Things You'll Need
Curtain rod or tension rod, sized to fit the doorway
Mono-filament nylon, strong enough to support the weight of the beads
Paper
Beads
Crimp beads or tubes (optional)
Beaded door curtains are a fun way to divide one room from another without completely obscuring the view of either room. The designs can be quite complex but the actual construction is fairly simple.
Step 1
Plan the design for your curtain. The plan should include a repetitive pattern of different shaped or colored beads. Only use five or six different colors or shapes to keep the finished curtain from looking too busy.
Video of the Day
Step 2
Cut the mono-filament nylon into lengths to fit your pattern. When measuring the lengths, you need to add at least a foot to the desired finished length of the curtain, to allow space for securing the beads at the bottom and fastening the string to the rod at the top. If you plan to leave spaces between the beads, each line will need to be approximately one and a half times the desired finished length, unless you are going to use a crimp bead or tube between each one.
Step 3
Begin stringing the beads. Select the first bead for your first string and slide it on to the nylon, leaving at least 2 inches of nylon string below the bead. Fold this piece of nylon back up so that it is next to the rest of the strand and either tie a secure knot or thread a crimp bead onto both pieces of the line and crimp to secure the bead.
Step 4
Continue adding beads to your string following the pattern you laid out. If you have planned for spaces between your beads and you are using crimp beads, you will need to place a crimp bead on the strand before you place each bead. Be sure to crimp the crimp bead before you place the next bead in the pattern onto the strand, this way it will act as a stopper and keep the bead from sliding down the strand. If you have planned for spaces between your beads and are not using crimp beads, you will need to double back through each bead so that the individual beads are on their own loops of nylon on the string.
Step 5
Fasten the strand it to the rod you will use to hang the curtain after your strand has reached the desired length. You can loop it over the rod and tie a secure knot, such as a double half-hitch, or use a crimp bead to secure the strand by threading the crimp bead on, looping the strand over the rod and back through the crimp bead before crimping it.
Step 6
Repeat steps 3 through 5 until you have completed and hung the desired number of strands for your curtain. Secure the rod in the doorway and your beaded door curtain is finished.
Tip
You can create pictures with the pattern on your beaded curtain by using pony beads and planning out the picture on graph paper or using ready-made cross-stitch or needlepoint patterns.
Test out the length of your first completed strand before continuing with making your curtain, as you may find that it is longer or shorter than you intended and you will need to adjust your design or strand lengths accordingly.
Video of the Day