How to Hang Sheer Drapes and Curtains

For extra-wide windows, drapery rods need center supports.

There is a practical side to choosing the right draperies for your home. Depending on what exposure a window has (north, south, east or west), drapes block out unwanted early-morning sun, or cold and wind on a blustery winter evening. When hung with sheers, drapes are opened to allow sun to filter through sheers or to allow the sun or moon to bathe a room in natural light. The added bonus is that your utility bills are lower when you use drapes to help keep your home cool or warm, depending on the season.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Stepladder
• Kraft or butcher paper
• Painter's tape
• Ornate drapery rod with hardware
• Utility drapery rod with hardware
• Draperies
• Sheers
• Measuring tape
• Pencil
• Small level
• Cordless drill
• Drill bits
• Anchors
• Hammer

Drapery Rod Installation

1. Climb on the stepladder and use painter's tape to affix butcher paper above and to either side of the window casing, where you think the outside supports should go.

2. Measure a drapery panel and then measure from the point where you want the outside drapery rod to hang and from where the drapery will fall. Depending on your personal style, you may want your draperies to lightly skim the floor or to bunch on the floor -- either style is appropriate, but make sure you remain consistent with both panels and with all windows in the room.

3. Mark a horizontal line along the butcher paper on the right, using a level, at which the rod should cross the wall. Remember that the outside drapery rod will sit several inches, or sometimes feet, above the window, depending on your wall and height.

4. Center the drapery bracket with one hand, ensuring the bottom or top of the support lines up with the pencil mark. Insert the pencil through the bracket holes and create a small circle on the paper where each screw belongs.

5. Set aside the bracket and insert a drill bit into the cordless drill. Through the paper, drill over the pencil marks to create holes for your anchors. Remove the paper after you're finished drilling.

6. Hammer anchors into the holes.

7. Replace the drill bit with an appropriately sized screwdriver.

8. Fit the bracket's holes over the anchors with one hand and insert the screws with your other hand, tightening them clockwise with your hand until the bracket remains in place without your support.

9. Tighten the screws with the drill.

10. Repeat the process with the left side and with a center support, if necessary.

Sheer Rod Installation

1. Climb on the stepladder and use painter's tape to affix butcher paper on either side of the window approximately where you think the outside supports should go for the sheer rods. Rods for the sheers will likely be hidden by the outer drapes so you can save money and purchase something functional, unlike the more ornate drapery rods. Sheers typically have a pocket at the top through which the rod is threaded, so look for appropriate hardware.

2. Measure a sheer panel and then measure from the point where you want the rod to hang. The sheer should not bunch on the floor, but should skim it or clear the floor by 1 or 2 inches.

3. Mark a horizontal line along the butcher paper on the right, using a level, at which the rod should cross the wall. Remember that the rod will likely be placed several inches below and inside the outer drapery rod.

4. Center the bracket with one hand, ensuring the bottom or top of the support lines up with the pencil mark. Insert the pencil through the bracket holes and create a small circle on the paper where each screw belongs.

5. Set aside the bracket and insert a drill bit into the cordless drill. Through the paper, drill over the pencil marks paper to create holes for your anchors. Remove the paper after you've finished drilling.

6. Hammer anchors into the holes.

7. Replace the drill bit with an appropriately sized screwdriver.

8. Fit the bracket's holes over the anchors with one hand and insert the screws with your other hand, tightening them clockwise with your hand until the bracket remains in place without your support.

9. Tighten the screws with the drill.

10. Repeat the process with the left side and with a center support, if necessary.

Hanging Window Treatments

1. Thread the first sheer panel onto the rod and then thread the second sheer panel onto the rod.

2. Climb onto the stepladder and fit the rod into the supports and secure the rod in place.

3. Push each panel to the opposite side of the rod.

4. Thread the first drapery panel onto the ornate rod. If the top of the panel is threaded onto the rod through special rings or supports, make sure each one faces the appropriate direction. Then thread the second drapery panel onto the rod.

5. Climb onto the step ladder and fit the rod into the supports and secure the rod in place.

6. Push each panel to the opposite side of the rod.

7. Fluff and arrange the sheers and draperies, so the sheers peek out of the inner sides of the drapery panels.

Tips & Warnings

• As you open and close draperies and sheers, take care to not pull down or you can loosen the brackets and screws. Instead, gently pull back or forward on the material.

• It's easiest to thread or arrange sheers and draperies onto a rod as you sit down.

References

• North Dakota State; How Renters Can Cut Energy Bills; January 2011
• Paso Robles Ironworks; How to Install a Drapery Rod/Curtain Rod; Matt Miller
• Real Simple: Your Guide to Curtains and Window Treatments

Resources

• Creative Homeowner: How to Install Single Curtain Rods