Simple Solution to Lengthening Window Treatments

Here's a curtain dilemma for you. You've found the perfect curtains for your boy's room. Just what you wanted. You decided to wash them...and the tag said you could. The result? Your perfect curtain is now 6" too short? What can you do?

Our solution involved using 6yds of ribbon. (Wall color, SW Dovetail)

This particular room had two windows. So, two sets of

Grayson Grommet Window Panels from Target.

Since one window called for a shorter curtain than the other, we decided to take advantage of the extra fabric.

I cut off the extra length and hemmed the shorter curtains. Even though the longer panels were only 6" too short, I cut them off in order to add a 20" piece along the bottom. (This was more proportionate to the overall length of the panels.) 

I joined the curtain and the 20" piece by sewing a french seam. A french seam is when you sew the wrong sides of your fabrics together (as shown on the left of the sketch). Fold and iron the right sides of the fabrics together and stitch again (as shown on the right of the sketch) making sure to include the seam allowance in your new seam.   

source

Here's how it looks from the wrong side of the curtain.

I used the ribbons to cover the seam where I lengthened the panels.

 I stitched the darker satin ribbon on first, then overlapped and stitched the lighter gray grosgrain ribbon above it creating the illusion that this was what we intended from the very beginning!

There you have it. The perfect solution!

Photo courtesy of the homeowner. Thank you, Kristi!

So, for the next time you need to lengthen your curtains, or just want to add a bit of decorative detail, keep in mind this little ribbon trick.

If you've used any other tricks with your curtain dilemmas, I'd love to hear about them!

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