How to hem curtains? You could either sew a curtain or applying fabric tape to it.
If your windows seem to be missing something, adding curtains will do the trick. However, we don’t always get the right size for every purchase.
You can’t make shorter curtains long, so having them longer is better. Having a sewing skill is an advantage too.
Have you ever heard of hemming? Or have you ever tried to hem long curtains to fit your windows?
If you haven’t tried it out yet, you will learn various ways to add hem to your curtains and fit your wall perfectly.
Hemming Curtains
A hem is a finishing method wherein the cloth’s edge is folded and sewn without letting it show on the outer side.
This technique prevents the fabric from unraveling or adjusting the curtain’s length to fit your needs.
Steps To Hem A Curtain
How to hem curtains?
Hemming is just like folding the edges that will add a little detail to your plain-looking curtains.
Well, you sew it to make the curtain more fitted.
Adding hem to a curtain can be from different sides of edges or done in various ways.
Here are the steps on how to hem a curtain.
Step #1. Measuring
The first thing to do is to measure the surface that the curtain will be covering.
That way, you will know the length of the curtain that you will use.
Next is to measure the curtains.
Make sure that your curtains are long enough to for a double folded hem at the bottom.
Standard curtains have three to four inches wide hems.
So it is a given that your curtain must have a 6 to 10 inches allowance at the bottom.
Shorter curtains look better with a 2 inches wide hems, while longer curtains look best with 5 inches hem.
Step #2. Setting the curtain
After measuring the desired length, place the curtain on a flat surface with the wrong side up.
You could either do this on the floor or the table as long as it is lying flat.
Step #3. Folding
Then fold the bottom part of your curtain according to your allowance.
Divide the length of the allowance into two to have a two-fold hem.
Whenever you are folding aside, iron it to stay firm.
You could also use pins to hold it in place while ironing.
Step #4. Appling the hem
You can use various methods in this step.
You could sew, put on a tape or
Sewing
When it comes to sewing them, make sure to have at least the basic skills in sewing.
You could use basting or backstitch if you are going to sew the hem by hand.
Basting is best if you want to make it look like it’s been attached to the curtain.
Suppose you have a sewing machine, the better.
You can sew the hem with the sewing machine, and you’re done.
Iron-on tape
If you have no idea how to sew or just too lazy to do so, you can use iron-on tape.
Haven’t heard it before? It is an adhesive tape used to attach fabrics by just ironing it in between.
Place the tape in between the hem and the back of the curtain of the folded hem.
Make sure that the tops are aligned to make a better appearance.
Press the iron with the tape in between the fabrics.
Do it for 10 minutes or as the package of the tape suggests.
To prevent the cloth from burning, you can place a damp cloth on top of the curtain or a paper.
Sewing Or Taping: Which Is Better?
If you were to ask me which method I would like to do best or probably better, I would like to say it has to be sewing.
Both have their ups and downs:
Sewing
Sewing is better than taping if were talking about long-term usage of curtains. It is also a plus to make it adjustable.
When you adjust the curtain’s length, you can remove the stitches and sew them again.
If you sew them, it could last longer than taping it, and it will be less messy than the lather.
Yet, stitches will be visible with the curtain’s hem unless you use the basting method of stitching.
Taping
If we’re talking about appearance, taping is better since you can’t see any sewing marks or traces on the curtain hems.
It also requires less work and effort. All you have to do is to tape and iron it.
Although you can’t adjust its length after taping it, it will become messy once you detach the hem.
Moreover, it will also cost you another dollar for buying the tape, but if you already have one, then there’s no problem.
Yet, this one still depends on your preference and for what purpose your curtain is for; make sure that the curtain’s length is what you need.
We don’t want to make it all over again and waste our time, don’t we?
Want to learn more about DIY projects? Click this article.
That is all.
Conclusion
Knowing how to hem curtains can save you a lot than making others do it. You can save much from doing it on your own.
You could make adjustments yourself to suit your preference and add some finishing touches to it.
I mean, I had fun making hems on my curtain.
It helped me kill time at the same time made my curtain add some details.