How to Make DIY Curtains: A Quick & Easy Sew!
Curtains have a bit of reputation for being expensive. If you’ve ever looked online and wondered why you’re being asked to fork out hundreds of pounds for a rectangle of fabric, I’m totally with you! This is exactly why I learnt how to make curtains myself at home, super inexpensively.
Here’s how I made them, and the answers to all the questions you might have about making your very own pair of curtains.
The curtains I made in the pictures of this post are made from a thrifted bedsheet that cost me just £2. Add in the heading tape and hooks I thrifted for £2 a piece, and all-in-all I paid just £6 for a set of new curtains!
Which Fabric is Best for Curtains?
If you can manage to find it, the best fabric for curtains is upholstery fabric. This heavyweight fabric is designed to be hardwearing and is often thicker and more luxurious than standard cotton or linen. If you’re looking for a classic, expensive-looking drape, then sticking to upholstery fabric will be the best choice. However, if you’re willing to get a bit creative and accept more lightweight or informal curtains, then just about any medium-weight cotton or linen will work great.
Often curtains require more fabric than you think, especially if you are choosing to pleat them. So err on the side of caution when ordering your fabric (and definitely go through the instructions below to make sure that you’ve calculated how much you’ll need).
Patterned curtains are really beautiful, but may require a bit more thought (and maths!) If your windows are wide enough to require joining panels of fabric together you will probably want to match the pattern along the join.
How to Make Curtains Cheaply
When it comes to sewing, you’ll often find that making something yourself is more expensive than buying off the shelf, but this isn’t the case for curtains. Bespoke curtains can be super expensive, so making them yourself is a great way to make curtains more affordable. Often curtains are made of upholstery linen which can run into the hundreds of pounds per metre, but there are some ways you can cut costs without comprising on aesthetics.
Deadstock Fabric
Firstly, you could try buying deadstock fabric, which is ex-designer or excess fabric that would otherwise go to waste. My favourite place to buy deadstock interiors fabric is Haines Collection.
Thrifted Fabric
Secondly, you can try using thrifted fabric. The curtains that I made for this post were made from a thrifted single bedsheet which I bought for only £2! A single sheet was just enough to make sill-length curtains for my son’s window, which is 3 metres wide. Ideally I’d have had a bit more width so I could have made pleated them, but they’ve turned out pretty good with the limited fabric I had.
Other things that would potentially be large enough include tablecloths and bed valances. And of course you always have the option of thrifting curtains and then simply resizing them.
Thrifted Heading Tape and Curtain Hooks
If you want to make your own pleated curtains, then you’ll need heading tape and pleating hooks. I spot these in charity shops really often, for next to nothing. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever bought new header tape!
Lined vs Unlined Curtains
Curtains come in many shapes and sizes, and there are almost endless options when it comes to designing them. One decision that you’ll definitely need to make is whether to line your curtains or not.
Here are some reasons why you might choose to make one over the other:
1. Unlined curtains are (slightly) easier to make
2. Lined curtains will block out more light and can even be blackout curtains.
3. Lined curtains protect your curtain fabric from sun fading
4. Lined curtains will keep more heat in.
5. Lined curtains are heavier and will tend to look more expensive
There are loads of reasons to make lined curtains, but if you want an easy first project then unlined curtains are a great introduction. They work particularly well if you already have some way of blocking light. In the room that I made these curtains for we already have plantation shutters that do a great job of keeping out the light.
How to Make Curtains
Supplies
Fabric
Heading tape
Curtain hooks or pleating hooks (if you’re pleating your curtains)
You’ll also need all the normal sewing essentials – find my recommendations here.
How much fabric you’ll need
Before you get started, measure your window and curtain rods carefully. From these measurements, work out the finished curtain width and length:
Width of Curtain Panel
Measure your track or rod and note it down. If you want your curtains to be pleated, make each curtain panel the length of the rod (or even up to 1.5 times the length of the rod, if you’d like your curtains to be more full). If your curtains won’t be pleated, like mine, then you will make each panel half the length of the rod, plus 20cm (8″).
For some windows, you may need to join widths of fabric together to make your panels. If this is the case, divide the width of the curtain panel by the usable width of the fabric to work out how many widths you’ll need to join together.
If your fabric is patterned, you’ll need to take into account that you’ll need to match the pattern down the joins, so your usable width of fabric may be slightly less than the full width of your fabric. This can be tricky, so if this is your first time sewing curtains I’d suggest trying a plain fabric first!
Curtain Length
Measure the distance from the rod to where you want your curtains to fall and add 15 – 25cm of allowance for the lower hem. For shorter windows, you can add less, longer windows more. Then add an amount for the curtain heading (the bit above the curtain rings).
For my curtains I added 14cm (5.5″) of length at the top, which gave me a small frill. If I did it again I’d probably add more to make the flop-over frill more pronounced – probably 25 – 30cm (10 – 12″) – but you could make it is a long as you’d like! If you don’t want a frill at all, you can just add a small amount of seam allowance, around 2cm (1″).
You should now have your curtain measurements and you can start making your curtains!
Instructions
Step 1
Cut out your fabric lengths to make your curtain panels. I find this is easiest done with a large quilting ruler and rotary cutter, but fabric shears will work too.
Step 2
If you need to sew together multiple fabric lengths to create your curtain panels, do this now.
Step 3
Fold in and press the side edges of your panels 2cm (1″) and then a further 4cm (2″). Pin and sew.
Step 4
Fold over the top of your curtain by half amount that you chose for your header. In my case my header allowance was 14cm (5.5″) so I made folded the top over 7cm (2.75″) and then lay the heading tape so it just covers the raw edge. Pin the tape in place, securing the top of the curtain in place, and then sew along both the top and the bottom of the tape, tucking under the raw edge of the tape at each end to secure it. Make sure that you sew as close as possible to the top of the tape.
Step 5
Before you do your bottom hem, you might like to hang your curtains to check that you’re happy with the length. If you’re not, adjust the amount of the hem accordingly. You may need to cut off a bit of extra fabric if your calculations were off! When you’ve confirmed the hem size, fold up your hem by the amount you chose. It’s best to do this in two folds with the first one slightly less than the second. For example, if your finished hem allowance is 25cm (10″), you could do 10cm (4″) then 15cm (6″). Pin and sew.
Step 6
Insert your pleating hooks or curtain hooks. If you’re pleating the fabric, put one prong in one loop and then skip a few and put the other prong into the next loop, so you create intentional pleats in the fabric.
Step 7
Hook the curtain hooks into your curtain rings to hang them. You’re done!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a beginner sew curtains?
Absolutely! Simple, unlined curtains are a fantastic beginner project because it’s almost all straight lines and there are no complicated fastenings like you get on clothing
Can I make curtains without heading tape and hooks?
Yes, there are many ways to make curtains and some don’t require heading tape and hooks. You may like to try a rod pocket, tabs or grommets.
What is the best stitch for sewing curtains?
A normal straight stitch will work fine. I like to make my stitch length a little longer than normal (around 3.5mm). Depending on the bulkiness of the fabric, it may be helpful to use a walking foot.
What needle should I use?
A normal universal needle will work fine for most projects. If your fabric is quite thick then you might like to use a needle for heavyweight fabrics, such as a 100(16) or 110(18)
Can I hand sew curtains?
Yes absolutely! It will take quite a bit longer but your curtains will likely have a beautiful handmade feel. It’s worth doing some research into the best hand stitches to use.
What size heading tape should I use?
Heading tape comes in a few different sizes, but my preference is to use the widest you can, because it will help to give your curtains a sturdy structure at the top. For these curtains I used 75mm/3″ heading tape. If you’re using wide tape like me, you might also like to use the deep prong curtain hooks that I’ve listed in the supplies list above.
How can I make sure I cut my fabric straight?
Cutting a straight line in your fabric is much easier if you have a large quilting ruler and rotary cutter. You can find my favourites here. If you only have fabric shears, the best method is to find a single thread in the fabric weave and gently pull it out. This will give you a line in the fabric that you can follow with your scissors.
I’m so happy with how my £2 curtains turned out! If you make your own using our tutorial, please share them with us on Instagram!
