How to Hem Curtains Without Sewing

When my husband and I first moved into our new home, I knew I wanted every room in the house designed with one particular look. I wanted the curtains mounted up high, just below the ceiling in every room. However, we couldn’t find the perfect length curtain panels that would fit our 8–foot ceiling height. The curtains we purchased were either slightly too short or extremely long. Curtains are already expensive as it is, and I definitely did not want to spend more money to take them somewhere for alterations! Feeling defeated, we determined that it was impossible to find the length we needed and decided to go ahead and purchase the excessively long curtain panels knowing we would have to get them altered.

Solution:

Then, I remembered a trick that my mom used to hem my and my brother’s uniforms in elementary school. She didn’t know how to sew, and it was costly to purchase uniforms for two growing kids who would outgrow them before the clothing was ever considered “worn out”. The solution? Heat n Bond! I was determined to use this cost-effective method to hem our curtains. I ended up hemming every curtain in our home this way, and it cost less than $5. (Thanks mom!)

Supplies:

• Heat n Bond
• Scissors
• Iron
• Ironing board (or piece of cardboard)
• Tape measure (optional)

Instructions:

Step 1: Measure how many inches of length you would like to take off of the curtain panel. I already had our curtains up. Therefore, I just folded the end of the panel back in order to determine how much length I wanted to take off based on how much they touched the floor. Easy, right?

Step 2: Once you determine how much material you want to take off, you can then place the curtain (front face down) on your ironing board. You can also use a piece of cardboard. Next, iron the fold to create a crisp, even edge of what will be the new end of your curtain. Ironing this folded edge first will make it easier to place the bonding strips and ensure the hem is straight. You can iron the fold as you go, right before laying the Heat n Bond strips (we’ll cover that in the next step.), or you can spread out the curtain and iron the entire folded edge all at once. Whichever you find easiest! I have a small ironing board, so I ironed it one section at a time.

Note: If you have an excessive amount of length that you would like to take off, you can use scissors to cut off the excess length. Just be sure to leave enough material to be able to fold over and bond. Cutting off excess material also allows you to choose how long you want the folded part at the bottom of the curtain to look.

Step 3: Cut and place the Heat n Bond strips. The top photo is an example of where the strips will be placed underneath the fold. After placing the strips under the folded piece (second photo), press your iron on the areas of the material where the strips lay underneath. Your iron should be on the highest heat setting. Press for about 10-15 seconds in each area until the Heat n Bond strips have melted. This will bind both sides of the curtain material together. I like to work with up to 12 inches of Heat n Bond strip at a time.

Note: If you’re working with a delicate curtain material, you can place a damp washcloth over the Heat n Bond sections. This will allow you to bind the material together without placing the hot iron directly on your curtain.

Step 4: Continue cutting, laying strips, tucking them between both pieces of material, and pressing with your iron for 10-15 seconds until you have successfully hemmed the entire bottom fold of your curtain panel!

Ta-Dah! I hope this was helpful in helping your save money on your next home project. Please let me know if you have any questions by leaving a comment down below.

xx Megan