How to Fold Curtains That Are Too Long

Using Curtain Clips

Choose curtain clips that are attached to hooks or rings. Curtain clips have a small alligator clip on the bottom and either rings or hooks on the top. Either style will work—it really just depends on the look you're going for. You can use as many or as few clips per panel as you'd like, but in general, using more clips will give your curtains a more luxurious, pleated look. On the other hand, using fewer clips might make your curtains look kind of stretched out. We recommend using 9 clips per panel because it makes the spacing super easy! If your curtains are a really heavy material, like velvet or brocade, purchase heavy-duty curtain clips. Check the packaging or online product listing to see how much weight each clip can support.

Fold the top of the curtain over so the curtains are the right length. Measure the length you want your curtains to be, then fold them over from the top. Make sure the fold goes toward the back of the curtain. Don't worry about spoiling the look of your curtains—you won't be able to see the fold from the front! If your curtain has tabs for the rod to slide through, cut these off with sharp scissors first. Otherwise, the tabs might be visible through the curtain when the sun shines through.

Clamp the curtain clips onto the fold so they're evenly spaced. If you're using 9 clips per panel, you don't have to do any measuring to make sure the clips are spaced perfectly. Start by placing a clip on either end of the curtains, then another right in the center. Add 1 more clip exactly halfway between the leftmost clip and the center, then 1 halfway between the middle and the right. You should have 5 total now. Place each of the remaining clips exactly halfway between the ones already in place, for a total of 9! No matter how many clips you're using, make sure they're spaced out evenly. Otherwise, some parts of your curtains will be too taut, while others will sag.

Slide the rings or hooks onto the curtain rod. If you're using rings, feed the rod through each ring individually, then mount the rod on brackets. If your clips are attached to hooks, just slide each hook over the curtain rod—you don't need to take the rod down. To keep your curtains from sliding too far when you close them, place the last ring or hook outside of the bracket on your curtain rod.

Creating a No-Sew Hem

Read the care label for ironing instructions. Some synthetic fabrics will melt if you iron them, while other materials require low heat so they don't get burned. If the tag doesn't specifically say anything about ironing, look for a symbol that looks like an iron—or sort of like the lowercase "a" on a computer keyboard. If you see: A plain symbol—it's safe to use any heat setting on your iron. A symbol with 1 dot—only use the lowest heat setting. A symbol with 2 dots—use medium heat. A symbol with 3 dots—use the highest heat setting. A symbol with an X—do not iron this fabric. Try creating a rod pocket or using curtain clips to adjust the length, instead.

Fold the bottom of the curtains under so they're the right length. There are two ways you can do this. The easiest way is to hang the curtains, then fold the bottoms under so they just graze the floor. However, you can also measure the length from the top of the curtain rod to the floor, then measure down from the top of the curtains. Just be sure to fold the fabric under, or toward the back of the curtains. If you're measuring, make marks with a disappearing-ink fabric pen, then fold the bottom of the curtains under so they match that measurement. Also, if the curtains will be hanging from clips or hooks, be sure to account for that. If you're folding the curtains while they're hanging, you don't have to take any measurements at all. For curtains that are way too long, you may have a lot of excess fabric left. You can trim this extra material at the end, but if you don't want to cut the curtains, make 2 or 3 folds so the excess material is tucked in neatly.

Pin the hem into place. As you fold the curtains under, slide straight pins horizontally through the fabric to secure it. You'll take these pins out later, so don't worry if they show through the front of the curtains. Sometimes curtains can actually be a little longer on one side than the other. If you're working by measurements, measure from the top down in several spots along the curtain's width to make sure the length is even—don't work from the bottom up! If you're worried about the pins falling out, use safety pins instead of straight pins.

Iron the fold to create a crease, removing pins as you go. Place your folded hem onto an ironing board and heat your iron to the appropriate temperature. Slowly run the iron along the bottom fold, but don't iron over the pins, since they could snag the fabric. If you used straight pins with plastic heads, be especially careful to remove them all, as the plastic will melt. If you pinned the curtains while they were still hanging, you can just put the ironing board right under the window where the curtains are hanging—no need to take them down! Iron both the top and bottom folds if you had to fold the curtain on itself more than once. Ironing the crease down will help keep the fold in place even without the pins.

Place a strip of iron-on hem tape inside the folded hem. If you made a small fold or you're planning to trim away the excess fabric, keep the tape close to the bottom of the fold. If you folded the curtain on itself several times, place the tape closer to the top crease so it will lay flat. Just make sure none of the tape is showing outside of the fold—if the adhesive touches the iron, it will make a sticky mess. It's okay to work in sections if the whole hem won't fit on the ironing board at the same time. If you're handy with a sewing machine, it's totally fine to stitch them down. However, iron-on hem tape will allow you to get a neat hem even if you don't have any sewing skills!

Press and lift the iron over the fabric to secure the tape. Place the iron onto the fabric right over the hem tape and press down for 1-2 seconds, then lift the iron straight up. Move the iron over to the next section of the adhesive and press down again. Keep going until you've gone down the whole length of the curtain. Double-check that the adhesive is completely covered by the fabric. Don't let the iron touch the hem tape, or it will stick to the iron plate. The heat will cause the adhesive to stick to both sides of the fabric, creating a durable hem. Always use a pressing and lifting motion. Don't run the iron over the adhesive—you might pucker the fabric, and it could stick that way.

Trim the excess fabric, if you'd like. If you left a lot of extra fabric folded up, you can trim it now with a sharp pair of fabric shears. Cut slowly so you get a straight line, but don't stress too much—the raw edge will be on the back of the curtains, so it shouldn't be visible.

Folding a Rod Pocket

Fold the curtain down twice from the top. Be sure to fold the fabric toward the back of the curtain so the pocket won't show. Make two folds—that way, you'll still have a pocket for the curtain rod after you glue down the first layer of fabric. However, if your curtains already have a rod pocket, just fold that over once—you'll still have a pocket when you're finished. Be sure the fold you create is at least twice the width of the curtain rod you're planning to use. This will ensure you can easily mount the curtain when you're finished. You can measure the distance if you'd like, or you can just eyeball it. If your curtains don't have a rod pocket and you only want to fold them over once, or if you're planning to sew the hem in place, leave a 1 in (2.5 cm) seam allowance.

Add pins to secure the pocket in place. Slide straight pins horizontally through the bottom of the fold that you made, or use safety pins if you'd prefer. This will create the bottom hem, but will leave the pocket open so you can slide the rod through. If you're just looking for a temporary fix, it's fine if you want to stop here! Just slide the curtains onto the curtain rod and hang them in place.

Place hem tape under the bottom fold for a no-sew fix. Place a section of the folded curtain on an ironing board in front of you. Remove a few of the pins, then place a strip of iron-on hem tape between the curtain and the innermost fold you made. Make sure none of the adhesive is showing—if it touches your iron, it will stick to the iron plate, making a big mess! If you'd prefer to stitch the curtains, use a heavy-duty sewing machine and work slowly. Just be sure to sew along the very bottom of the fold, and don't sew up the sides—you need the pocket to be open.

Iron the hem tape to secure it. Press your iron down over the folded fabric and hold it in place for 1-2 seconds. Then, lift the iron straight up. This will heat up the hem tape, making it stick to the fabric. Keep pressing and lifting until you finish that section, then repeat for the next section all the way down the curtain. Check the care tag to make sure your curtain fabric is safe to iron before you do this. However, since you won't be pressing the iron to the fabric very long, this will work on most fabrics—just place a cloth between the curtains and the iron and test it on low heat in an inconspicuous area.

Slide the rod through the pocket you made. There should be a gap between the second and third layers of folded fabric. This is your rod pocket, so just run the curtain rod through that gap. Then, you can hang your curtains like normal!