How to make Curtains – Easy step by step guide

Can you tell me how to make curtains?

Yes! of course we can. In fact we would be happy to tell you how to make curtains. However, the answer to this question is not quite so simple.

Unfortunately we can’t simply jump in and say “Fold this, pin that and stitch there… job done!”. That would be silly. This is mainly because, when you make curtains, there are different types and styles of curtains to choose from. Before we can tell you how to make curtains, we need to know
that you have completed the first three steps to making any type of curtain.

Step 1: Decide what type of curtains would you like to make.

Here I think would be a good place to include a brief definition of the basic types of curtains. We won’t worry about the type of top finish for now, just the three basic types of curtains:

Unlined Curtains:  A single layer of fabric hemmed at the sides and bottom with choice of top finish. Tab top, Ring top, Rufflet etc

Lined Curtains: Similar to above but with an extra layer of fabric. A backing fabric usually of a plain cream or white cotton or satin.

Interlined Curtains: Basically the same as lined curtains except they have an extra lining between the face fabric and the curtain lining. This extra lining is called Bump and is kind of a blanket type fabric.

Step 2: Work out what size curtains you need.

Obviously there would be no point in trying to make curtains that don’t fit the window they are intended for. If you have not already worked out what size curtains you need, this would be a good time to do it. Our guide on How to measure for curtains will assist you to get the correct measurements. If on the other hand you already know the curtain size you require, please continue to step 3.

Step 3: Calculate how much curtain fabric is required.

Calculating the amount of curtain fabric needed can sometimes be deceiving. If you only need to make curtains that are quite narrow (less than one width of fabric), then it can be fairly easy to work out. However, if you need to make curtains that are wider than a single width of  fabric, it can be much harder to work out exactly how much curtain fabric you need. Especially if you are intending to use a curtain fabric with a pattern.

In the effort to make life a little easier, we have put together a useful little gadget to help with this. Simply enter the necessary measurements you obtained earlier in to our curtain fabric calculator and make a note of the results.

Almost ready!
Now that you have completed those steps. Here is a short check list to ensure we have all the things that will be needed for you to make curtains.

• Measuring tape
• Scissors
• Pins
• Unpicker (just in-case)
• Sewing machine
• Thread
• Curtain tape (Header tape / Ruflette)
• Curtain fabric (plus lining fabric for lined curtains)

If you don’t have your fabric yet, as you may of noticed on our curtain fabric calculator page, we highly recommend Terry’s Fabrics. Just in case you missed the others, here are a few more of their samples:

They also sell the curtain tape 🙂

Let’s Start Making Curtains!

Now that we know which curtains you want and you have all the things that you need, we can start making curtains… yeay!

The next step is to cut your fabric into lengths a little longer than the finished length of the curtains you are making. This process is different for patterned curtain fabric than it is for plain. Because we wouldn’t want you hacking your fabric in to unusable pieces, we feel this process needs a reasonably detailed explanation! Please follow the link below!

Step 4: Cutting your fabric to the correct length.