We have all seen those Pinterest pins on how to hang curtains. Hang the curtains high, wide, and let them touch the floor.  But what happens if you already have hung your curtains and they don’t meet these criteria?  What can you do? How can you fix your poorly-hung curtains?

Well, that’s the problem I have with the curtains we hung in ALL of our bedrooms. My kids’ bedrooms have really short, stumpy-looking blackout curtains, in comparison to those beautifully hung and styled curtains online. Our master bedroom has the curtains hung at the right height and width, but they don’t reach the floor. I am ready for a change but need to figure out how to fix these decorating blunders.

So I have found some easy tricks to fix my poorly-hung curtains.  To start, take the curtains down from your windows, remove the curtain rods, and make a game plan.

Height

Your curtain rods are supposed to be placed high above your window to give the eye an illusion that your window is taller than it actually is. This trick also works to make your room feel larger than it actually is. Your eye sees the height and automatically believes that the space and windows are tall.

If you want to fix your poorly-hung curtains, the first step is to figure out the height. To make your windows feel tall, hang your curtain rod about 4 to 6 inches above the window frame.  If you already hung your curtain rod next to your window frame, you might be able to get away with a simple patch-up over the holes, because the curtains might cover them!  If you have small holes, just use white soap.  Rub the soap over the hole until it is filled.  Then, your curtains should cover the white so you don’t have to repaint.

Width

The curtain rod should hang 10 to 15 inches longer than the window frame so that the curtains cover some of the walls. Again, this gives the illusion that your window is wider than it actually is, AND you get tons more light into your space! Since the curtains aren’t covering your window, you get more natural light.

I like to have one end of the curtains stop right where my window starts, so I am not covering any of the windows with curtains, only the window frame. When you hang your rod, make sure to add some width so you can get all the natural light and the appearance of a big window.

Length

To finish off the illusion that your window is gigantic and fix your poorly-hung curtains, your curtains must touch the ground.  Because of the line the curtains make with your eye, they need to at least touch the floor. No more hang-man curtains, or short curtains, in your space. There are a few ways you can have them touch the floor. One way to keep the illusion of a big window is to have your curtains float on the floor, which means that the bottom of the curtains just touches the floor.  Or, you can have your curtains pool on the floor, which means that there is some extra curtain that lays on the floor.

But, what if you already have curtains you love, and they don’t touch the floor?  Well, there are a few things you can do.  Either sew more fabric to the bottom of the curtains to make them long.  Possibly adding some detail about 2/3 down the curtain to give it some visual interest, and make it not look so obvious that you added fabric to your curtains.

You can also add the original fabric to a longer piece of fabric, which allows you to keep the beloved curtain, but keep your curtains at a proper length.

Another way is to layer the curtains.  Make three different sizes of curtains, attach them to one another, and hang.  This will allow you to keep your shorter curtains while keeping the long look that you are going for.

Finally, you could always find new curtains for that space and use your favorite curtains in another room with lower ceilings, turn them into accent pillows, or even a throw. Just because something does not work in one way anymore, doesn’t mean you have to get rid of it. Get creative!

Hang

Once you get your curtain rods to the correct size, and you have curtains that touch the floor, the next step to fix your poorly-hung curtains is to hang them. There are a few ways to hang curtains, and it actually makes a big difference in what you want your space to look like.

There are grommet curtains, which give your space a more casual feel.  Grommet curtains come with large circles that you slide onto your curtain rod.

You can hang your curtains with curtain rings, which allows your curtain a more formal feel.  You are able to get the pleats in the curtains that really dress up the space.

Some curtains have a space for curtain rods to slide on, which are sewed on the back.  This can be easy for opening and closing the curtains throughout the day.

And, you can always sew your curtains into place to keep the pleats and folds just where you want them, without having to worry that they might move.

Any way you choose to hang your curtains, make sure it works for the room, and for you!  If you need to open and close the curtains throughout the day, make sure you can easily slide them on your curtain rod.  If the curtains and just decorative, keep in mind how you want them to look in your space.

Color

So, if you decide to get new curtains or add to your beloved curtains, make sure that the color works for you.  Make sure you look good in that particular color.  I know it sounds silly, but decorate your home with colors that you look good in.  You live in that space day-in and day-out, right?  So why not make your home look good on you!

For me, I know blues, purples, whites, pinks, blacks, and browns work for me.  So, my house is completely decorated in those colors.  I might add some pops of green or yellow, but only as accents, because those colors don’t always look good on me.  I want to shine in my house, so why not decorate it to suite me?!?!

Do you think you are ready to fix those poorly-hung curtains?  Remember, take down the curtains and the rods. Measure your rods so that they are 4-6 inches higher than your window frame and 10-15 inches wider. Make sure your curtains touch the ground to give the illusion that your window and room are huge. Pick a way to hang the curtains that work with your room and needs. Finally, pick a color that looks good on you, since you want to shine in your own home!

Grab that drill and a bar of soap, and get to re-hanging those curtains, and you will see what a transformation your room will look, just by hanging your curtains properly!