How to Use Drapery Hooks

Though not as common as they used to be, drapery hooks are still a popular method of hanging both heavy and light drapes and curtains for windows. The hooks themselves are quite simple, consisting of a rounded hook that doubles back on one end with a sharp straight pin. Most people have seen these pin-type drapery hooks, but not everyone knows how to use them properly. Here are some tips.

Things You'll Need

• Drapery hooks Curtain rod Drapes with a folded and seamed edge for hanging

Instructions

1. Choose the right type of drapery hooks for the curtains or drapes that you will be hanging. Light drapery hooks are designed to be used with curtains and window coverings that don't have much weight to them, while heavy-duty drapery hooks can bear the weight of much heavier materials. Light hooks will bend if you use them with too heavy of a drapery set, causing your window coverings to fall.

2. Find the edge of the curtain or drapery that has the folded seam on it, the cuff of which should be 3 inches to 4 inches tall. The folded portion will be the part of the curtain or drape that the drapery hooks will be inserted into, and will end up facing the wall so that the hooks won't be visible in the room.

3. Place the curtain or drape on a flat surface, seam facing up. Holding the rounded hook of your drapery hook in your hand, place the straight pin against the curtain fabric beneath the seam. Using the sharp point of the drapery hook, pierce the seam and slide the straight pin completely into the cuff; this should leave you with the rounded hook coming out of the bottom of the seam and then curving upward toward the top of the curtain before curving down again.

4. Repeat the process of inserting your drapery hooks into the folded cuff of the curtain, placing the hooks several inches apart until you have hooks along the entire folded edge of your curtain. You may now hang the curtain, placing the hooks over your curtain rod and letting them bear the weight of the fabric below.

Tips & Warnings

• Drapery hooks with clips instead of straight pins may be used with curtains designed to accommodate the clips; these curtains will have small eyelets in the cuff that the clips will fit into.

• Be careful when using drapery hooks, since the points of the straight pins can be quite sharp.