How Much Fabric To Make Curtains? 7 Easy Steps!

How much fabric to make curtains? The most logical way to go is to measure your window to adjust the length and width of the fabric you would buy.

Buying curtains in different stores could cost you a lot of money and sometimes you are left with little to no choice.

How much fabric to make curtains

Luckily, it is actually easy to sew one, even if you are a beginner.

But the problem is how much do you need? And with the relatively huge amount of different fabrics and styles of texture, it could actually overwhelm you.

So it is still kind of tempting to just pay a huge amount of money for the ones that somehow would end up disappointing you.

But fret not! This article aims to help you determine how much fabric you need to start to sew your curtain in no time!

 

Steps To Have Proper And Accurate Measurements

How much fabric to make curtains? Not all windows are the same. They have different sizes.

Thus, there is no standard length and height for them.

The following are the ways you need to determine the amount of fabric you need to buy and make curtains.

 

Step #1. Measuring your window

Of course! Before we buy any fabric to make our curtains, we need to measure the dimension of our windows.

So in measuring it, you need to use a metal tape measure to determine its height and width.

Then proceed to the next step.

Step #2. Determine the height of your curtains

After taking the dimension of your window, you can now measure the height of the curtain we want relative to the measurement of your window.

In measuring, you need to add a few inches to the measurement of your window.

In doing so, you need to consider a few factors:

Generally speaking, most curtains extend to about four inches below the window.

But some prefer curtains that reach the floor, so you must measure the distance until the floor.

Subtract one inch from the measurement you took and add the difference to the finished height.

Measure down to ½ inch above the sill if you plan to mount the curtains inside the window frame.

Step #3. Determine the final width

If you want to mount the rod outside the window frame, adjust the width and height to the location you want to match them.

You need to decide on how far on either side the curtains would extend.

About 4 inches beyond the window on either side is generally used.

But if you want it to go along the rod of your curtain, you can measure the rod instead.

It is also important to decide on the number of panels for your window.

You can make curtains with two or more panels to cover the finished width, for it is practical to do so.

 

Step #4. Consider having extra fabric

Additional fabrics should be considered for other aspects like hems and headers.

Extra fabrics you add will fully depend on the style of curtain you want to make.

If you want to have a decorative header at the top, adding double the header’s length would suffice.

If hemming your fabric is what you want, you can add four times the length of the hem to the height and width that you need.

 

Step #5. Curtain’s fullness ratio

One of the advantages of making your own curtains is deciding how much fullness you want in your curtain.

Adding a lot of extra fabric could increase the pleats, waves, or gathered headings.

It would help if you multiplied your finished width by the Fullness Ratio.

These Fullness ratio for the most commonly used styles are:

Flat curtain panels – 1.0

Eyelet curtains – 1.35

Wave curtains – 2.2

Gathered headings – 1.8

Pencil pleat – 2.0

 

Step #6. Determine how much fabric to make your curtains

Now, after taking all those measurements, you need to write them down and calculate them.

You’ll need to figure out what your final approximate width and length are.

You can measure the width by twice the outline to get the final approximate width.

Then multiply that by the set of panels you want.

Multiply the hem by four and apply the amount you just measured.

Then add the fullness ratio to your response.

To calculate the final approximate height, multiply the hem by four and add it to the window height plus the distance between the rod and the overlay.

 

Step #7. Make a yardage calculation

Fabrics are commonly sold by the yard when purchased.

As a result, partition your standover height by the number of sheets you’ll need.

Then group this number by 36 since a yard is 36 inches long.

To the nearest whole amount, round up.

Then calculate the final height by the total of panels needed.

Calculate the length by multiplying it by the 36 inches in a yard.

 

Conclusion

How much fabric to make curtains?

Hopefully, this article answered this question.

And now you can try to make your own curtain by your own style and taste.