Hanging your curtains

Hanging your curtains is the most exciting part of the whole curtain making process. You finally get to stand back and see the finished effect of your hard work. Suddenly your window is transformed into art and the look of your entire room can change dramatically.

And yet, hanging your curtains can be hard work and take some time to get the final look right. Be patient. Especially if you have made curtains for wide windows, hanging wide fabric panels is not always easy and if you can get a friend involved then you will be thankful for an extra pair of hands.

First of all, have a good, safe, sturdy step ladder with you.

Wash your hands. Even if they look clean! And don't put any kind of cream on your hands before you handle your curtains. So much handling of curtains, especially up near the heading means they can get marked easily.

Have a pocketful of spare curtain hooks. If one curtain hook falls out of your heading tape while you are up the ladder, then you don't have to put your curtain down and scrabble around the floor looking for it.

Make absolutely certain that your tracking system is securely tightened to your wall or ceiling. The support brackets should be enough to withstand the weight of your curtain fabric and curtain track without bowing in the middle. For very large windows, extra support brackets should be mounted at even intervals between the beginning and end bracket, especially if the track is flexible, or the curtain pole is the kind that expands to your chosen width.

Count the number of curtain hooks on the back of your heading tape, and make sure the same number of runners or curtain rings are on your track before you start.

Move one runner or curtain ring to either outer edge of your curtain rod or track, outside of the bracket. This won't slide off the end of your track if you use stoppers or finials. This way, the curtain panel will be sure to completely cover the outside edge of your window frame. It will also help hide the wall bracket supporting your tracking system.

Hang each curtain panel carefully, one at a time, starting with the outside edge and working into the center of the curtain track or pole.

When both curtains are hung, take the inside edge of one curtain panel (the leading edge) in your hand, making sure the right side of the fabric turns in, towards the window. Gather the curtain together in your hands, pushing the fabric back into neat even folds, drawing the heading and the whole curtain back completely into folds, and creating pleats across the fabric.

Using a pack of unused washing pegs, pegs the curtain folds together across the top of the curtain heading, so the pegs are pointing vertically down, pinching the pleats you have created together.

Using light weight cord or string, tie the middle of your curtain together, not too tightly, around the folds you have created.

Tie the top and the bottom of the curtain together in the same folds, until your hanging curtain panel is completely tied back into a long tube, hanging at your window. Repeat for the other panels.

Leave your curtains tied back like this for a couple of days. You will create folds in the fabric that enable the fabric to gently fall back into these folds each time the curtains are closed and opened.

Always remember to check the look of your curtains from the outside. Check the lining is falling smoothly and each panel looks symetrical. Make any necessary adjustments to your curtains and then check once more from the outside until you are happy with the look.

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