Bring Out the Measure Tape

The first step to buying curtains isn't to visit furnishing stores. You need to measure your windows and doors first.

Here's a Complete Guide to Measuring Your Home

Don't take the actual measurements of the windows and doors. Remember, the curtains will hang from the curtain rod above the window and not the top of the window frame.

Also the width of the curtain should not be exactly the width of the window. Take about three to four inches on either side so that the fabric gathers up a little and doesn't look like a boring sheet. Also the extras on each side will cover the window properly and keep away peeping toms.

In case of half windows, the length of the curtain should be about 6 inches below the window sill, give or take a little. For full length windows and doors, the curtains shouldn't trail the floor. So, measure till about an inch off the ground.

Choose a Curtain Style

You simply cannot buy your fabric and then decide the kind of curtain style you want. After all, depending on the curtain style you can find out how much fabric you need. For instance, American pleated curtains will require almost three times the fabric for tab top curtains.

So once you have narrowed down on the curtain style, you will know how much extra fabric you need.

Wondering what curtain style to choose? Click Here to find out the different styles, the fabrics that suit them and how much fabric they require.