We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. Looking to bring some groovy ’70s retro vibes into your home without buying a bunch of new stuff that harms the planet? Back in that era, beaded curtains were everywhere as part of the funky design trend. Good news—you can totally make your own! Grab some plastic bottles and whatever string, twine, or fishing line you’ve got laying around, and you’re golden. Just twist that plastic into coils that shimmer like beads and hang them up over your doorway, and boom—instant ’70s nostalgia. Beyond just looking rad and helping you nail that eco-friendly DIY aesthetic, these curtains can actually do some real work around your home. They’re surprisingly good at keeping flying bugs like flies at bay since insects can’t tell the difference between a solid door and a curtain of thick strings. So if you’re someone who likes to keep exterior doors open in spaces like sun rooms, garden sheds, or kitchens, this is a project worth trying. You’ll need a few tools beyond your plastic bottles and string—think wooden dowel, heat gun, scissors, and something to poke holes with like a hot knife or awl. Feel free to stick with clear bottles for a simple look, or mix in some green and blue tinted ones for extra pizzazz. Once you’ve gathered everything, you’re ready to check out the steps for putting together your own retro ’70s door curtain made from stuff you already have.
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Building a plastic ’70s door curtain
Get started by collecting everything you need. Dig through your recycling bin for plastic bottles, or hit up your neighbors to see if they’ve got any extras. Then scour your craft supplies or fishing gear for some spare twine, string, or line. Following along with creator Ubunifu Kona’s YouTube tutorial, cut each plastic bottle into one long, unbroken strip. Wrap each strip around your wooden dowel, one at a time. Use heat to melt the plastic so it forms a nice tight coil around the dowel. A heat gun works great for this. Just keep it away from your skin, obviously. Hold up your coils in the doorway as you go to figure out how many more you’ll need to fill the whole opening.
When you’ve made enough coils, grab your hot knife or awl and poke a hole right at the top of each one. Use your scissors to trim off the bottom of each coil to get rid of any rough, jagged bits. Then thread your string or fishing line through the holes in each coil—if your string is thick, you can always make the hole bigger. Space them out evenly by attaching them to a long, flat piece of plastic and mount the whole thing in your doorway.
