How to Measure Your Curtain
Finding the perfect curtains for your home involves more than just selecting the right fabric and design. It's crucial to ensure they fit your windows perfectly, enhancing both the aesthetics and functionality of your space. In this comprehensive guide, we'll walk you through the step-by-step process of measuring curtains, ensuring a flawless fit that will transform your room. Let's go!
Reminders Before You Start
- Always use a steel tape to measure for the best accuracy and use a pencil or a notepad to record the measurement, a sturdy ladder might also be needed if your window is big.
- Measuring to the nearest 1/4" in width and to the nearest 1" in length.
- Make sure you double check your measurement to ensure the precise result.
Determine the Curtain Rod Placement
- Measure the width of your window.
- If you want to expose the entire window when the curtain is open, add 6"-15" to the actual width of either side of the window to allow space for your stacked curtains.
- Calculate extra inches for decorative finials at two ends of your rod.
- Sum the three measurements above and you will get the proper length of your rod.
- Curtain rods are generally installed 4" above the window frame.
- By knowing the length and the width above the window, you can install your curtain rod at a proper place.
Measure for Curtain Width
Measure for Curtain Length
- To find the length of your curtain with an outside-mount rod, measure from the floor to the top of the rod.
- Different header styles have subtle different measuring methods
For the final length, decide on where you want the panels to stop. Homerilla recommends 3 types of curtain bottoms below:
- Floating Above the Floor: The curtain sits 1 inches above the floor, which creates a floating look.
- Just Hitting the Floor: The curtain extends to the floor just right and creates a custom-made classic and tailored look.
- Puddling: The curtain extends to the floor by 1 to 3 inches and adds coziness and romantic feel to your space. However the flip side is its high maintenance cost and if you have pets it might not be your best choice.
- Once you have selected the style of curtain bottoms, you can then determine the final curtain length.
Fullness
- To avoid your curtain looking like a stretched sheet, you need to consider adding fullness for additional width to cover.
- According to different fullness, curtain width should be 1x-2x times of the measured rod width. Less fullness will generate a more tailored look, while more fullness will create a deluxe and opulent vibe.
- You can determine the fullness ratio to create folds or pleats by varying header styles. See the following example of the 3 types of fullness of grommet style curtains.
