DIY kitchen cabinets – this super easy hack can be done in an hour

Looking to DIY kitchen cabinets? No paint, no mess, this simple idea will give your kitchen a cheap but very stylish update, in a hurry

DIY kitchen cabinets
(Image credit: China Cooper)

So what are these super easy DIY kitchen cabinets you bring me (we hear you scream)? Well folks, the answer is, drumroll please... curtains. Hear us out. If your kitchen cabinet doors are so beyond saving, that even paint can't improve them, then just take them off. Chop them up, use them as firewood, take them to a recycling centre, just get rid (in the most eco-friendly way possible obviously) and replace them with curtains!

Maybe it will take pictures to demonstrate just how cool and rustic this can look, so keep scrolling to get a better picture of what we are talking about and how to create the really easy look yourself. For more kitchen ideas, head to our full gallery and check our more kitchen cabinet ideas too.  

It’s your turn to wash up! 📷 Darren Chung Period Living

A photo posted by @period_living on Oct 9, 2017 at 9:28am PDT

You will need: 

Step one: measure for your 'curtains'

Measure the height and width of your kitchen cabinets and add on an extra 10cm to the width so you can create pleats in your curtain and add on an extra 10cm to the height so you can create a loop at the top and hem the bottom. 

Use a pencil or dressmakers chalk to mark out the measurements on your fabric and then cut out the shape. 

Step two: create the loops for your curtain wire

Create a loop to thread the curtain wire through by folding the top of your fabric back on itself and using fabric glue to hold it. If you are nifty with a sewing machine you could use that instead. 

Step three: hem your curtains 

You can hem the bottom of your curtains using fabric glue too, just fold up a small section at the bottom and glue to down to create a neat, clean line. 

Step four: thread the curtain wire through the curtain

Use the width of your kitchen cabinet to cut the curtain wire to the size you need, then thread it through the top loop.

Step five: hang your curtains 

If you buy a curtain wire kit that uses adhesive rather than screws, just follow the really easy instructions that will come with the kit. And then just hook up your curtains, arrange them so they hang nicely and voila! So easy, so effective. 

Read more: 

Hebe Hatton

Hebe joined the Real Homes team in early 2018 as Staff Writer before moving to the Livingetc team in 2021 where she took on a role as Digital Editor. She loves boho and 70's style and is a big fan of Instagram as a source of interiors inspiration. When she isn't writing about interiors, she is renovating her own spaces – be it wallpapering a hallway, painting kitchen cupboards or converting a van.

Latest in Kitchens
Alicia Silverstone wearing a black blazer, standing in front of a white background with black writing on it
Alicia Silverstone’s kitchen is a masterclass in nostalgiacore — designers adore its “simplicity and coziness”
Breakfast nook in kitchen
7 breakfast nook ideas for a relaxing start to the day
Three pictures of fridgescaping fridges - one close-up with fresh vegetables in a woven basket, one with shelves filled with bowls and vases, and one with fresh fruit on shelves
Say hello to fridgescaping — the kitchen trend that will “romanticize your life”
rustic pink kitchen with chequerboard floor
7 rustic kitchen ideas that bring back timeless charm to the heart of your home
A white retro mini fridge on a purple circle with a purple wavy background behind it
This countertop mini fridge from Amazon is perfect for dorm dwellers and so on-trend
Kitchen with wooden island and marble countertop
8 cozy kitchen ideas - how to make your space feel warm and inviting
Latest in Design
Breakfast nook in kitchen
7 breakfast nook ideas for a relaxing start to the day
rustic pink kitchen with chequerboard floor
7 rustic kitchen ideas that bring back timeless charm to the heart of your home
Freestanding bath, green tiles
Small en suite bathroom ideas - 10 stylish solutions for a compact space
Pink living room with gray sofa
8 pink living room ideas – liven up your space with this joyful color
Three pictures of fall colors - a living room with a gray armchair and cream walls, a mustard yellow entryway with a wooden rolling cart, and a sage green bedroom with a patterned bed and purple light
Colors to decorate with in fall — 5 gorgeous shades designers love
brown kitchen cabinet kitchen with wood cabinets, fluted sink, brown walls, open shelving, glazed lower cabinets
9 brown kitchen cabinet ideas that will introduce you to this versatile color