How to hem curtains and tulle to the desired length

In the modern world, it is impossible to imagine a comfortable apartment without curtains covering the windows. They bring a special mood into the room, protect heat, protect from sunlight during the day and prying eyes in the evenings. Curtains give beauty, allowing you to hide some of the shortcomings of walls, batteries or window frames.

But it happens that for various reasons (for example, when moving) it is necessary to shorten the curtains, because their length has ceased to suit you. This article details some simple ways to shorten curtains without using scissors. Even a novice who has no sewing education will cope with the execution of this work!

How to shorten the curtains without trimming them

Before you begin, ask yourself one most important question: “Do you really need to shorten the curtains at all?” More often, the answer is yes, yes. It is understandable, not a single hostess wants the bottom of her beautiful curtains, which is in contact with the floor, to accumulate a large amount of dust, which stains the curtains and can cause severe allergies in young children. Another most popular question: “And why not just cut the canvas with scissors? Why try to invent ways to shorten them without pruning? ”

The answer is very simple. If you cut the fabric, the canvas will no longer be complete and there will be no possibility to return the length that was originally, but in the opposite case, this possibility remains, which is very convenient and profitable. In addition, after trimming with scissors, an ugly edge remains that can not only spoil the appearance of the weight, but also begin to crumble. Let us examine some options for shortening the curtains without using scissors.

For all types of filing and shortening the curtains, there are several general rules.

• Pick a thread exactly to match the fabric. On a variety of materials a straight line will be almost invisible.
• For those materials that are very showered, before shortening it is worth processing the edges. Make it simple, sew the edges on a sewing machine with a zigzag stitch.
• Double hem fabric can be used for almost all cases. But it is not suitable for hemming and shortening lined curtains.
• Bending fabric requires a mandatory wit. You can do it manually. Do long stitches, additionally using pins.
• After you sweep away the fabric, iron the hem with an iron, as carefully as possible, so as not to get misaligned and unnecessary bends.

How to hem curtains on a sewing machine, instructions, methods.

If you have a sewing machine at home, even if it is the most common or Soviet, then perform any type of sewing work, and even a novice and inexperienced craftswoman who does not know a seamstress education can easily figure out how to carefully sew curtains on a sewing machine.

This method will suit you in the event that you suspect that the fabric after washing will begin to crumble and creep. The difficulty of this method is that it requires frequent pitch stitches.

The method is very simple, there will be enough knowledge of how to turn on the machine, insert the thread into the needle and hold the thread under the foot. Even if this information is new to you, you can look in the manual or search the Internet.

The algorithm of action is as follows.

• Before starting work, make measurements of the required length. To do this, attach a centimeter tape to the curtain and stretch it to the place where you would like the curtains to end. Then tuck the fabric so that you get the required length. Next, proceed to shortening.
• The length of the seam should be from 0.3 to 0.7 centimeters. This is the best option that will look as seamlessly and aesthetically as possible.
• At the beginning and at the end of the line there is no need to perform any processing or fixing manipulations. Just tie the threads together and you're done!

Hem the curtains with your hands without a machine. Instruction

But not every housewife has a sewing machine at home, and this device is relatively expensive to buy it at one time and only in order to shorten the curtains, the more it can be done manually and at the same time even in several ways!

• Before starting work make all necessary measurements. Use a measuring tape, a piece of soap or chalk for this purpose. Then spread the fabric on the floor, or on another flat and firm surface.
• When all necessary tags are made, fold the edges of the curtain.
• Secure the resulting hem with needles or pins.
• Use thin needles that do not leave behind themselves holes of impressive size.
• Take your time, hem as smoothly and accurately as possible.
• At the beginning and at the end of the line, leave the small ends of the thread, literally two or three centimeters.

How to shorten the tulle

It so happens that tulle also has to be shortened. This is especially true for kitchens, where it is customary to curtain windows with short curtains, and in homes with low ceilings. You don't always want to trim the curtains, leaving ugly raw edges, but there is a way out! Curtains can always be shortened without trimming, it is enough to show imagination, because this occupation is quite creative and very interesting.

How to do without cutting and not hemming, the secret of housewives how to make the required length.

In life there are also such cases when there are no machines, but I don’t really want to sew by hand.Do not worry, hostesses, and for you there will be some simple ways "for the lazy" that just do not require additional costs and a lot of time and effort from you.

For housewives who do not particularly want to form drapes and folds on tulle, there is one very simple and effective way to shorten curtains. It should be understood that this method is only suitable for thin, flowing fabrics. With thick curtain curtains this number will not work. It is worth warning that this method is very extravagant and not suitable for every interior.

The action algorithm is as follows:

• Place the tulle on the eaves and leave it overnight or for a day so that the fabric takes the desired shape.
• Insert a thick thread of wool or nylon into the gypsy needle with a wide eyelet. It is desirable that it is minimally different from the color of the curtain.
• Using the thread, roll the tulle into a roll of medium density, starting from the middle of the canvas, smoothly approaching the edges.
• Secure the resulting tulle roll with thread, tied in knots. They can be of any color.

They are relatively inexpensive and allow you to shorten the length of the tulle without hemming and trimming. On sale is a large selection of magnets for curtains, they can be in the form of butterflies, animals, flowers, and can be ordinary and almost invisible. But the hostess who decided to use this method may face a problem. Some magnets may turn out to be too weak and may not hold the curtains. So be careful and always check the magnets before you buy. It will save you from unnecessary expenses.

As a result, you get beautiful and unusual drapes and folds.

If you could not find in your city magnets for curtains, then use hairpins, crab sticks, pins and needles instead. But be careful, they can easily damage the fabric or inject.

With adhesive tape and iron

One of the easiest, and most importantly fast, ways to shorten the curtains is adhesive tape. It is also called cobweb.

In addition to the curtains themselves, the cobweb adhesive tape and the iron will still need two pins or needles, a sheet of A4 paper, an ironing board and a wet foam sponge.

Take the fabric that best fits curtains. A piece of 20 by 20 centimeters will be enough. This is necessary in order to make sure that the cobweb is glued and inadvertently do not spoil the curtains. When you are sure that the cobweb has completely dried and stuck, sharply shake the edges of the fabric.

Now proceed to shortening the curtains.

• Make sure the fabric is dry and flatten it. Place the masking tape between the fold layers. Pins for convenience, secure the folds.
• To glue the web to the tulle, iron it through a sheet of paper for about forty seconds.
• Heat the seam edges twice as long.

How to hem organza

Before stitching the organza curtain, cut edges should be treated, because the fabric is very fastidious and can crumble around the edges.This can be done on a sewing machine with the help of a seam “overlock” or “zigzag” at the maximum step. Also, after processing the edges, if necessary, sew the curtain tape, in order to hang the organza on the cornice.

If the organza has weighting agents along the bottom edge, then it should be hemmed from above. Make a hem of the required length and secure it with pins or needles. Get away and see the result. If it suits you, then boldly remove the organza tulle from the eaves and sew along the outlined lines.

How to hem double-sided curtains

The difficulty of shortening such curtains is that you don’t always want to do a hemming to spoil the appearance of the curtain with another, contrasting color on the reverse side. But as we have already found out, there is always a way out, and this situation is no exception. For starters, curtains need to hang on the ledge to take the desired shape. Then, remove them from the eaves and hem them to the desired length using the hemming method. And then sew to the edges of the tape, ribbon or lace, which will fit all two sides of the curtain in color.

First measure the tape, lace or tape of the required length. The tape is turned over on the curtain and ironed through paper or thin fabric so that the place of the fold is as smooth as possible. Then the braid, ribbon or lace for convenience is fixed with needles and sewn. It's simple!

Housekeeping tricks: how to shorten, trim and hem curtains

A few tips from experienced craftswomen will help to avoid unpleasant mistakes and make the work as quickly as possible, better and more beautiful.

• Before working with curtain curtains, process them, that is, decame.
• For thin matter, the way of the cobweb is not always suitable, so it is better to flash or fix them with magnets.
• Tulle and organza often come with weighting from below, so this material is usually shortened from above.
• It is not always necessary to trim the curtains. Pin them on 10-14 centimeters below and see from a distance how they look. If it is good, then it is better to put them on the adhesive tape or flash them.
• Blackout curtains should be bent once, otherwise an unnecessary weight will be created below, which will spoil the draperies and the whole appearance, and the lungs can be safely folded two or three times.

VIDEO: How to hem organza tulle.

50 options for curtains and tulle of different lengths in the interior: