Store-bought curtains can be expensive and come in limited options.The curtains are easy to sew for a beginner.If you have thousands of different fabrics to choose from, you may want to make your own curtains instead of paying a premium price for ones that don't match your decor.Knowing how much fabric you need to buy is the first step in sewing.
Step 1: Take accurate measurements.
There are many different sizes of windows.There is no standard length and height because of this.Measure from one side of the window to the other using a metal tape measure.The window's width is shown here.Measure the window from top to bottom.This is the height.
Step 2: Determine the height of your curtains.
If you add a few inches to your window's measurement, curtains will extend four inches below the window.Add four inches to the finished height for that style of curtain.Measure the distance from the window to the floor to make curtains that are floor-length.Add the difference to the finished height by subtracting one inch from the number.If you are mounting curtains inside the window frame, measure down to 12 inch above the sill.
Step 3: The final width should be determined.
If you plan to mount the rod inside the window frame, you don't need to measure.If you are mounting the rod outside the window frame, choose a location and adjust the width and height to match.Do you want your curtains to extend on either side?You will need to add eight inches to the finished width of the curtains if you want them to go beyond the window on either side.Measure the curtain rod's length to get the finished width instead of matching the curtains' length.
Step 4: You can choose the number of panels you want.
If you have a wide window, it's possible to make curtains that are two or more panels to cover the finished width instead of one long continuous piece of fabric.Divide the finished width by the number.The cut width of your fabric should be in line with your desired panel width.You will have extra sewing and cutting to do if you work with a shorter cut.
Step 5: Take extra fabric into account.
In addition to the size of your curtains, you will need some additional fabric for other aspects.The style of curtain you want to make will determine how much you add.Will the curtains have a decorative top?The final height of your fabric will need to be doubled.If you plan on hemming your fabric, add four times the length of the hem to the height and width.A standard one-inch hem adds four inches to each length.
Step 6: Figure out how much you have.
Unless you want flat curtain panels, you will need a lot of extra fabric to account for pleats, waves, or gathered headings.You will need to divide your finished width by the curtain style's fullness ratio.Common curtain styles have fullness ratios of 1.0 Eyelet curtains, 1.35 Wave curtains and 2.2 Gathered headings.
Step 7: Take your final height and width.
You have a lot of different numbers to work with, but may not know how to put them all together.You can write out your calculations with a pencil and paper.Let's say you're working on a window with a curtain rod above it.You want a fullness ratio of 1.8 for a gathered heading style.The curtains should be broken into two panels.The final width would be 48" plus two more than the previous one.You would divide the length by the number of panels.Add four times the hem.To get a width of 54", take the final number (30") and divide it by the fullness ratio.The equation 1.8 x can be used to express this.Adding the height of the window to four times the hem and the distance to the rod would make your final estimated height much simpler.You would need 120 cm of fabric for this example.The equation 36 x 4 x 0.5 + 4 + 6 is also expressed as 48.
Step 8: How much do you think your yardage is?
The whole yard is where fabric is sold.Divide your final height by the number of panels needed to figure out how many yards you'll need.There are 36 inches in a yard.Go to the nearest yard.Take the final height (48") and divide it by the number of panels needed.If you divide this length by the number of inches in a yard, you get a minimum yardage of 2.67.The equation would be 48 x 2 and 36 x 2.67 yards.The total yards rounded up would be 3.
Step 9: Pick the fabric.
The width of the fabric is different.Pick a fabric that is close to the final panel width of your curtains to make it simpler.It's perfectly fine to use a fabric that is a few inches longer than the final width, but definitely don't pick a shorter one.
Step 10: There is an account for pattern repeats.
If you're making curtains with multiple panels, you will want to make sure the pattern lines up perfectly between the panels.You will need to modify your calculations to do this.Determine the repeat of the pattern.This is usually listed on the fabric's product information.The final height should be divided by the vertical repeat.You will need to adjust your yardage if the quotient isn't a whole number.Divide the final height by the vertical repeat, which is 3.84, using the previous example.The number would be rounded up to four.You will need to use 4 times the vertical repeat in place of the final length to calculate your yardage again.You need to buy 50 x 2 or 36 yards.The number is 3 yards.If it wasn't patterned, you would be paying the same amount of fabric for it.You will end up with curtains that don't match up if you skip this step.Go for it if you want that look.In general, patterned curtains that are out of sync look sloppy.
Step 11: If necessary, reinforce the curtain's top.
The top of the curtain should be reinforced with an extra layer of fabric.If you have a narrow rod, you can skip this step.