How to Upgrade Basic Curtains ~ Custom Looking Drapes with No Sewing Machine Required!
Today I’m sharing how to upgrade basic curtains in the most simple way that makes a massive difference. With just a few dollars and an hour or so I took my basic rod pocket drapes and made them look custom. You can too! My method is super simple and requires no sewing machine or tools or anything.
Why Bother with Curtains?
You can absolutely make your home beautiful on a budget. One of the ways to elevate a room is with curtains. Even if you don’t need the privacy of closed curtains, hanging panels on either side of your windows gives them presence and can add so much personality. It’s 100% worth it.
But curtains can be expensive! If I wanted basic white or cream curtains I could find them easily online. But I was looking for beautiful pattern and colour and that can be tricky to find and expensive.
I definitely wanted more interesting drapes for my dining room, but I MOST definitely wasn’t willing to shell out for custom. I won’t pay hundreds (or thousands!) for pre-made either.
I am admittedly very very choosey about colour and pattern. What’s a picky person on a budget supposed to do?
Enter my Favourite Curtain Source
If you’ve never checked out Society6 Drapes I encourage you to – but only if you want to get inspired and spend a bit of time admiring artists work! There is so much eye candy there. Plus, you’re supporting real artists with your purchase too. Win-win!
When I was curtain shopping (three years ago) I had a mission:
- a beautiful, organic-shaped design with specific colours:
- I wanted a rusty-clay (to tie into our Office-Music Room),
- a sage green (to tie into our kitchen cabinet colour),
- a light yellow (pulled from the drapes I made for the living room)
- and dark blue (a fave colour of Ed’s).
A tall order! And sounds like it could look like a dog’s breakfast with all those disparate shades, right?
I was able to find the perfect thing for me! I found a William Morris fabric that was blown up huge, which felt modern and fun. (My exact fabric is no longer available, but these are similar.)
But there was a problem…
The Problem with Basic Rod Pocket Curtains
My only problem with the Society6 drapes is they are all rod pocket.
Rod pocket curtains are efficient to make and keep the costs down. They just need to sew a tube at the top for the rod to run through.
They look ok, don’t get me wrong. But there are a couple of challenges.
2) And they hang a bit weird – they never drape evenly.
Totally liveable, of course! We lived with them for years while I tried to get up the energy to add rings to the top.
The reason I had to get up my gumption? To do it the perfect way I needed to take the top stitching out, sew header tape to the top, blind stitch it back together, add pinch pleat hooks and, finally, add the rings.
I was tired just from thinking about all the steps.
But then, two days ago I decided to NOT do it the Martha Stewart perfect way. (Did you know I’ve named my inner critic Martha Stewart? Her type of perfectionism plagues and paralyses me.)
Surely it doesn’t need to be this complicated? All that’s really needed was the rings on top.
I Figured Out How to Upgrade Basic Curtains Quickly and Easily. You Can Do it too!
The Tools Needed:
- Sewing needle
The Materials Needed:
- Thread
- Super affordable drapery rings – these are about 31 cents a ring! Available in black, bronze, gold and silver
I already had this drapery rod and finial set (It’s available in a number of lengths, if you’re looking.)
The Steps:
It took a few tries to get right; too close together made them drape funny, same for too far apart.
Each panel is 50″ wide.
I placed the first one in 1″, then spaced the rest 6″ apart.
I’m happy with it!
Just sew through the single back layer – this way your stitches won’t show through the front.
Be sure to sew right around the “neck” of the ring (shown above) – not just into the smaller circle.
If you just stitch to the circle the stitching will slide in the ring and you’ll see the little loop when it’s hanging. It will look weird.
(Ask me how I know. 😉 At least I only did three before I checked it in place.)
Then just hang your newly fancy curtains up.
I’m sure there’s a Martha approved way to do it using bespoke materials. But my method uses things found in the junk drawer.
In this case two elastic bands and an S-hook.
Simply pull the fabric between the rings forward and gather them together.
Then secure them together and let them “press” in the folds – without the sharp crease an iron would make.
Will you sob and say “I can’t believe this is the same room?!”?
No. But you will like that the drapes sit further back and let in more light. And that they drape a little more beautifully and open and close smoothly.
But you can see they hang smoothly in some areas and bunchily in others.
The rings spread more evenly and the panels drape in an elegant way.
They hang lower and puddle a bit on the floor, which I like.
Update: We added even more length and moved the rod up: all the details here: Drapes Too Short? 6 DIY Ideas To Lengthen Curtains ~ 3 are No Sew!
More of our Dining Room Projects:
- Drapes Too Short? 6 DIY Ideas To Lengthen Curtains ~ 3 are No Sew!
- How to Reupholster Dining Chairs – A Super Easy Beginner DIY Makeover Project!
- DIY Apothecary Cabinet Inspired Old Hutch Makeover (and where to find Apothecary Drawer Pulls!)
- Beautiful & Easy Faux Mercury Glass DIY Mirror Tutorial
- How to DIY Faux Board and Batten Paneling – the easy way!
More of our Window Projects:
Robin and Ed are a DIY-loving couple with over 25 years of design and build experience. Also, Robin is a Nutritionist and former Registered Dietitian and Ed is an award-winning Business Educator. We share strategies for living a rich life on a DIY budget: creative money-savvy ideas for a stylish home, healthy meals and family fun. Our work has been published in the pages of Do It Yourself, Farmhouse Style and Better Homes & Gardens magazines.
I’m definitely a ring person for all the reasons you’ve mentioned. I’m also slightly embarressed that I didn’t think of this simple and inexpensive fix on my own. I tried the pleating tape on my bedroom curtains and removed it as it was too heavy for the weight of the fabric. Thank you very much!
You’re so welcome, Suzanne! And thanks for your message – I was asking myself – is this just too simple and obvious to everyone but me? I’m so happy I wasn’t alone! 🙂