Everything you need to know about hanging curtains
By Amy Kilvington
Now that you’ve purchased your new curtains from Blinds Direct, it’s time to hang them so that they look their best.
There are many different types of curtains to choose from, with different headings including pencil pleat, eyelet, pinch pleat, tab top and wave pleat. Each heading requires a slightly different approach to hanging efficiently. We explain it all below…
How to hang pencil pleat curtains
Pencil pleat curtains require a little precision and patience in order to look their best. Before pulling the cords of your curtain heading, double check the size of your window to ensure your gathered curtains will cover the full width (pencil pleat curtains should be half of the original width once the cords have gathered the fabric).
Now it’s time to secure the cords at one end of your header. When secured, take hold of the cords at the unsecured end and pull them gently and evenly to create a gathered effect. Tie the cords once you are satisfied. You can now attach your hooks at equal points across the header tape.
Once the hooks are in place, it’s time to hang your curtains. Attach each hook to the rings along your pole. If possible, get someone to assist you, especially if your curtain fabric is heavy. Try to retain the pleats you’ve created when hanging your curtains. If needs be, when fully hung, you can make each pleat more crisp by using a hand held steamer.
Finally, remember to attach the final hook to a ring between the bracket and the finial, ensuring that your curtains never pull further than necessary when closed.
How to hang eyelet curtains
Eyelet curtains are the quickest and simplest curtains to hang. Simply thread your curtains onto the pole. Your curtains should naturally fall into a pleat once they’re hanging, but to amplify the effect and help your curtains to ‘remember’ their pleat, gather each piece of curtain fabric into tight, neat pleats and secure with strips of fabric or string. Leave for 24 hours or speed up the process with a steamer.
How to hang pinch pleat curtains
Pinch pleat curtains are hung in a similar manner to pencil pleats. First, you need to lay your curtain out on a clean surface and consider where your hooks will be placed. Once you’ve decided, insert your first hook slightly to the side of the first pinch pleat, ensuring it goes through all layers of fabric.
Continue this process with a few more hooks, before testing out how the curtain will look by hanging it. If you’re happy with the appearance, take it down and continue to add the rest of the hooks. Again, it’s good to have some assistance, especially if your curtain fabric is heavy.
When all hooks are in place, you can attach your curtains to the rings. The final result should be neat, crisp and even pinch pleats.
How to hang tab top curtains
Much like eyelet curtains, tab top curtains offer fuss-free installation. Simply thread the curtain pole through the loops of your curtains, keeping the final tab at the outer side of your bracket to prevent the curtain from closing too far across the window.
Tab top curtains work well with tiebacks or holdbacks, which keep them held back neatly when your curtains are open. Consider coordinating tiebacks or opt for a statement holdback that complements the fabric and the rest of your decor.
How to hang wave curtains
Wave curtains feature a waved heading tape, and are paired with our surge curtain tracks to create a smooth and neat wave effect. The fabric is naturally manipulated into even pleats, so you needn’t worry about gathering cords. Within a surge curtain track, a specially designed glider cord restricts the extension of the fabric, so the curtains are closed, the fabric will never extend beyond 6 centimetre increments.
You can place your hooks into your curtain fabric to achieve the wave depth that you desire. They then hook easily onto your track. Find out more in our wave curtains blog post.
More tips for hanging curtains
Make the process easier and ensure your new curtains look their best with our top tips. First, remember that it’s much easier to hang your curtains if you have someone help. When attaching your curtains to the pole, get someone to hold the weight of the fabric, especially if it’s particularly heavy.
You should always remember to attach the final curtain hook between the bracket and the finial, preventing your curtains from sliding too far along the pole. If you are using a curtain track, attach the final hook to the fixed glider at the end.
And finally, use our pleat forming trick to ensure your new curtains have neat and even pleats. When hung, simply gather the fabric together into neat pleats and secure with string. Leave them overnight to ‘set’ your pleats (or speed things up with a steamer!)
For more advice on hanging your new curtains, don’t hesitate to get in touch with a member of the team. Get in touch with us here – we’re always happy to help.
