How to Make Curtain Panels

Co-authored by Essie Karimi

Last Updated: December 2, 2022 Approved

Making your own curtain panels for your windows gives you the freedom to choose your own fabric patterns and colors. Homemade curtain panels can also provide custom window solutions for irregularly sized windows that won't fit standard curtain sizes. They are quite easy to make and you don't even have to know how to sew! Simple curtain panels can be made with just fabric and iron-on hem tape!

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Making Simple Curtain Panels

1
Decide how long and how wide you want your curtains to be. The curtains should be a few inches than your window. They can be the same length as your window or a little longer; they can even go all the way down to the floor. Here are some common curtain lengths to get you started:
- Floor-length curtains are ideal for a formal dining room.
- Curtains that touch and puddle on the floor work great for a family or living room.
- Curtains that reach the windowsill or fall just below it are perfect for the kitchen.
2
Add extra inches for hemming. Add 4 inches (10.16 centimeters) to the width measurement, and 8 inches (20.32 centimeters) to the length measurement. This will be enough to give you double-folded hems, which will make your curtains look more professional.^{[1]
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3
Wash, dry, iron, and cut your fabric. This is an important step. Washing and drying your fabric will help remove any starches and shrinking, while ironing your fabric will get rid of wrinkles.
- Ironing helps smooth out the fabric so it's simpler to sew.
4
Fold the side hems down twice to make the hems. Turn the fabric so that the wrong side is facing you. Fold the long edges down by 1 inch (2.54 centimeters) and press them flat with an iron. Fold them down by another 1 inch (1.54 centimeters) and press them flat once more. If you need to, use sewing pins to keep the fabric in place.
- If you are using iron-on hem tape: sandwich the hem tape inside the hem, then iron it according to the package instructions.^{[2]
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5
Topstitch the hems down. Sew as close as you can to the folded, inside edge of the hem. Use a thread color that matches your fabric, and remove the pins as you go.
- If you used iron-on hem tape, you can skip this step.
6
Fold the top and bottom hems down twice. Fold the hems down by 4 inches (10.16 centimeters) and press them flat with an iron. Fold them down by another 4 inches (10.16 centimeters), and press them once more. If you need to, use sewing pins to secure the fabric.
- If you are using iron-on hem tape: fold the edges down by 4 inches (10.16 centimeters) and iron the hem tape to the folded edge. Peel off the paper backing, then fold the hem by another 4 inches (10.16 centimeters). Press the hem flat with an iron.^{[3]
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7
Topstitch the hems down. Choose a thread color that matches your fabric. Sew as close to the inside, folded edge as you can, and pull the sewing pins out as you go. Backstitch at the start and end of your sewing to prevent the thread from unraveling.
- If you are using iron-on hem tape, you can skip this step.
8
Snip off any loose threads, then hang up your curtains. Clip some curtain rings to the top hem of your curtain, making sure that they are spaced evenly. Slip the curtain rings onto a curtain rod, then hang the rod up.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Making Lined Curtain Panels

1
Decide how long and how wide you want your curtains to be. The curtains should extend a few inches to either side of your window. They can fall to your window, just past it, or even all the way down to the floor. Here are some common curtain lengths to get you started:
- Use floor-length curtains for a formal dining room.
- Hang curtains that touch and puddle on the floor for a family or living room.
- Make curtains that reach the windowsill, or fall just below the apron, for the kitchen.
2
Add extra inches for hemming for your curtain fabric. Add 2 inches (5.08 centimeters) to the width measurement, and 7 inches (17.78 centimeters) to the length measurement. This will be enough to give you double-folded hems, which will make your curtains look more professional.^{[4]
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3
Wash, dry, and iron your fabric. Choose a nice, patterned fabric for your curtain panels, and a plain, thin fabric for your lining. You can find great curtain fabric in the upholstery section of your local fabric store. Plain, white or off-white cotton is a great choice for the lining. You can also use a bed sheet.
- You need to wash, dry, and iron the fabric to remove any shrinking, starches, and wrinkles.
4
Cut your curtain fabric and lining fabric. Cut the curtain fabric according to your measurements, including the hemming. Next, cut your lining fabric down to the exact size you want your finished curtains to be. Do not include the hems for the lining. Set the lining aside for now.
5
Fold the side edges on the curtain fabric over twice to make the hems. Turn the fabric so that the wrong side is facing you, and fold the long, raw edges over by ½ inch (1.27 centimeters) Press the edge flat with an iron, using a heat setting that is suitable for the fabric. Fold the edge over by another ½ inch (1.27 centimeters) and press it flat again. Do this for both of the long edges. Use sewing pins to keep the fabric in place, if you need to.^{[5]
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6
Fold the top hem. Fold the top edge over by ½ inch (1.27 centimeters) and press it flat with an iron. Fold it over again, but this time by 3 inches (7.62 centimeters), and iron it flat once more. Use sewing pins, if you need to. Leave the bottom edge alone for now.^{[6]
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7
Tuck the lining under the hems. Make sure that the lining is cut down to the size you want your curtain to be. Next, place it down on top of your curtain panel, right-side-up. Tuck the raw edges under the hems, and secure them with sewing pins.^{[7]
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- If you used sewing pens earlier, pull them out, and use them to hold the lining in place.
8
Topstitch the hems down, about ⅛ inch (0.32 centimeter) from the inside folded edges.^{[8]
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Research source} Sew straight across the top hem first. Next, sew the side hems from top to bottom. Use a thread color that matches your fabric, and pull the pins out as you go. Be sure to backstitch a few times at the start and end of you sewing to keep the thread from coming undone.
- If you'd like a casing for your curtain rod, start sewing the side hems just below the top hem.
- If you plan on using clip-on curtain rings, you can sew the side hems straight down, from top edge to bottom edge.
9
Fold the bottom hem of the curtain twice. Fold the bottom edge up by ½ inch (1.27 centimeters) and press it flat. Fold it up by 3 inches (7.62 centimeters) and press it flat again.
10
Topstitch or hemstitch the bottom hem. You can use your sewing machine to topstitch the hem down, ⅛ inch (0.32 centimeters) away from the inner, folded edge. You can also stitch it down by hand, using either a hemstitch or a blind hemstitch. It all depends on whether or not you want the stitching to be visible.
11
Snip off any loose threads, then hang your curtains. If you left a casing at top, you can simply slide it onto a curtain rod. If you didn't, you will have to clip some curtain rings to the top hem, then slide them onto a curtain rod. Once you have your curtain secure, hang the rod up.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Making Curtain Panels from Bed Sheets

1
Choose either a full-size or twin-size bed sheet. One bed sheet will give you two curtain panels. Twin-size bed sheets are ideal, but if you want fuller curtains, go for full-size. Make sure that you get flat sheets and not fitted sheets.^{[9]
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- Twin-size bed sheets measure 66 by 96 inches (167.64 by 243.84 centimeters).
- Full-size bed sheets measure 81 by 96 inches (205.74 by 243.84 centimeters).
2
Wash, dry, and iron the bed sheet. Washing and drying the bed sheet will remove any shrinking, while ironing it out will give you a smooth base to work on.
3
Cut the bed sheet in half, lengthwise. The easiest way to do this would by to spread the bed sheet out on the floor, then fold it in half lengthwise. Place some heavy books on the loose corners to weigh them down and keep then in place. Next, cut the curtain along the fold, from top to bottom.^{[10]
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4
Fold the raw edges over twice to make the hems. Take your first panel, and turn it so that the wrong side of the fabric is facing you. Next, fold the long, raw edge over by ¼ inch (0.64 centimeter) and press it flat with an iron. Fold the edge over again by another ¼ inch and press it flat again. If you need to, use sewing pins to keep the fabric in place.^{[11]
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5
Topstitch the hems down, as close to the inside folded edge as you can. Backstitch a few times at the start and end of your sewing to prevent the thread from unraveling. Be sure to use a thread color that matches your bed sheet, and the remove the sewing pins as you go.^{[12]
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- If you don't know how to sew, you can use iron-on hem tape. Tuck the hem tape, paper-side-up under the hem, and iron it down. Pull the paper backing off, then iron the hem down on top of it.
6
Measure the curtain, and make a mark where you need to cut it. Hang your curtain first, then measure where you want it to end. Add 4 inches (10.16 centimeters), and make a mark and both sides.^{[13]
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7
Take the curtain down, then cut straight across the bottom, using the marks you made as a guide. An easy way to do this would be to fold the bottom of the curtain up, using the marks you made as a guide; they should be resting right on the fold. Cut the curtain straight across, right along the fold.
- Make sure that you are cutting off the bottom of the bed sheet. The bottom hem is usually narrower than the top hem.
8
Fold the bottom of the curtain twice to make the hem. Turn the curtain so that the wrong side of the fabric is facing you, then fold the bottom edge up by 2 inches (5.08 centimeters) and press it flat with an iron. Fold the bottom edge by another 2 inches (5.08 centimeters) and press it with an iron once more. If you need to, use sewing pins to keep the hem in place.^{[14]
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9
Topstitch the bottom hem down. Sew as close to the inside folded edge as you can, and remove the sewing pins as you go. Use a thread color that matches your fabric, and backstitch a few times at the start and end of your sewing.
10
Snip off any loose threads, then hang your curtain. Purchase some curtain rings, and clip them to the top hem of your curtain; be sure to space them evenly. Slide the curtain rings onto your curtain rod, then hang it up on your wall.

Community Q&A

Question

If I want to make 2 panels per window, should each panel be the width of the whole window + amount left for hemming?

Community Answer

That's probably a good measurement, altogether you are going to need about 2-3 times the width of the windows in curtain.