How To Hem Curtains With A Sewing Machine

Last week, I shared a curtain trick that, while handy, is a bit obscure and probably not something you’re used to (you can learn how to extend curtains here). On the other hand, today’s curtain tutorial is one that I’m pretty sure most of you will find useful! I want to show you how to hem the curtains. And although there are many similar tutorials on the subject, I wanted to share my extremely simple and straightforward method to hang your curtains at the right length, every time, the first time!Read: how to hem curtains with a sewing machine: Unless you order custom curtains or happen to be very adept at hanging curtain slats at the exact height you need for your particular curtains, you will probably end up get into a situation, at some point, when you need to hem a pair of curtains that are too long. And you may even be inclined to take it and turn it off because it seems too difficult or you worry that you will do it wrong. I won’t lie… in all craftsmanship, measuring is NOT my strong suit, and I’ve hemmed the curtains to the wrong length more times than I care to. But the method I’m going to share today is not only easy but practical that will make sure your curtains are the right length… the first time! After I widen the master bedroom curtains, I still need to deal with their length…But in about 20 minutes (from start to finish) and no measurements (seriously!), I’ve hemmed the curtains to the perfect length!

Method

Contents

Now… I came up with this method for hemming curtains for some reason. First, like I said, even if I’ve measured it correctly and tested it twice, without fail, I’ll still hang up my new edging curtains and they’ll still be too long or too short. Then I would have to pull the hems out to reduce them or raise them more. Furthermore, even when I trim the blinds to a consistent length at the bottom (e.g., 2 inches above the full width of the panel), it seems that they are too short at the ends and too long in the middle. Has anyone else had that problem? Tired of never getting it right, I decided to pull up my curtains the way my mom used to hem my pants: instead of taking my pants up XX” around, she would let me wear them. and then will pin them up so that they fall to the same height all the way. Outright disclaimer: I’m pretty sure this is NOT the “proper” way to hem curtains, but it really works! Ready to see how?!?!

Supplies needed

Curtains are too long
Straight Pins
Sewing machine
Coordination theme
Ironing board and ironing board
Erase ruler or ruler (optional)

Hang your curtains

Before you hem the curtain, hang the curtain rod(s) to your preferred height and proceed to hang the curtain on the rod.TIP! Some curtains shrink a lot, so if you plan to wash your curtains often, prewash them before you hem them!

Curtain Pins

Read more: How to make an iceberg chest Next, decide where you want to land the bottom of the curtains. Personally I like my curtains to just touch the floor, so it makes measuring (or rather not measuring) pretty easy. To get your blinds to touch the floor, start at one side and lean slightly toward the floor so the curtain hangs straight down. On the curtain, mark where the floor/carpet comes into contact with the wall/baseline with a pin.Work your way across the entire curtain panel at 8-10 inch intervals, always making sure the curtain is pulled straight down before marking your desired spot with a pin.NOTE: I don’t take into account whether the pin aligns with the previous pin, or if each pin is equidistant from the current border. Instead, I focused on creating a pin line that joins the same spot on the wall/floor as the curtain hangs straight down.If you want the curtain to hang 1 inch from the floor, you can adapt this method by using a ruler instead of the wall/floor to place the pins. Still draw the blinds straight and taught to space them on the panel, but take the ruler (placed on the floor but stand upright) and place a pin on the curtain at the 1″ point (or 2″ or 3″, etc.). Plus, by hanging and straightening your curtains and relying on an outside source for measurements (gauges), you’re more likely to have a perfectly straight and perfect hem!

Folding and Ironing Hem

Next, remove the blinds from the curtain rod and move them to a heat-safe surface like an iron. Place the curtain RIGHT FACE DOWN with the bottom of the curtain resting on the iron.NOTE: I should note here that you don’t need to cancel the existing border (unless you really, really want to). I always keep the extra length as I often have to readjust our curtains in future homes. As such, I use the existing border as the finishing edge of the new border. If your curtains don’t have a finished hem, be sure to fold the raw bottom edge up at least 1 and then another 1 before continuing. If you have a spare length, I’d like to fold my curtains 1″ then 4″ first before creating the final hem (as shown below). This will help keep the inside of your curtain rim clean rather than frayed, torn edges. To create a new border, simply fold the bottom of the curtain up (towards the back of the curtain) along that pin line. generated while the curtain is still on the bar. Once you’ve folded the bottom section the width of the panel, pin it in place along the top of the border (vertical pins shown below).Before sewing the hem into place, iron your edge crease for a nice, neat crease. Use steam here as needed to make it nice and flat. Read more: Adandon train game how to run away

Sewing Hem on the spot

With the hem “measured,” stapled and ironed, load your sewing machine with a matching thread and sew the hem into place according to the width of the panel. I like to sew about 1/8″ – 1/4″ in from the finished edge.TIP! You can certainly use n-bond thermal tape under your hem here to turn this into a seamless project. However, iron products are rarely removable and I always like to have the option to take my bezel off!TIP! If you don’t anticipate changing the hem anytime soon, a standard stitch length is fine. However, I always like to lengthen my stitch length by 3 or 4. It also holds the fold and is easier to pull out when I need to sew the hem again!Take the time to press your curtains (the entire curtain) one last time before hanging them up again.Then step back and enjoy your perfectly bordered curtains!I don’t know if this is the way you “have to” to trim your curtains, but for me it was a game changer! Not only am I excited about how quick and easy it is, but because I know the border will turn right, I’m more motivated to actually get it done! I hope you guys love this curtain border hack as much as I do! Have you ever bordered curtains this way? Do you have any other tips I should try? Read more: how to turn on a gas oven without electricity