Can you imagine your apartment without curtains? Most likely, 99% of our readers will answer in the negative. After all, with the help of curtains, the interior of the room is transformed, a cozy home environment is created. In addition, the curtain can adjust the degree of illumination in the room and create protection against the penetration of cold air. Curtains also help to hide some of the shortcomings that we “got” from the builders. But sometimes an incident happens with curtains, and many housewives begin to rack their brains with the question of what to do if the curtain is shorter than necessary.
They made a mistake with the size when buying, the natural fabric shrank during washing, they gave their daughter her favorite curtains when moving, and the ceilings in the new apartment turned out to be higher - there are many reasons for correcting the length of the curtains. And this shortcoming can be eliminated on your own by applying your ability to sew on a sewing machine and the desire to make the apartment beautiful and elegant.
What is the correct length of curtains?
- Slouchy curtains. The most beautiful option. They give the interior smoothness and comfort, but are difficult to use, as they get dirty faster from touching the floor and, accordingly, fail faster.
- Drapes to the floor. Visually stretch the height of the room. The interior becomes more elegant and sublime. But if the floor is uneven, the curtains can look sloppy.
- Curtains do not reach the floor 5-8 cm. The most common length option. Gives the interior lightness and airiness. Less susceptible to pollution, respectively, wear out more slowly. The disadvantage is that they are unacceptable for rooms with low ceilings, as they "hide" the height.
- Curtains up to the window sill. A good option for a children's room and kitchen. Allows you to place flowers, books, toys on the windowsill. Fits organically into any interior.
What tools and materials do you need to have on hand to lengthen the curtain with your own hands?
- In principle, everything could have been done manually, but then this process would have dragged on for a long time, so the sewing machine is the most important tool in lengthening curtains.
- Following is the fabric, matched in texture and pattern to the curtain that needs to be lengthened. The fabric will be needed to make either a lambrequin, or inserts, or loops - depending on the option chosen.
- Special fabric scissors.
- Chalk or pencils.
- Threads and needles.
- Meter and tape measure.
- Iron.
- Decor elements - beads, rhinestones, stones, braid, etc.
What are the options for lengthening curtains?
There are quite a few options for how to lengthen a curtain with your own hands. The best of thempresented below. To understand in more detail how to lengthen the curtains, the photos attached to the descriptions will be needed.
Increasing the length of the curtains by ripping
This is the easiest way, which is suitable in cases where 5-6 centimeters are not enough for the optimal length and the weighting cord is not hemmed at the bottom of the curtain. There is always a supply of fabric in the hem, which can be unfolded and gently smoothed out, and the edge can be beautifully processed manually or with an overlock. You just need to look to see if the curtain has faded during operation and if there is a noticeable difference in color.
Increasing the length of the curtains with ruffles
With this processing option, the curtain will become not only longer, but also more elegant. It is necessary to take into account the color combination and texture of the fabric, as well as the architectural style of the premises. Ruches will look out of place in rooms decorated in a minimalist style, but are suitable for rooms in Provence and country style.
Increasing the length of the curtains with decor
Relevant if you want to know how to lengthen short curtains. Fringe, various pendants made of beads, rhinestones and stones, fixed on a suitable ribbon, can act as a decor. When choosing this option, keep in mind that this is a rather painstaking process that requires patience and perseverance from the performer. Otherwise, the unfinished curtain can lie in the box for a long time. And another warning is to carefully wash such a product, otherwise the whole decor will remain either in the washing machine or on your hands.
Increasing the length of the curtains with inserts
This method is suitable for those housewives who want to learn how to lengthen the curtains from the bottom with their own hands, and who love and know how to sew well, since in this option you will have to redraw the finished curtains, and this is a very difficult process. In rooms with low ceilings, inserts are made not in the center of the curtains, but in the middle part between the window sill and the bottom of the product. This visually increases the height of the ceilings. And in rooms with high ceilings, you can make an insert on the curtain, retreating 30-40 cm from the top. In this version, the color of the inserts should be in harmony with the color of the main curtain in colored products, and with the color of the wallpaper for plain curtains.
Increasing the length of the curtain with eyelets
Eyelets are metal or plastic fittings (rings on the legs and a washer for fixing them), to insert which a denser fabric will have to be sewn from above to the main curtain.
Currently, this is a fairly common method for attaching curtains, as it makes it possible to hang curtains without using curtain tape, hooks and other accessories, gathering them in beautiful and even waves. The diameter of the eyelet hole ranges from 2 to 5 cm and depends on the thickness of the cornice and the weight of the curtain fabric. The holes in the eyelets should be 1-2 cm wider than the diameter of the cornice itself - this will allow you to open the curtains completely freely and silently.
This option is good to use when lengthening tulle curtains. In this case, it should be borne in mind that the fabric in the upper part of the curtain will be located abovecornice, so between the cornice and the ceiling it is necessary to leave a place of the desired width. The cornice should be round, without hooks and clips. The fabric on which the eyelets are attached and the fabric of the main curtain should also match the pattern or be in contrast with each other.
Increasing the length of the curtain with loops
In this case, loops are sewn to the top of the curtain from the same fabric from which the main curtain is made, or a fabric that matches the texture, or braid or decorative rope is used as loops. There are many options here. The length of the loops is calculated based on the missing length of the curtains. However, it is necessary to ensure that when the curtains are hinged, the upper edge of the window opening is not visible. The width of the loops should be sufficient so that the impression of too sharp folds of the curtain is not created. To create a general composition in the room, you can make tiebacks, pillow covers on sofas and armchairs from the same material. The cornice in this version should also be round.
Increasing the length of the curtains with a lambrequin
Another option to lengthen short curtains is to use a pelmet. This is a decorative element across the entire width of the eaves, located at the top of the curtains. It consists of frills that directly cover the cornice itself and the upper part of the curtain. Sewing a lambrequin is a rather complicated matter, requiring certain knowledge and skills. Therefore, it is better to make a lambrequin in a specializedatelier, but you can fix it correctly yourself. Initially, it was believed that the lambrequin performs a purely decorative role and is able to “pull out” the curtains only visually. However, it is important to know that a special cornice is required to attach the lambrequin. It is on this detail that you can play by lengthening the curtain. To do this, the cornice for curtains is attached immediately above the window opening - that is, the length of the curtain increases by lowering the cornice, and the cornice for the lambrequin is located 10-30 cm higher, thus covering the upper edge of the curtains.
Increasing the length of curtains by combining options
- Sometimes one insert on a curtain looks like a patch and immediately reveals the hostess's intention, but two or more inserts is already a bold and innovative solution.
- The combination of a strip of fabric on which the eyelets are attached with the same fabric, but somewhere closer to the bottom edge of the curtain.
- Attached to the hinges and an insert from the same fabric from which the hinges are made, along the bottom of the product. Sometimes multiple inserts can be used in this variation.
- The combination of pelmet frills with ruffles along the bottom of the curtains, made of the same fabric, also gives brightness and a certain piquancy.
The above information will help you figure out how to lengthen the curtains from the bottom. The photos attached to them give a visual representation of the result. Thanks to this, you can choose a few more options for lengthening the curtains with your own hands - it all depends on the hostess's imagination.
The most important thing is getting startedexciting activity, you need to take into account many details, be neat and collected.
