How Much Will Curtains Stretch?

Generally, your curtains should stretch 5-7 centimetres wider than the width of your window. A similar rule applies to where they sit on your wall. If your curtains are too short, your home ends up looking like a poorly built doll house.

Do curtains stretch after hanging?

Drapes may stretch. Fabric is made of threads woven together, and there is no glue holding these threads in place. Knowing how the fabric may react after hanging will help you choose fabrics that should not stretch.Loose-weave fabrics tend to stretch more.

How long should you train curtains?

Leave your drapes tied and allow them to “train” for 2 or 3 weeks. This may seem like a long time, but it’s worth it to have drapes that hang perfectly for years to come.

Are curtains supposed to touch the floor?

Yes, curtains should be long enough to touch the floor. With a few exceptions, the longer the curtains are the more stylish and elegant it will look. This is why most standard ready-made curtains are lengthy. But the reality is that various decorating styles use different curtain lengths.

Why do short curtains look bad?

The reason that the short curtains here look so bad is because of the fabric color. The cobalt blue is much darker than any other color in the bedroom and you get drawn to it, so it exaggerates the fact that the curtains just stop at the window sill, and they only have a few centimeters to get to the floor.

How should curtains look when they’re closed?

To ensure that panels look ample and drapey when closed, they should have a combined width that is 2 to 2? times the width of the window. Exceptions: If you’re hanging curtains just to frame a window and don’t intend to shut them, you can round down to 1? times the width.

Do I have to wash new curtains before hanging?

If you purchase curtains that are washable it is very important to wash them prior to hanging. They normally shrink the most the first time they are washed. I washed mine in hot before hanging them the first time to get all of the shrinking behind me.

How do you get stiffness out of curtains?

Mix a small amount of laundry detergent with water and dip a clean rag into it. Rub this gently on a small corner on the back of the curtain where the face fabric folds over to form the hem. Rinse the corner with a few spritzes of water. If the color bleeds, do not use any further wet methods to soften the curtains.

How do you weigh the bottom of curtains?

You can hand sew a couple of stitches around the chain at either end of the hem to prevent it from sliding around if you lift the drape up. Because chain weights provide weighting along the entire bottom of the curtain, this is often considered the best way to weight curtains.

How much longer should curtains be than window?

Measure the width of the rod from left to right. A common rule for displaying curtains properly says the curtains finished width should be at least 2 times the width of your window (if not more – sheers can be 3 times the window width) to achieve a look of proper fullness.

How far should curtains extend past window?

3 to 6 inches
Curtain rods should extend at least 3 to 6 inches past the window frame. Just as hanging curtains above the window frame makes the window appear taller, Bob Vila writes that extending the curtain rod past the window frame makes the window appear wider.

How far should Curtain rods extend?

The standard distance from the window casing to the end of the curtain rod (excluding finials) on each side of the window should be four to 10 inches. As a general rule, drapes will be open during the day, so make sure the curtain rod extends at least four inches on each side of the window’s inside frame.

Is it better to have long or short curtains?

Short curtains are typically only used when long curtains are unrealistic (such as when a radiator, the bed headboard, or some other object would interfere with the curtains). In addition, long curtains provide a better aesthetic and can make the room appear bigger, especially when hung higher than the window frame.

Does it matter if curtains are too short?

When hanging curtains, it is important that the curtains are the right length. Curtains that are too short make the room look short, stubby and awkward.Curtains that are the right length cause the room to feel spacious and intentional, and make the windows look bigger.

Is it OK to have short curtains?

Short Curtains
Visually speaking, high-water style is not the most appealing way to hang curtains. The shorter length can appear dated. Also, it can cut the visual height of your room in half. From a purely practical standpoint, however, short curtains are sometimes the best option.

How much space do curtains take up when open?

Stack Back is essentially the amount of space that a drape will take up when it is pushed opened. To make it easy, we usually calculate Stack Back as 25% of the width of the drape for French, Flat Panels and Parisian pleated drapes. For Inverted and Cartridge pleated drapes, figure 28%.

Should curtains touch the ceiling?

Ceiling height plays a major role in how high you should hang your curtains.It is often best to use the 4 to 6 inches above the window trim rule here unless the windows stretch close to the high ceilings. If there is little space between the trim and the ceiling, then hang the curtains from the ceiling.

How wide should you hang curtains?

Each curtain panel should be at least as wide as your window. Measure from the spot you plan to hang the rod (usually four to six inches above the window, but a minimum of two inches) to the floor to figure out the length of the curtains. Add more length if you want the drapes to pool.

How much do curtains shrink when washed?

Believe it or not, dry cleaners have an acceptable level of ‘shrinkage’. This is between 3-4% of the material, so don’t be too alarmed if they are returned to you slightly smaller than before.

How do you make curtains hang straight?

Open the curtains before the fabric cools. Fold the panels with vertical pleats. Wrap each vertical stack with wide strips of fabric or other soft bindings to keep the folds in place without adding unwanted creases.

Why don’t my curtains hang straight?

In order for curtains to hang straight, there has to be some heft to them. The weight of the curtains will work with gravity to pull your curtains to your floor and keep them from billowing out.