Top 10 Curtain-Making Tips

Our top 10 curtain-making tips can make all the difference to your finished result. Get the best advise here....

1. If you think a window doesn't need a window treatment, you are probably wrong. Dressing any window with curtains and pelmets, or blinds adds a greater dimension to your window frame, and makes the glass panes and plain panels come to life. It can either frame your view, or disguise your view, whatever effect you want to achieve. A window dressing is as essential to a room as the furniture and pictures you put into it.
2. Make full length curtains. And that includes at windows where radiators or elements have been fixed underneath. Whilst floor heating has become common in new houses, radiators are still a permanent fixure of many older homes. But honestly, sill-length curtains look rather odd and much less lavish. Opt for full length as much as possible. It's the only way to get the true professional look.
3. Insert lead weights into the hems of your curtains. One in either corner and two where fabric panels have been joined. They are invisible inside your hems and help the curtain hang correctly.
4. Lining is recommended! We all want to get quick results. And most of us think lining isn't necessary, is too difficult to handle, or takes too much time and money. All of this is untrue, and if you want professional curtains that last many years, lining is worth the extra effort.
5. Hang your curtains the way your interior designer would - using pegs and string. Yes, that's right. Read the section and take the trouble to hang your curtains the way the professionals do.
6. Use tiebacks, either your own or bought. Most full length curtains look better when tied back. It's a fact.
7. Make a great curtain heading. It's the most eye-catching part of your curtains.
8. Install a great hanging system. If the rod or pole is on show, then make it stunning with eye-catching finials. If you want it too be unobtrusive and out of view, make sure it's good quality and sturdy enough to support your curtain design for many years.
9. Choose a classic fabric - silk, chintz, damask or linen. All stand the test of time.
10. Press your seams and stitches as you work. The heat sets the stitches in the fabric, and pressing seams and hems makes fabric lie flat for easier measuring and a professional finish.