Updated at: 28-12-2022 - By: Sienna Lewis

The perfect set of drapes and curtains can make or break the overall look and feel of your house. How to measure curtains for your home’s windows is explained in this guide. Pick out how to locate the hardware, measure the breadth, length, and find the appropriate curtain rod by reading on.

Decide Where to Hang Hardware

The first step is to decide where you want your drapes to go. Depending on where you want the drapery rod to be installed, the length of your drapery will be determined.

How to Measure Windows for Curtains | OFS Maker's Mill

For an outside mount, the custom draperies hang over and around the windows. When the curtains are closed, the window appears smaller, but when they are open, the window appears larger. To achieve a trendy look, follow these tips:

  • As long as you have a window that is 8 inches wide, you can set the rod there.
  • Extend the rod by 12 inches on either side of the window, for a total of 24 inches of rod length to work with.

The drapes are hung within your window opening for an inside mount. Keep the hardware as close to the window frame as possible in the case of an inside mount. Here are a few pointers to remember:

  • To ensure that the curtains do not stretch past the window opening, double-check your measurements before ordering any curtains online.
  • The fabric begins at the top of the drapery rod, so measure from the top of the rod and follow the rod directions for precise, full-length curtains.

Once you’ve decided on a location for your drapery hardware, you’ll need to determine the height of your rod from the floor:

  • Make a mark on the wall where you want the drapery rod to go.
  • Take a measurement from the lowest point from which you intend to hang the fabric (either the floor or the bottom of the window). It’s the distance from your rod to the floor.
  • Your drapes will need Rod to Floor Height dimensions, but you must wait until your draperies arrive before hanging the hardware.

Choose a Curtain Type

Before you learn how to measure your curtain’s width, decide what kind of drapery look you want for your windows. You can hang decorative panels at the side of a window. Or choose curtains that completely cover your window when closed. What style you prefer will determine how many drapery panels you need.

Decide on the drapery style you want for your windows before learning how to measure the width of your curtain. On the outside of a window, ornamental panels can be hung. Closed-to-the-wall curtains may also be an option. The number of drapery panels you require will depend on the style you choose.

Measure the Width

You will need to measure the panel width for curtains and drapes. If you want the entire window to be covered by your curtains, follow these instructions:

  • Take a measurement of the window’s width.
  • To make a total of 24 inches, multiply the width by the height.
  • Decide how many drapery panels you need by multiplying the overall width by how many panels you want to add to each side.
  • Ordering bespoke drapery panels? Make sure you have enough for the entire space you intend to cover (total width divided by panels). As an illustration, divide 42 inches by 2 (the number of curtain panels) to get the window width of a 60-inch window with two 24-inch curtain panels. The width of each of the two panels purchased must be at least 42 inches.

Side panel window coverings have a slightly different width measurement than standard window coverings. It is not necessary to close the side panels. Make a window appear larger or simply frame it. Decide the length of each side of the panel.

How to Measure Curtains - The Home Depot

Measure the Length

If you’re going for a more formal design, you’ll need a longer curtain or drapes.

  • These draperies are ideal for windows that are mounted outside, as they make the window appear higher. From 10 to 30 inches in length, you can select your own size.
  • Consider 3/8-inch height requirements when making a sill style curtain. We recommend sill type drapes for windows with sills that extend beyond the window opening, or for outside mounting.
  • Draperies of the cafe design can be installed either inside or outside, and they are most commonly used in kitchens. Choose a length that is 6 inches below the bottom of the window, or 3/8 inches over the window sill, for a cafe style. For this look, the drapery hardware should be placed in the centre of the window.
  • Outside-mounted windows should have aprons that hang 4 to 6 inches below the window sill or the bottom of the window.
  • If you’re using floor-length drapes, the length should end 3/8 inches above the ground. This form of drapery is most usually used with an exterior mount and is recommended for any drapery that may be operated on a regular basis.
  • The sweep, brushing or cuff length drapery style is most often used for outside mount windows, and is useful when your room requires exact mounting, such as a ceiling mount that drapes to the floor. For this, we recommend a length that is 1 to 3 inches longer than your Rod to Floor measurement.
  • Outer mount drapery uses the sweep, brushing, or cuff length drapery style and is excellent for rooms requiring precise installation, such as a ceiling mount that drapes to the floor. 1 to 3 inches longer than your Rod-to-Floor measurement is recommended for this.

Find the Perfect Curtain Rod

Your curtain or drapery width will be determined by the length of your curtain or drapery rod. Keeping in mind that your rod length does not include finials and brackets is essential. Listed below are a few pointers to bear in mind.

  • Because of finials and brackets, you can add up to 6 inches to either side of your rod. In order to get a precise reading, look at your finial choices.
  • Depending on the length of the rod and finials you order, deductions will be made.
  • Brackets will keep your drapes from going over the top.

The correct curtains can make or break the look of your house. It’s easy to transform a room with curtains that are hung correctly. The dimensions of your window should be taken into consideration, including the width, length, and height. Don’t forget to select a curtain rod that complements or contrasts with the style of your room. Shop for all of your hardware and window treatments needs in one convenient location. Deliveries from The Home Depot can be made at any time and in any location.

How to Measure Curtains for Windows

Most people will advise you to avoid making an additional trip to the store by purchasing curtains that are the correct size. There’s some truth to that. If you don’t want to spend money on unneeded curtains, getting the proper size is essential. Most people don’t know how to accurately measure the width of a curtain rod for a window.

We all know that windows come in a variety of shapes and sizes. It’s understandable that folks may have difficulty determining the proper panel width for their windows. Fortunately, that’s exactly what we’ll be doing today.

A good rule of thumb is that the breadth of your curtain fabric should be at least three times the width of your actual window. You can’t use 60 inches of curtain fabric to cover a 60-inch window panel. Because it is so drab, it will not provide the desired effect. So, here’s how to measure curtains for windows the right way.

Step 1: Get your measuring tools

For this method to function, you must have a working knowledge of your measuring tools. The most common unit of measurement for curtains is the inch. The inch measurement may be found on your tape measure, so go ahead and do it now! As a first step, we will take measurements of our windows.

Step 2: Determine the width

To begin, measure the width of the window from the left edge, using a measuring tool marked with a 0″. Multiply the width from left to right by a fullness factor of two or three to get the total width. The fullness factor can be increased by four if you desire pinch pleated curtains.

To get a fair amount of fullness in the window, sheer curtains should be three times the width of the window. 3 and 2.5 are the most commonly used multipliers for window size. To get a regular fullness, multiply the width of the window by 2, to get a deluxe fullness by 2.5, and to get an ultimate fullness by 3, double the width of the window by 3.

Step 3: Determine the rod placements

We don’t only measure the length of the window to determine the length of our curtains. Determine the location of your fishing pole first. It should be between four and six inches above the window frame for normal rod bracket installations.

The rod brackets can be raised above their typical placement to provide the appearance of taller windows and a high ceiling. Keep an eye out for going too high or too low with your rod placement.

Step 4: Measure the length

Measure the wall from the bracket’s location using the 0″ end of your measuring tape. A few inches beyond or just over the window sill is a good length for short curtains.

Go for floor-length draperies for a more refined and refined appearance. Get down on the ground with your measuring tape. It’s up to you whether or not you want the curtain to touch the floor, or if you prefer it to be just a few inches above the ground.

There’s also the option of poking holes in the fabric to create puddles on the floor. Adding five inches from the rod’s height to the floor is all that is needed. You can add more inches to the material if you want more cloth to puddle.

Step 5: Curtain panels

It was obvious that we had only taken the measurements for a single piece of fabric that would cover the entire window. All of us are familiar with the fact that curtains aren’t just a simple piece of material. Finally, it’s time to measure the curtain panels themselves.

Once you’ve determined the width of your curtain, you’ll be able to calculate how many panels you’ll need. Because drapery panels come in standard widths, divide the total width of your curtain by the width of a single panel.

How to Measure Curtains - The Home Depot

Standard sizes

The width of curtain panels can range from 50 to 58 inches. At 108″ wide, sheer curtains can quadruple in width. Starting at 54″ is the most common panel width, so you can work your way up from there.

Sewing Tips

At least an inch and a half should be added to all sides of the cloth you purchase for DIY curtain projects. A four-inch increase in width is required. The length of the curtain should be extended by a few inches to fit the facing.

Every curtain panel must have a way to be hung, of course. The length of the drapery’s crown must be taken into consideration, regardless of the type of drapery you choose. Add the dimension to the total height of your panel.

Design Tips

Unfortunately, the retailer may not always have the correct measurements to fit your window. This is a common occurrence. Fortunately, there are smart methods to modify the cloth such that it meets your specific requirements. Curtains can be made longer by using clip rings to hang them or by altering the bottom hem.

Clip rings are an easy way to extend the length of your curtains. This adds at least two to three inches to the overall length of your curtain. With clip rings, you don’t have to worry about pinching the curtain’s top. You may make a hidden tab effect by pinching and clipping the back of your curtain’s crown.

In general, understanding how to measure curtains for windows is not difficult. Measure your windows, multiply the width by the amount of space they take up, and you’re ready to start!