Get Rid Of Your Boring Curtain Tiebacks: Use Old Teacups To Add Vintage Flair

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Whether you have a few hidden away in the back of a kitchen cabinet or love admiring them whenever you visit a thrift store, old teacups have a vintage flair reminiscent of the tableware featured in your favorite Victorian children's storybook. Instead of keeping all that pretty china hidden away or using old teacups to make charming DIY planters, why not repurpose them into curtain tiebacks? They'll add so much more character to your windows than those boring tiebacks you currently have. You simply drill out the base of the teacup, hang it on a hook near the window frame, and thread the curtain through.

For this project, you'll need one vintage teacup for each curtain you want to secure, as well as a cup hook for each teacup. The cups don't have to match, so this is the perfect way to use those mismatched ones in your cupboard. While a small chip in any of the teacups won't be a problem, avoid cups with even the slightest crack, as they will probably break when you drill out the base. Check that the handle is securely attached, too. You'll also need a drill with a diamond hole saw bit. On top of that, you might want some wall anchors to mount the cup hooks to if there are no handy studs near your window frames. To give these tiebacks a vintage or bohemian look, why not source some decorative cup hooks? These stylish Xhipy Vintage Metal Wall Hooks far surpass their plainer counterparts.

While this project isn't difficult, you might need to practice drilling a hole in the base of a delicate teacup. Before you even start to drill, put on some eye protection and safety gloves. Estimate how large you need to make the hole by bunching up the curtain you want to tie back and measuring the circumference of the bunched-up fabric. Cover the base of the teacup with masking tape to strengthen it and then mark out the circle on top. This should help to prevent cracking while providing a guide.

Put the cup upside down on a firm bench or table that you've covered with a soft towel. You also want to have a bottle of cold water handy. Make sure your drill is fitted with a diamond hole saw bit, which is normally a power tool attachment you need on hand for tile projects. This Semderm Diamond Hole Saw Drill Bit would work well. Pour some cold water onto the base of the cup to prevent it from heating up, then start drilling!

Hold the drill bit at an angle at first, straightening it up as you work. It might be a good idea to start with a small hole and increase the size in stages. Don't push on the drill; just let the teeth of the saw bit cut into the base of the teacup on their own. Keep adding more cold water as you're working and go as slowly as you need to. If you don't have a drill bit large enough for the hole you need, you can use a hammer and nail to carefully enlarge the hole. If you use this method, submerge the cup completely in a basin of water.

Once you've drilled holes in the bases of all the teacups you want to use, bunch up each curtain and slide it through the hole in a cup. The teacup should be right-side up. Make sure you do this carefully because the cups can be quite delicate. Now, hold the teacup in various spots on the wall beside the window frame to see where it will create the prettiest visual effect. Mark your favorite location; this is where you'll attach a cup hook to hang the teacup. Attach the cup hook to the wall using screws and a wall anchor if needed. Then all that's left to do is to place the handle of the cup over the hook, and your quirky new tie-back is finished!

It may be necessary to adjust the angle of the hook so that there's no danger of the modified teacup falling off and possibly shattering on the floor. If you're worried about how secure a teacup is on its hook, you could always tie a pretty ribbon around the handle and then tie this ribbon onto the hook as well. Looking for more crafting projects? If you've collected more vintage drinkware than you have curtains in your home, there are plenty of other clever ways to repurpose old teacups around the house: hanging planters, bird feeders, pincushions, and more.