Updated at: 22-09-2022 - By: Sienna Lewis

I’ve been putting off writing about curtains for weeks. All because my sister requested that I create a post on how to properly hang curtain rods for her window treatments. Is there a way I can write on a topic that’s been covered before but with my own twist? Because I didn’t feel linked to the topic, I couldn’t write on how often to change your curtains.

My curtains came to me while I was out getting donuts and coffee on the spur of the moment. When it came to curtain hanging, I was no expert. Just like my grandmother and great-grandmother, I put up curtains at the beginning and end of each season.

I’ve been doing it all incorrectly, according to Google! Then I remembered that if I want to hang the curtains correctly, I’ll need to buy new ones. Yikes! For the curtains in my living room, I invested a few hundred dollars, but it took me years to accumulate the ones I have now. Spending that much money again is a hassle. Then it dawned on me! Known as “Resourceful Nikki,” I have a talent for finding inventive solutions to problems. I was born with it! This topic covered everything from “how to hang curtains” to “how often to change curtains” to “how to stretch your curtains” without going broke. To begin, let’s speak about how to hang curtains correctly.

The Right Way to Hang Curtains

Have you ever been doing your own thing and enjoying the peace and quiet of your life until someone points out a flaw? You can’t even look at it anymore? For me, curtains were like that. For a while now, I’ve been savoring the look of my curtains in my own home. Since they were just drapes, all I had to do was make sure they covered the window and wham, instant privacy. My sister’s simple query sparked a trip in which I was compelled to look at my curtains. My room now looks like it has a blemish on it. It was the only room in my house without curtains where I could compose this post, so that I could avoid seeing my blunders. To be honest, I’d want to take my curtains out and start over, but my frugal side won’t allow me to spend any more money.

3 Easiest Steps on How to Lengthen Curtains Without Sewing - Krostrade

Rule of Thumb

The following is the universally agreed-upon general rule of thumb for hanging curtains:

  • Install the curtain rod 4 to 6 inches (10.1 to 15.7 centimeters) above the top of the window.
  • Purchase a rod that extends 8 to 12 inches beyond the window. That’s about 4 to 6 inches on each side.
  • One to two inches of drooping curtain length is ideal.

Even though my draperies aren’t puddled, I’m not going to give up!

Give Yourself A Brake

There is no need to panic if you’ve already hung or purchased curtains. Besides, I’m speaking to myself. In order to learn, you must be patient with yourself when things don’t go according to plan.

One room will be my starting point. For the windows in my living room, I plan to start by getting new curtains. By doing this twice a year, I’ll soon be able to tackle the entire house without going into debt.

Nikki, what are you going to do with the old drapes? This is a good one. I’m going to neatly fold them up and keep them in my storage unit in case I need them later. The curtains might be used as a curtain to divide a room, a video backdrop, or even as a drop cloth for a school project. I’m hoping to locate a friend who needs matching curtains. When the time comes, you’ll know just what to do with your curtains. Extra drapes imply more duty for the owner. Lol, that’s what I came up with for the Spiderman catchphrase.

In the meanwhile, I had to come up with some temporary solutions for the problem of short curtains. Because I’m a tall woman, this got me thinking about the difficulties I’ve had in the past trying to buy pants. For tall girls who fit into a size 0, there were few options for long pants when I was younger. As far as my mother Mama Resourceful was concerned, it appeared that only the most expensive designers were capable of making pants for me. Wearing boots disguised the shortness, allowing the hemline fall, or adding extra fabric to the leg length. While you wait for your curtains to be replaced, you can use these identical procedures to mend your curtains that are too short.

Ideas On How To Lengthen Curtains

Option 1: Block Your Curtains

Yes, you read that correctly. Adjust the height of your curtains if your couch is in front of them and voilà! In other words, it’s like covering off your short shins by donning a tall boot. Keep that couch in place and I’ll remember not to wear my high-water pants without boots!

Option 2: Undo The Hem

The bottom hem of most curtains is two inches wide. Remove the hem using a seam ripper. There is only one inch of hem on my dress, Nikki. Did you look at the other end of the cable? Occasionally, the longer hem of the curtain gets hung up. If not, then make do with the hem you already have on hand. It’s better to have some length than none at all.

To finish sealing the hem, apply double-sided bonding tape.

Option 3: Add Some Extra Fabric to the Bottom

Nikki, I’m not familiar with this. Sewing is beyond my capabilities. It doesn’t matter whether you don’t know how to sew or if you just don’t want to sew. I’m thinking of using fabric glue for this. Hide the seam between the panel and the new length with a rope or lace accent.

Grommet or eyelet-and-fabric curtains can be made longer by simply sewing on more fabric (loops and holes for us non-curtainistas). Even if I let the hem of my dining room curtains drop 2 inches, they will still be too short.

It’s possible to use ribbon if you don’t have enough of the curtain fabric you need. The process is quick and painless. I utilized a gorgeous silver braided trim to disguise the fusing of the seam, as shown in the photographs on the right side of this page. For sheer curtains, you can use any color of trim, including lace. Before my fabric glue was applied, I took these photos. My preferred method of determining whether a piece of furniture or decor will fit in my room is to pin it together first. Check out my tutorial on how to mix and match colors if you need help picking a color for your ribbon hem.

Option 4: Use Curtain Clip Rings

This is definitely the best suggestion I can think of right now. Make certain that the 2″ rings and clips you buy match the color of your curtain rod. They add instant length and can be worn with a lowered hem as well. My curtain was ripped to shreds when my son jumped off the couch and slammed against it. Maybe he got tired of seeing my curtains hung incorrectly and decided to do something about it. I’ll show you how to extend the drapes, Mommy,” he probably thought. So you can correct it, I’ll take them down!” The man was correct. He’s one of the main reasons I’m determined to get around to mending my curtains as soon as possible. It’s because of you, son, that I’ve improved.

This is Your House and Your Dreams

“I am my house, and my house is me. My house is a happy place for me, and it resembles all I’ve imagined it to.” In the book “The Big Orange Spot,” authored by Daniel Manus Pinkwater, Mr. Plumbean declares. It’s a children’s book, but it discusses the importance of being unique and not comparing yourself to others. It’s entirely up to you how and when you decide to extend your drapes. Regardless of what others are doing, don’t feel compelled to alter your curtain length all at once. Allow yourself some time to complete this task! And they are just short-term remedies to help you get closer to the home of your dreams!

How to Lengthen Curtains that are too short

Are you thinking of getting longer drapes? Do you prefer one choice over the other? Is there anything else you can think of? Please share this page if you know someone who needs help with their curtains! Wishing you all the best in your creative endeavors!

How Long Should My Curtains Be?

There are three “best practices” when it comes to curtain length.

It is possible to use curtains in two ways:

The hammock should be suspended at a height barely above the floor (within an inch of the floor)

Scuff the floor (JUST touch or kiss it)

A puddle on the ground

Because neither of the previous two options significantly alters the room’s appearance, I don’t give a damn if my curtains are an inch or two above the floor.

Option 2, with the carpet skimming the floor, provides the HIGHEST degree of personalization. Curtains that look like they were custom-made for the space give the impression that a professional interior designer was on site.

Don’t worry if you can’t get them this good. If your drapes are just a few inches above the floor, no one will notice.

It’s hard to go wrong with floor-length curtains, and the last option is the most opulent and luxurious of the bunch. It’s stunning, but it’s unlikely to be achieved with any of the lengthening techniques I’ll cover in this article.

There is a possibility that some of the links in this post are affiliate links. Please refer to my disclaimer page if you have any further inquiries.

Standard Sizes for Curtains

Curtains can be ordered in lengths ranging from 63 inches to 108 inches, according to Curtainworks. Even though the industry standard offers a wide range of curtain lengths, there are instances when you’ll want something a little longer.

Your curtains could be too short for a number of reasons.

It’s possible that you recently relocated and your present curtains no longer fit the new windows. It’s possible that you’ve lately discovered that the best way to hang curtains is HIGH and WIDE, therefore you’re rethinking the location of your existing curtain rods. Another option is to buy curtains that meet your budget, although they’re a little too short. Curtains can be pricey, and the cheapest options are nearly always the shortest lengths. This has happened to me at some point in my life.

So, let’s get to work on making our curtains longer now.

How to Lengthen Curtains That Are Too Short

If your curtains aren’t long enough, there are two simple solutions you can try. If you only need a few extra inches, you can either do one or the other, or you may do both if you need a lot of inches added to your curtains. I’ll begin with the simplest task.

Buy Curtain Rings

Curtain rings can extend the length of your curtains by several inches, allowing you to bring them to the floor (or just above it).

If you purchase curtain rings from a conventional retailer, they might be quite pricey. Fortunately, Amazon has a number of excellent selections that are both affordable and high-quality.

For my new curtain rods, I recently purchased these rings. In light of the resurgence of gold as a fashionable color, I decided to add a few gold accents to my space.

There are 1.5-inch and 2-inch curtain rings available on Amazon, for example. I went for the 2 inch rings since I wanted a sliver of extra curtain length. In addition, be sure to check the width of your curtain rods, as these rings must fit snugly on the rod.

To hang a curtain panel from the clip, attach the ring to the curtain rod and remove the finial (the decorative ball at the end of the curtain rod). As a general rule, you’ll need at least seven clips on each panel. For proper spacing, you need also use an odd number of clips.

Each end of the panel should have a clip; one in the middle; and two clips sandwiched between those clips. Repeat the process with the second panel.

Finally, attach the finial and hang the rod from it.

Is the length of your curtain adequate?

That’s exactly right. What a simple tweak that elevates the look of the space!

No worries, that’s just ok! Another quick remedy is right here for you.

Redo the bottom seam.

In reality, this is a lot less terrifying than it appears.

When sewing a curtain’s bottom seam, it’s common to fold a large edge of fabric over (Fold 1) and then fold and sew a smaller portion of cloth (Fold 2). Make a new seam by undoing the original and folding over a little bit of material in the middle of the new seam. It’s a little difficult to understand, so allow me to explain.

This is what the bottom of your curtains look like, if they’re anything like mine. The cloth has two folds in it, don’t you think?

With a seam ripper, you’ll be able to unravel the seam where Fold 2 is located. Make sure there is just one fold in the fabric by opening Fold 1. Fold 2 will be the only thing left on the fabric, and there will be no stitches.

When it comes to repairing the bottom seam where Fold 1 is located, there are two options.

24 Inch Length Curtains for Small Windows Set of 2 Panels Pocket Cafe Curtain Tier Blackout Light Grey Short Curtains for Bathroom Bedroom Gray Wide 34x24 Long - Warehousesoverstock

Method 1 to Increase the Bottom Edge of ShortCurtains

The first step is to sew the garment together. It’s as simple as stitching a straight line across the fabric with your sewing machine and you’re done! You’ve added a few inches to the length of your curtains.

Don’t worry if you don’t have a sewing machine. For the purpose of lengthening your curtains, no sewing machine is required.

Method 2 to Increase the Bottom Edge of Short Curtains

What you’ll need is some Stitch Witchery instead. Fabric tape in the form of a ribbon-like roll Between the two pieces of fabric, roll it out into a log shape. Then, using a hot iron, push the Stitch Witchery into place. There is no doubt that it will bring the two parts together!

I love Stitch Witchery since it’s durable and easy to use. Pillow coverings that have lasted years of abuse from my children were made using this method in the past.

Make sure to iron out the initial fold line while you have your iron out so that your curtains hang properly.

So, now you’ve successfully lengthened your curtains by redoing the seam at the bottom.

Conclusion

A few inches might be added to your short curtains by adding curtain rings and lengthening their bottom edge.

In the first shot, you can clearly see the short blue drapes.

Aside from the added width, the addition of curtain rings and a new bottom seam added an impressive amount of length.