DIY: 8 Easy Steps To Hemming Curtains
When we moved into our new home most of the windows had white blinds. For me, I absolutely despise white blinds. They are hard to clean (sticky dirt never really comes off), they break easily, they bend easily, and I just don’t like the way they look. That’s my personal opinion, though. So, I decided that I would purchase curtains for all of our windows and sliding glass doors. (Originally I was going to make them, but I just didn’t have the time for that). So, I purchased curtains for all of the windows in my home, but I purchased them in the 84″ length (because they were on sale, they were the colors I wanted, and they were less expensive than the shorter ones – go figure), so I had to hem the curtains to the correct length. I have a window evap cooler in my dining room, so I would have had to hem one of those curtains anyways.
In some rooms I put up curtains meant to dim or keep out light altogether, and some are meant to just give privacy and look beautiful. But, I had to hem most of the curtains I was putting up. When choosing what curtains you want, ensure you think about the functionality of them as well. Sheer white curtains likely won’t work if you’re trying to stop the light from hitting the television…
Here is how I hemmed my curtains:
Step 1: I measured the windows and doors I wanted to put curtains in. I measured the height and width. I multiply the width by 1.5 or 2 to get the correct width for the curtains. If you purchase curtains to that exact width you won’t have any play in the curtains, there won’t be any ‘bunch’ in the fabric, and you’ll likely have a gap somewhere.
Step 2: I purchase the color / design of the curtains I wanted for the rooms and thread to match. I couldn’t find what I liked with the exact length I needed, so I purchased ones that were 84″ and planned to hem them.
Step 3: I laid the curtain out on a table and measured 4″ longer than the desired length (to give me room to hem). I cut them (as straight as possible) so they were all the same length (I worked on one window at a time so I wouldn’t get confused with measurements.
Step 4: I folded the bottom of the curtain up (toward the back of the curtain) approximately 1″ and ironed the edge to create a nice crease.
Step 5: I sewed the first fold with a zigzag stitch to prevent the material from fraying.
Step 6: I folded the bottom of the curtain (the same direction) approximately 3″ and ironed the edge to create a nice crease.
Step 7: I sewed the second fold as close to the edge of the material that was just folded (approximately 2 � inches up from the bottom) with a straight stitch.
Step 8: I cut off the excess thread, ironed the curtains fully, and hung them.
They hung beautifully and no one can tell that I hemmed them myself.
The Author:
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