How to Hem Curtains without Sewing

Learn how to quickly and easily hem curtains without sewing! I promise, the cheater method is super easy!

To hem curtains without sewing cut off excess portion of curtain, iron bottom edge of curtain, place iron-on tape in fold and iron in place.

It really is that easy! Read on for a breakdown of all the steps.

Get more easy sewing (or no sew) tips here!

The Lazy Girl’s Guide / No Sew Method for Hemming Curtains

Do you ever have a project that you keep putting off because it seems like a huge pain and you imagine it will take more time than you have to give?

This is how I was feeling about hemming the curtains in my son’s bedroom.

I hung curtains that were way too long (like 10+ inches too long!) in my teenage son’s bedroom about 2 years ago. AND…I left them like that.

Seriously.

Since it isn’t something that bothered him, I kept letting it go.

It was a task I put on my to do list many times over the past couple of years. I just kept putting it off.

You guys, if hemming your curtains is a task you’ve been putting off, I have a super easy solution! This no sew method was embarrassingly easy considering the time I’ve spent dreading it.

How to Hem Curtains without Sewing

Very few supplies are required for this task. I was finished from start to finish in about an hour.

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Supplies to Hem Your Curtains:

No Sew Hemming Tape for curtains

Scissors

Measuring tape

Iron and ironing board

Your curtains, of course;-)

I had picked up various iron-on hem tape over the past couple of years… Remember how long this has been on my to do list!

The Heat-n-Bond Ultra Hold. above was in my sewing notions box. I do not recall ever using this, but perhaps I did as it had been opened! Heat-n-Bond is a double sided adhesive that is perfect no sew option.

Anyway, I ended up using the iron-on hem tape in the blue packaging above. I truly just grabbed one and went with it as the first two types looked to be the same thing.

So, you could likely pick up any iron-on hem tape and be just fine!

Steps to Use Iron-On Tape to Hem Curtains:

1. Determine desired length you want your curtains

No fancy measuring was done here. As I indicated at the beginning of this post, this is the lazy girl tutorial. No sewing machines required!

Before I took the curtains down to be hemmed, I used pins to mark where I thought the hem would look nice.

After I took the curtains down, I then measured how much I needed to cut off of the bottom before hemming.

My curtain panels were 54″ wide, so it was important to ensure the same length was cut all the way across the bottom so they would be even upon completion.

I measured and placed pins in 4 – 5 places across the bottom of the curtains.

2. Iron the bottom edge of the curtain.

I assure you I haven’t forgotten this is a cheater’s method to hemming. BUT, there are still details you can’t leave out!

Ironing the bottom of the curtain’s edge you will be hemming will make the hem look much more crisp and complete.

A hot iron will give you a nice crease in a straight line along the bottom.

3. Cut off excess curtain

Cut off the excess fabric / bottom portion of the curtains after ironing where the hem will go.

Approximately 1 1/2 inch of excess material was left to allow for using the iron-on tape. (see picture below as that really helps to visualize this)

4. Place the Iron-On Tape in the Fold and Iron

Once the excess material was trimmed away, the iron-on tape was placed at the edge of the “hem”.

A lightly dampened cloth was put on top of the material to help the tape adhere when ironing. The instructions indicate that you are to put your iron setting on “wool”.

Then hold the iron in place for ten seconds (do not slide the iron, as that might cause the tape to move around), going down the entire length of the curtain.

I pressed down somewhat on the ironing board, but I really didn’t use a ton of pressure when ironing to create the new hem.

5. Flip the curtain panel over and iron the other side.

Per the instructions, ironing both sides ensures better adherence. Also, as I mentioned above, be sure to NOT SLIDE the iron. Simply hold steady in one place for 10 seconds, then move to the next section.

You are done with hemming a curtain panel!

Another thing I did was add curtain rings with clips to make it easier for my son to open and close the curtains.

Before, we just had the curtain rods stuck through the tabs of the curtains. They were constantly getting hung up where the curtain rods connected. This would require us to get a ladder to fix it since they are so high!

Umm, remind me why I waited so long to do this simple project!!

Before and After Hemming Curtains Using the No Sew Method:

Before:

After:

Perhaps the difference is not dramatic, but it feels fantastic to check it off of my list once and for all.

My son actually was thrilled to be able to open and close his curtains without them getting stuck. So, I am really glad I added the rings with clips in addition to hemming them.

Wondering where I purchased these curtains?

If you are wondering, these particular curtains were purchased at IKEA. The specific line is RITVA. If you need really long curtains at a reasonable price, you will definitely want to look at IKEA.

Hem Curtains without sewing: Now you know the Cheater Method for Hemming Curtains!

If this has been on your list of things to knock out, I hope you feel inspired to just start. It’s really a simple thing after all!

Want to remember this? Save the No Sew Method for Hemming Curtains to your favorite Pinterest board!

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