The question of how to properly and beautifully lengthen curtains may arise for any housewife. There are different reasons for such a decision: after washing the fabric shrunk, there was a desire to make changes to the design of the curtains, the new apartment has higher ceilings and larger windows, etc. Let's find out ways to beautifully lengthen curtains from the bottom.
Extending the curtains
Methods
Today, many people have the opportunity to turn to professionals for help. To correct your curtains, a specialist will come to your home and discuss the style and color of the product with you, as well as take all measurements. However, not everyone has the opportunity to call a designer to their home or wants to create a masterpiece to decorate a window with their own hands. In this case, this article will help you do your own lengthening of curtains.
It's another matter if the curtains are very short. In this case, you will need to find a way to lengthen the curtains so that they look original and beautiful. The main thing is that the new curtains bring complete harmony to the overall interior design. There are several methods you can use to solve this DIY problem.
"Framed"
Framing the curtains around the perimeter with contrasting fabric is a technique that will make the curtains stand out!
The “frame” can also be colored or matched to the color of the print applied to the curtains.
Other fabric
You can lengthen the curtains at the bottom with another fabric. At the same time, they try to use curtain fabric in the same style as the main material from which the curtains are made. If you need to lengthen the curtains by 10-15 cm, just undo the hem at the bottom and carefully iron the edge. However, this option is suitable if, when sewing the curtain, the hem was made of sufficient length. By opening the seams, releasing the remaining fabric and ironing the fabric well, the changes in the product will be invisible, as in the photo.
If the material from which the curtains are made has been in use for more than one year, it may lose its original color. Therefore, from above, between the main fabric and the released hem, a clear contrast will be noticeable. In this case, you can completely shorten the curtains and use them for the kitchen or bathroom, where they will fit in more successfully.
Is it possible to lengthen short curtains?
The parameters of the finished product can almost always be changed: if the fabric is transparent, dense. Pattern and shade do not matter. If necessary, an original combination of materials with different translucent properties is created.
This will further improve the design of the room. The likelihood of spoiling the item is minimal, since work to increase the length of the item is most often simple and does not take much time.
Advantages of this solution:
- changing the parameters of the canvas, due to which a new product of the required length is obtained;
- the design of the curtains is improved, and at the same time the windows, as well as the room;
- it becomes possible to update an old product;
- imperfections are hidden - this method is used to remove an area of fabric on which a stain has appeared or the fibers of the material are damaged, in this way a second life is given to the canvas;
- An accent is created in the design of the room if the curtains are extended using bright fabric.
This method also has disadvantages:
- the need to carefully select the material to change the size of the product: consider different options that differ in tone, pattern, texture, while taking into account the properties of the source material;
- any improvements to the canvas will affect the visual perception of the window and the room: the free space or size of the opening may visually decrease;
- there is a risk of changing the translucent properties, especially if a stripe is added in the center.
Update
If you don’t want to part with the length of these curtains, you can cut off the problematic lower part of the curtains and lengthen the curtains from below: the photo shows how to do this beautifully. Women who know how to do this will make the new seam invisible. Of course, it is difficult to choose a pattern and color of fabric that would successfully match the main fabric. But you can choose a contrasting fabric that will match the curtains and look stylish. So, you can add a red hem to the bottom of light curtains, and fabric with a golden or silver tint, as shown in the video, will suit dark curtains.
Looking for a few centimeters
Often, after washing, the minimum distance from the floor is not calculated, although there are more “severe” cases when a rather large piece of fabric disappears into nowhere (somewhere). If housewives are faced with the first problem, then more often complex manipulations are not needed. But this method is not suitable for transparent materials.
- First, rip out the bottom allowance, since it is usually processed into a hem.
- Having straightened the hidden centimeters, the fabric is ironed so that the seam marks disappear.
- The cut is processed differently - with an overcast seam, facing or edging with contrasting fabric.
This simple method has a “contraindication”: if the curtains have already faded and the difference has become noticeable, then it is better to abandon it. Fabric of different shades, with sharp borders, will not look very nice.
Pendants
A very beautiful extension of curtains is performed using original pendants, which can be found in specialized stores. Such pendants can be made in the form of tassels made of bright silk threads, Swarovski glass, beads and pearls. Using this method, you can lengthen the curtains if they are short and achieve the length that you need. In addition, beautiful pendants can add special charm and elegance to the interior of your room. You can also make your own pendant that will fit perfectly into the style of your interior. To lengthen curtains made of fabric or tulle, you can find the right solution yourself. All that remains is to attach these products to the bottom edge of the canvas and your curtain will acquire the length you need. This method is not suitable if the curtains are very short. But even in this case, pendants can perfectly decorate a window opening.
Top stripe
A plain stripe at the top is a good idea for curtains or curtains, either plain or patterned.
It is better to stitch the strip onto heavy curtains and gathered curtains. Light tulle with shallow tails can be attached to the extension strip using Velcro tape (Velcro).
The stitched strip can be decorated with stitched folds, guipure, or you can go an unconventional route and sew a durable but weightless transparent mesh to a thick curtain.
Frill
Ruffles on curtains look very beautiful, especially on the kitchen window. This method must be approached carefully so as not to disturb the overall appearance of the product. If you have decorated your room in a minimalist style, then you should not lengthen the curtains with flounces and lush ruffles at the bottom. It’s better to create something airy and light:
- It is advisable to select the fabric for frills so that it matches as closely as possible not only in color, but also in texture with the main fabric;
- Ruffles are strips of fabric that can be of different widths;
- In order to lengthen the curtain, we cut straight strips of fabric of the required length, plus for hemming and for stitching with the main fabric. At the same time, the length of the fabric strip should be almost one and a half times longer than the width of the curtain;
- Be aware that for frills made from thin and soft fabric, you need to prepare a longer piece of material than from regular fabric. This is necessary so that the frill can be assembled more tightly to preserve the beautiful appearance of the folds. For a pleated ruffle, you need to cut the length of the fabric three times the length of the stitching section.
Application
There are many other ways to beautifully lengthen short curtains with your own hands: using fabric loops, lambrequins, transverse inserts, etc. You can practice any methods yourself, and your curtains will take on the desired format, and the interior of the room will sparkle in a new way. It is worth noting that if your curtains belong to the category of luxurious and very expensive curtains, you should not try to lengthen them yourself. It is better to give such expensive things to professionals for restoration. You can use any method to lengthen your curtains. The main thing is that you use your imagination and try to do the work carefully. All the methods described above can be used not only in extreme cases when you need to lengthen the curtains. They are also suitable for cases when you just want to change the design of curtains that you already have your eye on. Moreover, a do-it-yourself elongated curtain will always look more elegant and prettier.
Adding a second piece of canvas
This is one of the simplest methods because it is simply attached from below. To do this, you need to make the correct calculations and process the slices. To do this, it is not at all necessary to look for the same material of the same color, these nuances matter, but you can combine different colors and textures.
The main thing is that it looks harmonious as a whole and in the context of the interior of the room.
Instructions:
- The width of one canvas and the piece that is not enough in height are measured. To the first value you need to add three centimeters on each side. And the height of the additional fabric will be equal to the amount of the original figure, plus 3.5-4 cm (bottom seam and top indentation).
- It is necessary to process the sides and bottom of the additional rectangle, with the cut inward, and work with the top edge so that the fabric does not fray (manually or on an overcasting machine).
- When both parts are ready, fold them with the right sides inward and the cuts facing each other, baste them, then stitch them 0.5-1 cm from the cut.
- All that remains is to give the product a presentable appearance and iron the corners the way you want to see them as a result. Ready.
The fabric may be identical to the color of the curtains, but inserts made from a different fabric will look much more interesting.
Important! If the curtains consist of two parts, you need to take care of symmetry - make the same measurements and indentations.
Using rings
Lengthening the curtain with rings is an interesting idea. Wooden rings are good quality, but expensive. Wood-look plastic fittings are a worthy budget replacement.
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What length is considered correct?
Before you start cutting new curtains, decide what effect you want to get from them. For window decoration, it is customary to use the following options:
- Curtains that don't quite reach the floor. The distance between the curtains and the floor covering is 5–6 cm. This option is used most often since the products are not exposed to contamination. It should be borne in mind that they are not suitable for rooms with low ceilings, as they visually make the room lower. These curtains are the most difficult to sew. It is very easy to make mistakes in calculations.
- Curtains to the floor. They visually lengthen the room and make it more solemn. They do not always turn out to be ideal in size due to uneven floors in the room. If the curtains are slouchy, then this oversight will be invisible.
- Curtains reaching to the windowsill. They are usually hung in the kitchen or dining rooms. Errors at the stage of measuring the window length lead to incorrect calculations.
Measure your curtains, they may just seem short to you. If they do not fit the described options, then you can safely take up threads and scissors.
Conclusion
Housewives often wonder what to do if the curtains are short: the tulle has shrunk after washing or the yardage of fabric purchased at a sewing store has been calculated incorrectly. Therefore, it is necessary to have an idea of what options for solving the problem already exist, and what nuances must be taken into account during the work process in order to clearly adapt the alteration to a specific situation.
The missing centimeters can be added both from below and from above.
Various ruffles, eyelets and lace can help very well - refresh the interior and give it atmosphere and sensuality, and also, with the right approach, reflect the inner world of the owners.
Such attributes can add additional zest to the room.
Bathroom curtains made of polyethylene materials
This material has several advantages. It is waterproof, you can choose any design or pattern, and it is low in price. However, one of the main disadvantages of polyethylene is its fragility. This material wears out quickly and also absorbs dirt.
Polyethylene curtains soon become unusable; they often tear very quickly, and it is almost impossible to remove mold or stubborn dirt from them. But it is precisely due to their low price that polyethylene curtains are very popular, because they can be changed often, each time changing a boring interior.
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