The price difference between custom draperies and off-the-shelf curtains is not slight – choosing something ready made saves you THOUSANDS of dollars! Of course, the trade off is that you don’t have the same customization options. Ready made curtains tend to come in three standard lengths: 84″ 96″ and 108″ (not counting the short length of 63″, which IMO only belongs in a kid’s room.)

Ideally a curtain will hang about 1/2″ off the floor if you are going for that floor-to-ceiling (wonderful) look. You can see an example of this in this project we did using Pottery Barn curtains here (I *love* grommet-top drapes because they hang so beautifully!):

But what do you do when your window heights don’t fit one of those standard lengths? This great question came up during our recent AMA (Ask-Me-Anything) when Melanie from Seattle asked:

“Is there a rule of thumb for THE length oF full length window coverings/treatments? I purchased a set from West Elm (maybe a mistake) and the length I got seemS a little too short. The next length up seemed super long. Disappointed and confused…”

Melanie hadn’t made a mistake in purchasing West Elm curtains (we source curtains from West Elm, Crate & Barrel, Anthropologie, and lots of other retail sources all the time), but she was certainly facing a common problem. Maybe builders and curtain manufacturers should have a little chat with one another because it does seem like window trim is often hung at a height that creates just the situation Melanie is in – 84″ is too short, 96″ is too long. What do we do?

3 Ways to Make Sure you get a Perfect Hang-Length

1) Get the 96″ length curtains and re-hang your rod higher on your wall, if you have the room. (Zero cost)

There is often at least a foot of space between the window trim and the ceiling, so you can install the rod in that space, solving your curtain problem and also making your room feel taller. The key is that you need to install the rods with the appropriate wall anchors to make sure someone (like a toddler) can’t yank on the curtains and pull the rod off the wall. Using anchors or molybolts will put about dime-sized holes in your wall, but IMO it’s well worth it!

At the same time, as you hang the rod higher, you should also consider hanging the rod about a foot wider than your window on both sides. That lets the curtains hang to the sides of the window rather than covering the window when open, resulting in a window that seems bigger and lets in more natural light!

2) Buy the 96″ length curtains and trim/hem them to the right length. (Medium cost)

Why not cut and hem your curtains to the right length? If you have access to a sewing machine this is an appropriate DIY project (you can also check out the iron-on hem tapes too…) If that isn’t your skill set (especially if the curtains are lined, which makes it a more challenging project), a dry cleaner/alterations shop can usually do this for you at a relatively low cost.

TIP: If you do go this route, you will first want to hang your new curtains, steam or iron them so they hang properly, mark the length you want with a pin on both the right and left side, and then bring them in for a quick hem. *Don’t skip the steam/iron step to get the wrinkles out – you want to hem them to the real length, not the wrinkled-up length.*

3) Sew on a border to the bottom of your 84″ curtains.
(Highest cost of the three options, but waaaay less than custom)

This method will take some sewing skills or a seamstress too, but is a totally legit look. The cost will depend on if your curtains have a lining (a plain, usually white fabric on the back of a more decorative front) or if they are unlined. To make this project as easy as possible, look for a border fabric that is a similar weight to the main curtain – it might be easiest to get the same curtain in a different color. This is a great solution especially if you find a bunch of “too-short” curtains on clearance!

Having a happy home rarely requires custom solutions, but it does require some creative thinking. If you’ve been hating your “too-short” curtains, I hope this gave you some great ideas to solve your drapery dilemmas! And if you’re stuck, remember we are here to help! Shoot us an email with your situation and let’s see if we can come up with a solution for your space, together!

May your home always be happy!

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