How to Make a Window Curtain With a Grommet Top

In our newest how-to video, we show you how to sew your own window curtains. These curtains have stylish curtain grommets at the top that slide on a curtain rod for easy opening and closing. Sewing your own curtains allows you to customize them to the exact size you need and also lets you select the fabric so you don’t have to settle for mass-produced, manufactured offerings. Not only will you learn how to sew curtains, but we’ve also got some neat tricks to help you make the process easier than you thought. Let’s get started!

The first step is to measure your window to determine the necessary width and height of your curtains. It only requires three measurements: the width of the window from casing to casing, the height of the window from the floor to the head casing, and the distance between the head casing and the curtain rod (usually 4 to 6 inches). Once you have these measurements, you can calculate how much fabric you need, and then comes the fun part — shopping for fabric! We offer a wide variety of upholstery fabrics to suit every style and décor.

Once you have your fabrics, it’s time to get to the sewing and assembly part. Is your fabric panel narrower than the width of your window? No problem. We’ll show you how to accurately sew fabric panels together to add to the fabric’s width so you can make a curtain of any size width. We’ll also show you how to add a lining to the back side of the curtains and how to transition the decorative front fabric to the back — what we call a fabric side return — so you don’t see the lining fabric at all, even when standing at the side of the curtain.

Finally, we’ll demonstrate how to install plastic or metal curtain grommets using the W-1 Hand Press tool and the Grommet Die Set & Hole Cutter. Once your curtains are finished and hanging on your curtain rod, we’ll show you how to train your curtains using clamps so they will have a nice, folded look.

We’d love to see the curtains you made following our how-to video! Post a photo in the comments below or tag us using #Sailrite on your favorite social media platform.