How to Measure for Custom Drapery

Window treatments are an integral part of most rooms, whether for light blocking or purely decorative purposes. And while drapery is one of the most popular options (and one of my favorite ways to add drama, color and warmth to a space), it remains a daunting task in the minds of many. Here are a few guidelines to help you measure and order your drapery properly. It’s not as hard as you might think; I promise!

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Fabric
• Paper
• Pencil/pen
• Measuring tape

1. Choose a curtain style. A curtain isn’t just a curtain; you’ve got choices to make. There are a number of different styles; some of the most common are: tab or tie tab, which is a curtain with fabric loops or fabric ties sewn on top, which will loop around a drapery rod; grommet panels, curtains with round grommet holes built into the curtains through which the rod will pass; ring top panels where the fabric isn’t pleated and curtain rings are used or classic pleats (There are many different types of pleats; some of my favorites are pinch pleats, which are very versatile, or box pleats.) Pleats give drapery a lusher, fuller look, since you’re essentially using twice (or more) the amount of fabric to cover the window as you would on a curtain without pleats. (The fabric is gathered, pinched or folded at regular intervals to create fullness.) Then there’s length to consider. Do you want your curtains to just skim the ground or do you want them to be a little longer and form what we call a puddle on the floor? Also decide if you want to do two layers of fabric; in some spaces, like bedrooms or rooms with windows that let in a lot of light or face public areas, a combination of sheers and heavier curtains can be a good idea (Sheers are just what they sound like; they’re transparent curtains useful for creating privacy and light diffusion, without blocking too much light.) Also note that if you’re looking for very heavy, light-blocking drapes or shades, you should line them with privacy lining or blackout material, because even seemingly thick fabrics can often let in more light than you’d expect. The last thing to consider is what type of hardware you plan to use. You could opt for a traverse rod, a cord-operated mechanism like the kind you often find at hotels in which the hardware itself won’t be visible once the curtains are installed, or you could got with decorative hardware with rods and rings that will remain exposed and are meant to be seen and admired. (For the purpose of this article, we’ll focus on split-draw curtains, which open from the middle and consist of two panels. But bear in mind that you can adapt custom drapery to fit your space, so you could opt instead for one panel which draws open from only one side.)

2. Take measurements. If you are having your drapery custom made, accurate measuring is vital for estimating the correct yardage. Start by making a sketch of the window on a piece of paper; it’s much easier to keep track of all the measurements if you’ve got a record of which measurement is which. First measure the opening of the window, length and width. Then measure the space between the top of the window and the ceiling, as well as the space between the bottom of the window and the floor. Also measure the wall space on either side of the window.

3. Determine curtain width. This will depend on several factors: whether or not you’re opting for pleats, extra fullness, overlaps and stackbacks, and what type of fabric you’re using. If your chosen style is unpleated, the width of the curtains will be the width of the window plus the desired overlap and stackback. The overlap is where the two panels of your curtains will overlap in the middle; 1 to 2 inches per panel is typically sufficient, though you could go up to about 4 inches if you like. You might also want to allow extra width so that the curtains can “stackback,” which means that when the curtains are opened they gather along the wall to the left and right of the window, leaving the window itself unobstructed. You don’t have to allow for the curtains to stackback completely, but if you choose to, your curtains should be about 1/3 wider than the window opening. If you intend to leave your curtains tied back or stationary, you don’t need to allow more than a few inches of width on either side. If you opt for pleats, you have to factor in more fabric--I generally use about 2 times the width of the window (200 percent) or three times the width if I’m using a very thin or sheer fabric. Of course, you can always choose to add more fullness to your curtains by adding extra width. This isn’t necessary, but if you don’t want your curtains to lay completely flat when closed, you can add fullness by making the curtain panels wider. About 1 ½ to 2 times the window size works well.

4. Determine the length. When it comes to length, you need to bear in mind three things: what type of hardware you’ll be using, how high you’ll be hanging it and where on the ground you want the curtains to hit. I like to hang curtain hardware high on the wall; it’s an easy way to draw the eye up and make your windows and room appear larger. It’s really a question of space and personal preference, though you should keep in mind that the rod should be placed high enough above the window frame that the drapery hooks and pleats won’t show from the outside. Plan to place the rod 6 to 8 inches from the top of the window, if you have that much space. If you do not, plan to place the rod 1 inch above the halfway point from the top of the window to the ceiling or crown molding. As for the bottom of the drapery, I like to allow for it to just skim the ground. If you’d prefer to add a puddle (when fabric pools on the ground) allow 4 to 8 inches of extra length. If you’re doing a double layer curtain, make sure the curtain on the room side is about ½” longer than the curtain on the window side. The type of hardware you’ll be using is important to note as well. If you’ll be using a decorative rod, your fabric measurements will begin at the bottom of the rings, while for a conventional traverse rod you’ll need to allow enough fabric to cover up to the top of the rod. This works out to be a several-inch difference, so be sure that when it comes time to hang the curtains you place the rod accordingly.

5. Let’s try an example for clarification. We’ll say we have a window that’s 90 inches wide and 60 inches high. The space from the bottom of the window to the ground is 30 inches. We’re planning to hang the curtains 8 inches from the top of the window and just skim the ground.
   
   For curtains with pinch pleats, full stackback, and a 2-inch overlap, your measurements would be as follows:
   Width: 90 inches wide by 2 inches (for pleating) = 180 inches + 30 inches (for stackback) + 2 inches (for overlap) = 212 inches wide. That’s the total width, so you’ll divide that in two to get the width of each panel: 106 inches.
   Height: 60 inches + 30 inches + 8 inches = 98 inches.
   Final Results: Two panels, each measuring 106 inches wide by 98 inches high.

6. Calculating fabric quantity. Once you’ve got all the measurements figured out, you’ll need to know how much fabric to order (unless you’re ordering from a drapery company that provides or orders the fabric in house). Fabric is generally sold by the yard (3 feet), but widths can vary dramatically, so be sure to find out how wide your chosen fabric is. If your chosen fabric has a large pattern, you’ll also need to account for the repeat when ordering fabric. (The term repeat refers to the distance between the beginning of one pattern or motif and the beginning of the next one. The larger the repeat, the more fabric is required to make sure you have enough to line up all the panels perfectly. It’s a good idea to add about an extra width of fabric per panel to your order to account for a large repeat--keep reading for more.) Assuming you choose a fabric with no pattern or a very small one, all you need to consider are the dimensions you calculated in Steps 3 and 4. Let’s use the measurements from Step 5 as an example, and assume your fabric is 55 inches wide. You will need two panels, each measuring 106 inches wide by 98 inches high. 98 inches equals 8 feet 2 inches, and since fabric is sold in 3-foot increments, to cover 98 inches you’ll want 3 yards or 9 feet. That gets you a piece of fabric that’s long enough, but it’s only 55 inches wide; since we want the panel to be 106 inches wide, we’ll have to order another 55-inch width of fabric of the same size. That gets us 6 yards per panel or 12 yards total for the entire set of curtains. If you’re working with a large repeat, you might want to order two additional widths of fabric, one for each panel--that’s an extra 6 yards.

Tips & Warnings

• Be sure to allow enough fabric for hems. When in doubt, order more.

[meacham01]

on 12/24/2008 These instructions could not be more detailed. I am about to do this and your article is a wealth of information.

[ElectricalNut]

on 11/9/2008 Great instructions. Thanks!