Recently, I bought new linen bedding which inspired me to change out my curtains! Then, the rug, lol!  Since I have always loved the natural look of cotton canvas, I wanted to try DIY drop cloth curtains.  They are so easy to hang, and budget friendly. Today, I am sharing my best advice so you can make no sew drop cloth curtains, too!

How to Make No Sew Drop Cloth Curtains

Materials to Make No Sew Drop Cloth Curtains

• Canvas Drop Cloth (1 6×9 panel per single window or 2 per large window)
• Curtain Rod Kit with Brackets
• Hanging Clips (7 per panel)
• Household Tools – electric drill, measuring tape, iron or steamer

1. Measure the Windows. 

First, measure your windows before you go shopping for materials to make these ‘no sew drop cloth curtains.’ This will help you determine how many drop cloth curtains are needed and which size to purchase. Keep in mind that drop cloth typically comes in 6×9 feet or 5×8 feet increments.

Consider the height of the window and preference on curtain length from floor to rod.  Do you like the curtains to puddle a few inches near the floor or kiss the floor. Do you like the curtains rod to hang a few inches or a foot above the window trim?

Next, measure the width of the window.  Typically, you want the curtain panel to be at least twice the width of the window. For example, my window is 3 feet wide.  Therefore, I chose drop cloth that is 6 feet wide.

I suggest one 6×9 drop cloth for a single window (approximately 3 feet wide) and two panels for double windows.  However, you may like a fuller look or the ability to separate two curtain panels on both sides of the windows.  Therefore you could opt for two panels on a single window.

For myself, I like the coverage of one panel on the single window on either side of my bed.  Specifically, I like to push the right side curtain to the right to open it, and the left window curtain to the left so it frames out the bed.

2. Steam or Iron the Drop Cloth Curtains.

Next, iron or steam the drop cloth curtains to reduce the folds in the fabric from packaging. Actually, if you choose to steam, you can do it after you hang the curtains!  It’s all good!

 3. Hang the hardware.

Using your drill, hang the curtain rod brackets according to your height preference.  Typically, you hang curtains 2 – 6 inches above the window trim.  However, I prefer to hang curtains halfway between the window and the ceiling to bring the eye up.

The top of my window trim is 7 feet.  However, I hung the rod about a foot higher than the trim.

4. Attach the curtain rings to the Drop Cloth Curtains.

First, lay the drop cloth on the floor. Next, using your measurements, determine how much to fold the top of drop cloth curtains. For example, I hung the hardware 8 feet from the floor.  Knowing the curtain panel is 9 feet tall allowed me to determine that I needed a 12 inch fold.  You can decide if you want the fold to show in the front or back.

I used about 7 curtain rings per panel.  Consequently, most packages of clips come in sets of 7 or 14.  For a six foot wide panel, I laid the measuring tape across the folded drop cloth curtain.  Then, I placed a curtain ring on the folded panel at both ends and every 12 inches.

If you like to use more curtain rings, just divide the width of the panel with how many rings that you want to use. For example, for a 6 foot or 72 inch panel divide by 10 rings. So place curtain rings every 7.2 inches.

5. Hang the Drop Cloth Curtains.

First, hold the outside ring in one hand.  Then, allow the fabric to fall into 6 inches folds before grabbing the next ring.  This will create a pleated look.

Lastly, slide the rings clipped to the drop cloth curtain onto the rod before placing onto the curtain brackets.

So Many Options with Drop Cloth Curtains:

• Wash??? It is up to you if you want to wash your curtains before ironing.  Washing will remove the smell and soften the material. However, I opted to only steam mine prior to hanging.
• Hem??? Instead of leaving a fold over the curtain, you could hem the tops or bottoms with hot glue to adjust the length according to the height of your windows. The fold worked great for my style.
• Bleach??? You can bleach some drop cloths to lighten in your washing machine or a large plastic tub outdoors. However, check packaging for details. I love the natural color because it matches my linen bedding.
• Cut???  For narrow windows, you can cut the 6×9 panels in half (down the middle of 6 feet width to make two curtain panels).  I liked the fullness of one 6 feet wide panel for 3 feet wide windows.
• Blackout???  Most drop cloth is opaque, so there is no need to add blackout panels.  I love that they allow the sun to shine through, but prevent anyone from seeing in at night.  However, that’s up to you.
• Where to Buy???  You can buy them everywhere from Amazon, Home Depot, Walmart, Lowe’s or most local hardware stores. Options from color and texture vary in each store.  I prefer the drop cloth that is the same material on both sides, like these at Lowe’s, here.  I say this because I saw some that had vinyl coating on one side.

Thank you for stopping by the Cuter Tudor Blog. Hopefully, you find these tips for DIY no sew drop cloth curtains to be helpful!  Subscribe to the blog here for more home decor DIYS and inspiration!

Amy Williams

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