How to Sew Curtains

If you, like me, love to spread out in your sofa and watch TV in the utmost comfort of your jammies, then you can't let the outside world have a glimpse into your personal space. You need good quality curtains to lend you privacy inside the four walls of your home. Curtains have become the need of the hour in this space-crunched neighborhoods.

Somehow the store-bought curtains fail to add the right color to your room or just end up being too short for your windows. That means, your hard-earned money is down the drain. Draping the windows and doors of your home is an important feature of home decor. That's why, you should buy curtain fabrics and make drapes for the windows yourself.

Yes, sewing curtains is not only easy, it's also fun! Moreover, you save some moolah too. So, it's time to dust off your sewing machine and put your rusty sewing skills to good use. If you are worrying that you have forgotten about sewing, then you can practice on an old cloth before trying your hand at the real thing.

After mustering enough confidence in your ability to tailor, now you must find out what kind of fabric you want to drape your windows.

Needless to say, there are numerous fabrics in the market that will look good on your windows. However, the decision of choosing the curtain fabric should depend on the kind of effect you want to create in your room. Silk, cotton, sheer, linen, synthetic blends, tapestry or voile can be used alone or in combination with other fabrics to produce a light and breezy or heavy and formal impression of the room.

Things Needed

• Curtain Fabric
• Lining Material
• Needle and Thread
• Curtain Hooks
• Light Marker
• Measuring Tape
• Sewing Machine 

Any person with basic knowledge of needle work can make good quality curtains in no time. It is always considered wise to take the window measurements with you, when you are going to choose the fabrics for your curtains. Using a measuring tape, measure and note the height and width of the window frame from end to end.

You can also utilize old clothes to make colorful curtains by doing some patchwork. Have a rough sketch in your mind about how you want the final look to be, so that the fabric can be chosen and sewn accordingly. Visualize how long you want your finished curtains to be, and then add extra inches needed for the sewing work.

Step 1: After you decide on a pattern for your curtain, mark the point from where the cutting has to be done with a marker. Use a light marker, in case you need to make changes in the markings.

Step 2: If you are planning to sew curtains for French doors or French windows, remember that the curtains will open in the middle. So, you need to cut the fabric in two equal pieces. While cutting, keep in mind to leave an inch or two space extra along the edges for the hems. If it is an ordinary door or window or if you want a one-piece curtain, you can let the fabric material as it is.

Step 3: If you want to sew lining at the back to make the curtains thick, then cut the lining material of the same length as that of the curtain pieces and pin them together with their plain or non-printed sides facing each other. Now machine-sew the two materials together at the border on a sewing machine, very close to the edges. If you do not want lining material for your curtains, skip this and follow the next step.

Points to Remember

Take the measurements of your windows carefully. Preferably more than once in order to be sure about its accuracy.

If you are new at sewing, then stick to a simple pattern of curtain. You may take the help of a friend for this task or buy ready-made curtain fabrics and customize it according to your needs.

Your lining material should be longer than or equal to your outer curtain fabric so that you don't have to go through the hassles of joining two pieces of lining material together.

If you have chosen a sheer fabric for your draperies, then make sure that it is double the width of your window. In case of heavy materials for curtain, less fabric is required. Just make sure it is more than the width of the window.

For a lighter weight fabric like organza or organdy, make a point to have enough fabric for the hem as sheer fabric curtains need a heavier hem for it to stay in its place.

Step 4: Fold the edges at least half inch backwards (towards the non-printed side) along three sides and hem sew it on the sewing machine, keeping one short side without stitches.

If you want to add drapery weights at the lower end of the curtain, then leave the other short side without stitches as well. You can also do hand hem if you are good at stitching with hands.

Step 5: Now depending on the curtain rod you have, you can have hooks for your curtains or you can make a continuous loop by folding the top portion of the curtain backwards and sewing it. However, prior to stitching, roll the top part of the curtain around the rod and make the markings so that the rod can slide in it easily.

Step 6: If you want hooks for the curtains, there are two alternatives; one of ready-made hooks and other of the hooks made from curtain cloth by using buttons. Ready-made plastic or steel hooks are available in the market. For buttons hooks, go to next step.

Step 7: For making buttons hooks, you may need extra fabric material for cutting out the straps from it. Cut equal-sized straps. The number of straps will depend on the width of the curtains. Sew buttons at one end of it. Now sew these straps on the non-printed side of the curtain at equal intervals.

Step 8: Make buttonholes at the top edge of the curtain according to the size of the straps and dimensions of the buttons. By adjusting the position of the buttonholes, you can adjust the height of the curtain from the ground.

Step 9: When stitching the bottom end, sew the drapery weights on the non-printed side, very close to the edge. After sewing the weights throughout the length, fold the lower edge backwards and sew it appropriately.

People usually purchase curtains from upholstery shops and miss out on some or the other characteristics like good design or quality. They get to select from a limited range and consequently are forced to compromise on a few essential features of curtains.

By making your own curtains, you can escape from the limited options and customize your window draperies as per your wishes and in the process, also save a little money. You can also make your windows as dressy as possible and match it with the rest of the home decor.