How to Measure for No-Sew Curtains

No-sew curtains tend to be lightweight curtains and are made and hung without any sewing at all. These curtains, which tend to be less sturdy that traditional curtains, are hung in several different ways--including cased headed, eyelet, heading tape and curtain clips. Curtain clips are one of the easiest ways to hang no-sew curtains. No-sew curtains are a quick and easy way to add color and character to an otherwise bland room. They require very little monetary investment, are easy to install, and make a decorative addition to many rooms.

Things You'll Need

• Fabric
• Ruler or tape measure
• Fabric-cutting scissors
• Pencil
• Curtain wire or pole
• Curtain clips

Instructions

1. Place a curtain wire or pole above the window in the position it will be in with the curtain hanging from it.

2. Measure the wire or pole and multiply by the curtain fullness ratio, which is at least 1.5 and accounts for folding in the curtain. Also allow 1 1/2 inches on each side for hems. Divide this number by the width of the fabric to be used and round up to the nearest whole number. This gives you the number of fabric widths you will need to make the curtain.

3. Measure the length of the curtain. Keep in mind the length of the curtain clips when estimating the length. Do this by threading the curtain clips onto the wire or pole and measuring the finished length from the bottom of the clip to the desired end point.

4. Calculate the cut length by adding 4 inches for the bottom hem and 4 inches for the top hem.

5. Calculate the amount of fabric needed by multiplying the number of widths to be cut by the future length of the curtain.

Tips & Warnings

• If you are using patterned fabric for the curtains, leave extra hem room on the length in order to match the pattern between pieces.

References

• Fitting Pretty: FittingPretty® No-Sew Curtain Kit
• Rental Decorating Digest: Making Curtains Without Sewing