Have you every struggled with hemming curtains? Do you have trouble finding curtains that are the perfect length? Well, I’ve got you covered! I am a poor excuse for a mom because I never learned how to sew. For those in the same boat with me, come learn an easy no sew curtain hem tutorial.
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Today I’m hemming some cotton curtains that I picked up at Ikea. They are the Ritva curtains that I’m turning into hemming for a wall in my bedroom. However, I have used this no sew curtain tutorial on thick curtains from amazon and curtains I purchased at the thrift store. It will work for any kind.
The key to making a no sew curtain hem work properly is to use a good Hemming tape.
How To Hem Curtains Using The No Sew Method
First, you’ll want to purchase your curtains and materials. I have found great ones on Amazon and Ikea. I recommend buying some that are the same length as your ceiling height, then we can shorten the curtains accordingly.
For example: I bought 10ft (120in) curtains to put around my son’s bed and hemmed them to fit the sloped ceiling. In my room, I ordered 8ft (96in) curtains and shortened the curtain panels to the height and style I wanted.
Materials Needed To Hem Curtains
- curtains (similar to the ones in this post)
- fabric scissors
- hemming tape (This isn’t what I used in this tutorial because I can’t link Ikea, but I have used this several times in the past)
- iron
- ironing board
- measuring tape
Hang Your Curtains
I know this seems counterintuitive, but stick with me. I hung my curtains exactly where I wanted them first. A interior designer tip when hanging curtains, Hang them HIGH AND WIDE!
My wall measures 122 in and the ceiling height is 8ft. I hung the curtains almost to the ceiling and extended it as far as I could so it was close to each wall. The window frames are not this high or wide, but it creates the illusion that they are.
Now that the height is right, we can move on to the length. Next, we measure.
Measure And Check The Length Of Your Curtain Hem
Next, you want to decide where and how you want your curtain hem to show. Do you want a puddle? A gentle kiss on the floor? JUUUUUSSSST Touching or slightly above? I chose to have a hybrid puddle just kissing the floor placement.
Since my curtains are already hung, I know how high they will sit, and I can focus on the hem of the curtain. I took one curtain panel up on my ironing board, measured where I wanted the curtains, and pressed the hem to stay in place so I could check the length.
Once I knew I liked the length, I was ready to cut my curtains to shorten them so I could hem them. We are almost to the part about the no sew curtain hem.
Cut Your Curtains
When cutting your curtain hems, do yourself a favor and use some quality scissors. I used some titanium scissors, but fabric scissors will do just fine.
Try to cut a straight line as best you can, but it’s not super important for this since it will be hidden behind the curtain. It just makes placing the bonding tape step a little easier.
Iron The Curtain Hem To Activate The Hemming Tape
Next, you need to iron the curtain hem slowly to activate the bonding tape. The tape takes about 30 seconds to bond to the fabric and must be pressed firmly. I always find myself counting to 30 about 5 times to make it across the width of each curtain panel.
Repeat this across all of your panels until they are all hemmed with this no sew method. That’s it! I can’t believe how easy it was to hem these curtains without a sewing machine or thread of any kind. I love how this turned out!
Step back and admire your handiwork. I love how quick and simple this project is and how much it can easily transform your room by adding some curtains that are hemmed to the exact length you want. Hemming your curtains gives them a designer look like they were custom made.
Final Thoughts
This is such an easy project that anyone can do. It is very inexpensive and can be done in an afternoon. I love how you can get a high end designer look with your curtain panels without spending a fortune on custom curtains.
The best part is you don’t have to pull out a huge sewing machine to hem a couple of curtain panels. All you need is an iron and bonding tape. It is really as simple as that.
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