How to Make Curtains, Step by Step with Video

Here I will show you the easiest way how to make curtains using the rod pocket method. Dressing your windows with beautifully made curtains adds the finishing touches to your home décor. After flipping through different décor books, the job of making curtains may seem a bit daunting - volumes of material and wide-open spaces to cover. But don't worry, it is easy with this how to make curtains tutorial.

How To Make Curtains Tutorial for Beginners

Make careful measurements, choose the fabric, then cut, sew and hang your curtains. The pocket rod style is easy and an effective way to dress up your window. Even beginners will be able to make beautiful curtains. All you need to be able to do is sew a (reasonably) straight line! Sewing your own curtains will save you a lot of money and enable you to have them perfectly matched to the rest of your home decor.

How to Make Curtains - Supplies

With this simple method for making curtains, all you need is:

• Thread - for beginners, a matching color will hide any less-than-perfect stitching. (Read types of thread.) Some curtain fabric is quite thick, so make sure you match the thread to the weight of the fabric.
• Fabric
• Sewing Machine Needles - Make sure you have the right size and type of needle for your fabric. This is especially important if you are sewing sheer or heavy curtains. (Read types of sewing machine needles.)
• Regular Sewing Machine Foot This is also called an all-purpose sewing foot.
• Iron and ironing board. Delicate fabrics may need a pressing cloth so the iron doesn't touch them directly.
• Tape Measure
• Scissors

Best Fabrics for DIY Curtains

The best type of fabric to use depends entirely on the end result you want. Do you want sheer curtains to let in light, blockout curtains for maximum privacy, or something in between.

For beginner sewers, the cotton fabric will always be the easiest to sew. Read my article on fabric names for some other fabric suggestions.

The best fabric for your curtains will depend on the room, the style of the décor, and if you need to block out light in a bedroom or just have a softly draped effect in a living room. 

It is helpful to ask the fabric supplier to cut your fabric into the drops you need so when you are ready to start, your fabric is ready to sew. Just make sure they cut straight.

Alternatively, ask for a few extra inches so you can straighten the bottoms at home. A lot of cotton fabrics will need pre-shrinking. However, dry cleanable upholstery fabric should be good to go. Many fabrics shrink, so always wash before you start cutting the lengths.

Further Reading: Prewashing

Here is how to make curtains using the best fabric to suit the look you like:

How to Make Sheer Curtains

The best fabrics for sheer curtains are cotton voile, polyester voile, lace, and muslin. Many of these fabrics are harder to sew, so don't choose these if you are a beginner.

How to Make Regular Curtains

The best fabrics for regular curtains are home decor fabrics, cotton, drill, and synthetics. Home decor cotton fabrics tend to be medium-weight and are generally easy to sew. Choose darker colors if you want the maximum amount of light to be blocked out.

How to Make Curtains Blockout

The best fabrics for blockout curtains are lightweight canvas, heavy cotton, and blockout curtain fabric. If you want light-blocking curtains, the fabric should be tightly woven so it doesn't let much light in. Darker colors and busy patterns can also help block light.

In addition, when learning how to make curtains, look for fabrics with a blockout coating on the back. This is a plastic-style coating (usually white) bonded to the back of the fabric.

Measurements for Making Curtains

The secret to success in making curtains is careful planning and measuring. You will need to measure your rod and the width and height of your curtains.

Best Curtain Rod Positions

If you haven't already, install your rods. There are two installation options to choose from, either fitted inside the window area or hanging outside the window area. 

• Bigger windows in living rooms and bedrooms look best with the rod above the window and the curtains hanging to the ground. This can also make a room look bigger.
• Smaller windows, like kitchen windows or bathroom windows, may have curtains fitted inside the window. 

Tips for Measuring Curtains

• Measure the width of your rod between the brackets.
• Measure your desired curtain length. This may be to the bottom of the window or to the ground. Longer curtains make the room look bigger. For small windows with an inset rod, it is important to measure the length accurately so the curtain hangs well and doesn't fold over at the bottom.

Draw a scaled drawing of the window and then write in the measurements of the space to be covered. You can take this to the fabric shop.

How to Make Curtains - Fabric Calculations

Now you have a diagram of the window, you can work out the amount of fabric needed for the curtains. 

Take into account the size of the rod that will slide into the pocket you create. The measurements given in this tutorial create a 3-inch (7.5cm) casing that works best for rods less than 1.5 inches in diameter.

How Much Fabric for Sewing Curtains

How much fabric you need to buy depends on whether you want one curtain that goes all the way across or two curtains that meet in the middle. Read cutting tools and how to cut fabric for more information on cutting. These formulas below include seam allowances and hems.

*Metric Conversion: 2" = 5cm and 12" = 30.5cm

How Full Should I Make Curtains? (Fullness)

So by now, you have read the formula for how to make curtains and are thinking, but what is fullness? This is simply how gathered you want the curtains. If you don't add at least a small amount of gathering, your curtains will sit really flat and be hard to pull across.

• gentle gathers: multiply your width by 1.5
• full gathers: multiply your width by 2
• sheer fabrics: multiply your width by 3

How to Make Curtains for Extra-Wide Windows

If you have extra-wide windows and the width of the fabric is not wide enough, you will need to add a seam. Making 2 curtains is also a better option. Most home decor fabrics do come in wider than normal widths.

How to Make Curtains - Video

Here is the video showing you all the steps of how to make curtains. Otherwise, continue reading below. Subscribe to the Treasurie YouTube channel for weekly sewing and craft videos.

Simple How to Make Curtains - Step by Step

Before you start, test a few scraps of your fabric to get the machine tension and stitch length correct. The best stitch to use on most curtain fabrics is a straight stitch with a medium length of around 2.5. If you have a specialty fabric you may have to adjust this. Curtains use a lot of thread so make sure you have a couple of spare bobbins wound.

Further Reading:

• How to Sew a Seam
• How to Start and Stop a Seam
• Sewing Terms
• How to Thread a Sewing Machine
• Sewing Machine Troubleshooting

Step 1 - Sew the Sideseams

On the WRONG side of the fabric, press both sides by ½ inch (12mm) and then ½ inch (12mm) a second time to form a double fold hem. Stitch the hems with a straight stitch.

Step 2 - Sew the Top of the Curtain

On the WRONG side, press over the top by 3 inches (7.5cm) and then 3 inches (7.5cm) again to form a double hem. Stitch across the bottom of the hem to form a casing.

ALTERNATIVE Curtain Tab Tape - You can purchase curtain tape that has pockets in which to insert rings or hooks. This can be sewn on top of the casing if you wish.

Step 3 - Sew the Curtain Hems

The final part of learning how to make curtains is doing the hem at the bottom. On the wrong side, press up the hem by 3 inches (7.5cm) and then 3 inches (7.5cm) a second time to form a double hem. Stitch across the top of the hem.

If possible, you should pin the hem and hang the curtain just to make sure you are happy with the length. The hem is nice and wide, so you can easily make an adjustment.

The fastest way to sew a hem is with your sewing machine, but you can also do a hand hemming stitch for invisible results.

Step 4: Press and Hang

Before you hand your curtains, give them a good press to remove all wrinkles.

Thread the curtains onto the rod, hang the rod above the window, and step back. Take a bow and listen to the applause for your final curtain call. Hooray, you've learned how to make curtains! Pocket rod curtains will always get an encore!

How to Make Curtains Without Sewing

If you don't have a sewing machine, you can easily substitute hemming tape for the stitching parts of this tutorial. Hemming tape is a double-sided fusible web with glue that is activated with the heat of your iron. It is really easy to use and gives strong results. You can also use fabric glue.

How to Make Curtains with Hand Stitching

If you want to hand stitch your curtains, the easiest stitch to use is a small running stitch. This simple stitch will look good on both sides of your curtains. Backstitch is a strong alternative, but it only looks good on the top, so you will need to stitch on the right side of the fabric.

Sew Matching Pillows

Now you know how to make curtains, it is time to make some matching pillows for your home. Here are 6 easy tutorials for you.

1. How to Sew Cushion Covers
2. How to Make Pom-Pom Pillows
3. Star Pillow Pattern Template
4. How to Sew Zippered Cushions
5. How to Make Cushion Covers with Piping
6. Neck Pillow Pattern