How to Make Floor to Ceiling Drapes
Floor to ceiling drapes are a dramatic counterpoint to any room. They can make low ceiling seem higher and small windows seem larger. Made from rich, luxurious materials such as satin or silk blends, they emit as much glamour as a floor-length ball gown. In gauzy cotton sheers, they evoke romantic balconies in the Italian countryside. Learn how to make floor to ceiling drapes yourself to have full control over their material and color and create exactly the mood you want in your room.
Measure the distance from the ceiling to the floor around the window you want to cover.
To determine the length of fabric that you need, decide whether you want to let the drapes pool at the bottom, or barely brush against the floor. Add between 3 and 8 inches to the ceiling-to-floor measurement for a pooling effect. Add a seam allowance for the bottom hem. Normally, you make a hem about 3 inches deep. Add 6 inches at the top that you will use to create a channel for the curtain rod.
To determine the width of your curtain fabric, decide how much you want the curtains to gather when they are closed. Make the curtains between 1 1/2 and 3 times as wide as your window, depending on the effect you want to create. Add a 1/2-inch seam allowance on each side for hemming.
Sew hems on the sides of the curtain panels to hide the raw edges of the fabric. Fold the sides over by 1/4-inch, and then another 1/4-inch, so that no raw edges are exposed. Stitch the side hems into place with a machine or by hand.
Sew a channel for the curtain rod. Fold the top of the curtain fabric over by 1/4 inch, and then stitch it into place. This will cover the raw edge when you make the channel. Fold over the channel 3 inches with the wrong sides together. Stitch it into place.
Sew the hem in the same manner as the channel. First, hang the curtain from the rod, so that you can determine the exact length you want the hem to be. Pin the hem to the correct length, and then stitch it into place by hand or with a machine.
