How to hang Made to Measure Curtains

Transforming your living spaces with beautiful, made to measure curtains is a sure way to add elegance and style to your room. You will need to hang your luxury curtains carefully to make sure you achieve the very best look.

Here is a guide to hanging a curtain pole, a curtain track and also explaining how to hang your curtains properly.

How to put up a curtain pole

1. To measure for a pole, first measure the width of the window recess. Your pole should extend at least 15cm on each side to allow your curtains to fully block any light, when drawn shut, so add a total of 30cm to your recess measurement. This is the width your pole should be. Here is how to measure for curtains.
2. Most poles or tracks are positioned 12-15cm up from the top of the window. Use the spirit level to to mark a straight line.
3. To fit your pole or track you will need to drill into a wall, so it’s best to check before you start that there are no pipes or cables nearby. 
4. Curtain poles usually require two brackets towards either end of the pole, positioned 10cm in from the end, for longer poles you will need 3 brackets, (the third one fixed in the centre of the window).
5. Fit the brackets, place the pole in them and once you have counted the rings required and placed them on the pole with one or two rings on each end between the finials and the bracket, then screw the pole to the brackets to secure it.

How to fit a curtain pole

1. You will need a tape measure, screwdriver, step ladder, spirit level, and a curtain pole complete with finials and curtain rings.
2.  It would be advisable to use a cable detector to confirm that there are no pipes or electric wires in the wall cavity before proceeding, if applicable.
3.  The pole width, which is determined when you have decided where you want the curtains to sit in the window: advise it should extend 10 – 20 cm cm on either side of the window, depending on the position of the window in the room and how far you wish to draw back the curtains.
4.  Use a spirit level, pencil, and tape measure to indicate the location where the brackets will go.
5.  From here, drill into the areas that have been marked, being careful to use the proper drill bit for the material you are drilling into (i.e. stone, plaster or wood).
6.  Add wall plugs for additional support. Set your brackets over the holes and fasten them with screws.
7.  All our bespoke, made to measure curtains are supplied with curtain hooks, so all that’s left to do is attach them through the curtain eyelets, or track gliders, and you’re done. Make sure you have the same amount of curtain hooks to rings.

How to put up a curtain rail

1. You must decide where on the window area the curtains will eventually hang before you can install a curtain rail. We advise allowing 10cm above the window, with up to 30cm on either side, to prevent the curtains covering too much of the window when  drawn back.
2. Once the length of the rail has been determined, mark the location of the brackets with a pencil.
3.  Drill the holes where the markings are, and then secure the brackets with screws. You should always use wall plugs and place these in the wall before inserting the screws and brackets.
4. Count how many eyelets you have on your track and match them to the number of hooks in the header (you might have to adjust these).
5. The final step is feeding each curtain hook attached to the back of the curtain headers, through the eyelets on the curtain rings – we provide curtain hooks with all of our made to measure curtains.

How to hang curtains with hooks or rings

Your made to measure curtains will arrive from us neatly folded and packed in a box for posting.

1. Remove the curtains from the box, the curtain hooks will already be fastened to the heading tape, which is sewn onto the reverse of the curtain.  If they are not attached you will need to insert these into the pockets on the tape, make sure you have the same number in each curtain:  Place them on top of the tape and begin spreading them out; if necessary, position them to ensure that they are spaced evenly throughout. Once you are certain where each hook will go, insert each hook into its respective pocket by placing the long side of the hook under the pocket, pushing it upward until it rotates, and then resting it in position as shown below. we recommend one hook every 4 pockets.

2. If the pole or track cannot be reached from the ground, a step ladder will be required to hang the curtains. It’s best to have assistance holding large or heavy curtains at the foot of the ladder while you attach the curtain hooks at the pole if possible. To do this, attach each hook to either the loop on the track or the eyelet on the curtain ring, working your way in from the outside of the pole or track.

How to hang pencil pleat curtains on a track

You will have a 3″ or a 6″ header tape for pencil pleat curtains (below), which means you can modify the height of your hooks on at least 3 different levels, as seen in Image 1 below. 

3″ Pencil Pleat 6″ Pencil Pleat

You’ll find a strip of curtain tape stitched across the top of your curtain. This heading tape will usually have three rows of string threaded through it. These strings have to be pulled in order to achieve the gathered look that you’re aiming for.

Before you go any further you need to tie a knot in one end of all of the strings or they might just come all the way through and out the other side. Sometimes the ends have been machine stitched down, but if you can, it’s always a good idea to tie them off on the outside edge of each curtain.

Now you can pull up the strings… take hold of all three and try to pull them evenly. You’re aiming for each curtain to be pulled up to the width of half of your track plus a centimeter or two for overlap.

Once you’ve done this it’s a good idea to offer them up to the window to check that they are the right size, before tying off the strings. It’s also a good idea to use a slipknot for this end so that you can adjust them or undo them if you’re able to wash the curtains. Then distribute the gathering evenly across the width of the curtain.

Our made to measure curtains are already pulled up to suit the size of your window and the strings already tied.

This heading tape is ideal if you ever want to use the curtains in a different window, giving a varying curtain length of a few inches.

The pencil pleat curtains can be hung on a track by placing each curtain hook into the eyelet on the track glider after deciding where on the tape to place it – Image 2. 

Image 1 – 3” pencil pleat tape

Image 2 – curtain track gliders

Undecided on which curtain style you prefer? Here is what the different types of curtains are and how to choose between them.

How many hooks do you need for pencil pleat curtains?

In most pencil pleat heading tapes there are threeto four  rows of pockets to choose from. Which pocket you choose depends on how long or short you would like your curtains to be. The benefit of having three options is that your curtains can be adjusted easily by 1 to 3 inches. Hooks should be placed in the heading tape every four pockets or so, depending on how many runners or hooks you have. Standard tracks don’t tend to be very generously supplied with runners or hooks so it’s always a good idea to buy an extra packet or two.

You cannot hang curtain poles or tracks without drilling

Brackets supporting your curtain pole or track need to be firmly fastened into place after drilling holes into the wall using wall plugs and screws, enabling the curtains to be drawn in and out dependably.

How to get creases out of new curtains UK

Your curtains will be packaged carefully inside a box, with as few creases and folds as possible.  However, invariably there will be a crease or two, you can use a steamer to remove these; we advise doing this after the curtains are hung. If the curtains are long, use a step ladder to reach the top and steam all areas smoothing out any creases.

Traditional irons won’t work to remove creases from your brand-new curtains, and trying to iron them on an ironing board is awkward and difficult to manage. To remove the creases from your fabric, use steam iron or, better yet, a clothes steamer. These are hand held affordable, and simple to purchase online. 

How to make curtain tie backs

As part of our Made to Measure service we can make curtain tie backs for you, bespoke to your pair or single curtains; you can select to have them made as you place your online order.

The pair of curtains, or single curtain, will serve as the primary source of fabric for the tie backs. These can be self-piped or finished with a contrast fabric of your choice, as shown in the image below.

Tie backs are useful and stylish, helping to contribute to the aesthetics of a window and definitely increase light in a room, which is particularly helpful for smaller rooms and/or windows. 

Tie backs also assist in preventing potential scuff marks over time, especially if the curtains are in a busy doorway.

What is the best curtain track for heavy curtains?

For a track that will cope with large Made to Measure curtains, we recommend the 3900 Curtain Track from Silent Gliss. Once the curtains are attached and the track is set up with a cord tensioner, it can support a pair of curtains weighing up to 22 kg. You can manually pull the cord to draw the curtains maintaining an extremely smooth handle, gliding seamlessly on the track with ease.

Why do you put curtains on the ceiling?

If, for instance, you don’t have much room to hang curtains around your window, then hanging them from the ceiling instead would work as an alternative. To fit ceiling curtains, you will need a curtain rod that is set in place, from which you can measure the drop or length of your curtains thereafter.

The light that enters your room through your window is maximized when your curtains are hung at ceiling level, and the room looks larger since the walls appear higher; suitable for both low and high ceilings. 

How to hang curtains from the ceiling

Ceiling curtain poles or tracks can be attached to the ceiling by screwing them directly into mounting holes, just as you would for the walls. You will need a drill, tape measure, pencil, step ladder, screws, and wall plugs if necessary, to hang your ceiling curtains. 

To hang the curtains, mark the locations of the mounting holes or brackets with a pencil, drill through the marks, install the brackets or mounting holes, and then fasten everything with screws as necessary. Please utilize wall plugs to add additional support if the curtains being hung are extremely heavy, screw the pole into position and use finials to stop the curtains falling off the track.

How to hang pencil pleat curtains from ceiling track

Curtains with pencil pleats, cottage pleats and pinch pleats can be hung from a ceiling pole or a track. Curtains with tab tops and eyelets must be hung from a pole. In order for the curtains to concertina back properly, pinch and goblet pleat curtains can be hung from a track or pole, but because they hang underneath both, the track or pole will be clearly visible.

How to hang curtains with radiator under window

Combine a roman blind  and curtains if your windows have radiators underneath. When the radiator is on, you can  lower the blind, and when the radiator is off, you can draw the curtains. You could choose short curtains, which only fall to the top of the radiator but full length curtains are more efficient at insulating and always look so much better.

You will need a pencil, step ladder, tape measure, drill, and spirit level to hang your curtains. Once your custom curtains have been unwrapped and the hooks have been properly inserted,  feed each hook through the curtain eyelet or track glider, working your way in from the outside.

Here’s how to choose between curtains and blinds and why you should consider both.

How to hang pleated curtains on a pole

We have two heading options for our pleated curtains: a double pleat header and a triple pleat header. Both will have uniformly spaced curtain hooks that are already attached to the heading tape (the reverse of the headings that you see below), and are ready for you to insert directly into the curtain ring eyelets on your pole.

Double Pleat / Tripe Pleat

There are many pros and cons to curtains, so consider them against both roman blinds and roller blinds to get the best window covering for your rooms.

Looking for curtains for your home? Try our made to measure curtains selection or browse our entire selection of curtain fabrics. Get luxury curtains for less when you choose from our sale curtains selection.

Vanessa

Founder and owner of Vanessa Arbuthnott Fabrics. Vanessa creates content around fabric types, blind styles and curtain designs to best suit the needs of Vanessa Arbuthnott customers.