5 Mistakes You’re Making When Hanging Curtains

What you need to know before you hang your window treatments.

1. Not Measuring Correctly : The first thing you should do is measure your windows and make adjustments depending on how you want to hang the window treatments. It will save you another trip to the store if your curtains and rods are the right size.

2. Hanging Curtains Too Low : Hang curtain rods and draperies at the ceiling to make the room feel taller — this is especially important in small spaces.

3. Buying Curtains That Are Too Short : “For classic side panels, you really have to go all the way to the floor,” designer Scot Meacham Wood says. “If you’re looking at ready-made drapes, make sure that they touch the floor, even if you have to buy the next size up and have them hemmed.”

4. Not Thinking About Fullness : “Traditionally, you should be looking at 2 to 2½ times the width of the window for the fullness of the drapes,” Wood says. “So if your window is 4 feet wide, the ungathered panels should be at least 8 feet wide, or even better, 10 feet.”

5. Avoiding the Iron : Wrinkled curtains look messy. Don’t be lazy and think they somehow will become unwrinkled after a few days, steam or iron them before you hang them.