do that, have fraying room and make a loop around my curtain as you did. I’d say you would need to use at least 2 yards per tie back to make them and have it look like your picture. I’m upset that I’ve wasted a good portion of my rope and have to go back and reorder more rope. Just to ship the rope was almost as much as the rope itself.