Dupatta Curtains

True to my global style, I can’t get curtains from Bed, Bath & Beyond at the shopping center outside our neighborhood. No, that’s too close! Do you know what’s perfect for curtains? Dupattas. Dupattas, if you’re not familiar with them, are like long wide scarves or lightweight shawls. They’re worn by women in India as part of clothing, usually with churidars which are like long tunics. Here’s a dupatta from Jaypore, made from silk and handwoven and hand block printed:

Couldn’t you see this as a fun curtain? It could be in a boho style room, or a curtain for a girl’s bedroom.

Dupattas are shorter than saris. Dupattas can be around 80-90 inches while saris are often 6 feet or more in length. While you can cut a sari to curtain length, a single dupatta is usually already a perfect length to hang as a curtain. Just back the dupatta with a cotton fabric to block sunshine from degrading the dupatta fabric and any color dyes, and you have curtains! While you’re sewing a cotton backing onto it, you can add a pocket for a rod at the top, or install grommets for a rod, or hang with rings. It’s very easy to convert a dupatta to a curtain.

I’ve been on the hunt for a long time for the perfect dupatta to make cafe curtains for our master bedroom. And I found it at Jaypore:

Yes the dupatta is a bit sheer, but as I said above, you will want to add a lining to protect it from the sun. This will soon be cut and sewn into curtains, and of course the DIY post will be coming soon!

Meanwhile, there’s a large selection of beautiful dupatta on Jaypore right now so I’ll share a few more to get your creative curtain visions going. Because I was inspired to get many more dupatta but chose only one. So please, someone, buy the rest so there’s no temptation. :)

At a generous 100 inches in length, this would make a subtle patterned curtain for a tall window or tall ceiling. It’s a Maheshwari cotton silk dupatta, handwoven by master craftsmen and block printed by hand using Khari technique (I think these might all be one-of-a-kind so while they’re available today as I link to them, no promises about availability tomorrow!):

A modern leaf pattern on organic silk, this would make a bold graphic statement when paired with mid century modern furnishings:

I see this silk dupatta textile hanging in a sunny bohemian breakfast nook:

This cotton-silk dupatta is so unique – I challenge you to find something like this in any curtain department:

How about add a little dash of India style to a beachy decor vibe? It’s possible with a blue dupatta like this. The lightweight silk would fly on the breeze of open windows in the summer:

Finally, florals hand-painted on silk, from India but perfect on windows overlooking an English cottage garden:

I hope this shows you just a taste of the range of colors and patterns on dupatta textiles. You can also find vintage and new dupatta on eBay and Etsy, as well as online stores that sell Indian clothing.