Curtain made from Vintage Hankies and Scarves shown with Vintage Dresser and Accessories for a Shabby Chic Look

My daughter loves the Shabby Chic look and recently made a beautiful Shabby Chic Curtain from vintage hankies and scarves for her bedroom closet in the off-campus apartment she’ll be moving into this fall. This is just one of several upcycle projects we have completed this summer to help fill her new apartment with a lovely, eclectic mix of furniture and decorations.

She only made the one curtain (to use as a closet door), but, of course, you can easily make a set or any size depending on your decorating needs. All you need to do is collect enough vintage handkerchiefs and/or scarves to cover the size curtains you need.

We visited several antique shops and flea markets over the summer to create quite a varied collection. We found several vintage hankies at one of our favorite local antique shops, Aunt Arties Antique Mall of New Albany, Indiana. This is a great place to shop if you are in the area. They have lots of vendors and a rough room on the third floor where you can always find some great deals.

Our summer road trip took us down to Asheville, NC, where we stopped to do a bit of shopping at the Antique Tobacco Barn. This antique mall, voted the best place to buy antiques in Western North Carolina, is absolutely amazing with over 77,000 sq. ft. of space. We picked up a few scarves and were on our way.

We found wonderful treasures outside and in at Charms Antiques, Collectibles and Tea Room in Ellenton, FL.

In Florida, we did a bit of hanging out at the beach, visiting family, and shopping for more antiques, hankies and scarves. We loved Emiline’s Antiques and Collectibles Mall in Palmetto, FL. These folks are so friendly and we found several treasures at great prices, including some wonderful vintage handkerchiefs to add to our growing collection.

Another one of our absolute favorite shops was Charms of Leffingwell Antiques, Collectibles and Tea Room. This 100+ year old victorian home located in Ellenton, Florida, is truly charming to say the least.

The owner, Bobbie, was so wonderful and invited us to come back for tea on our next visit. We purchased several vintage handkerchiefs and some lovely jewelry and plan to go back on our next visit south.

Once home, Dallyn started the process of assembling her curtain. Using an inexpensive curtain panel in a neutral color as her base (purchased at our local Target store), she began laying out her hankies and scarves until she was pleased with the design.

Laying Out the Vintage Hankies and Scarves on Curtain Panel

The layout is something you will just have to play around with. It’s a bit like putting together a puzzle, but you can overlap the pieces to get it the way you want.

Shabby Chic Curtain Laid Out and Ready to Pin

Once you are pleased with your layout, just pin the hankies and scarves to the panel and sew in place. Sewing them in place was the trickiest part as you must be careful of all the pins!

Shabby Chic Curtain with Vintage Handkerchiefs and Scarves Pinned in Place

Finished Shabby Chic Curtain Made from Vintage Handkerchiefs and Scarves

The final result is a truly one-of-a-kind curtain that is also a work of art! Soon this curtain, along with my daughter will be moving into their new home!
 
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