Thrifted Drapery 203: Dressing Your Panels

The double width drapes for this client’s large window were found secondhand and were dressed to perfection.

When you have successfully thrifted your new-to-you drapery panels from Facebook Marketplace (see blog post Thrifted Drapery 201: Panels) and you have found your hardware (see blog post Thrifted Drapery 202: The Hardware), you will then need to hang your panels correctly and dress them well to show off your investment. Nothing brings softness and elegance to a room quite like drapes that are artfully hung and dressed.

The number one tip you must take into account when hanging your panels is to hang the rod high and wide. Hanging the drapes this way makes the window look bigger and the room seem more dramatic and luxe. When hanging drapes, you want the drapes to be somewhere between hanging off the floor and pooling. Slightly “kissing” the floor is the sweet spot.

Curtains should generally be hung 2/3 distance from the top of the window frame to the crown molding. When planning which drapes to purchase, take into account how high above the window you will need to hang the hardware and order the length of panels you will need. If the only options are longer or shorter than you will need, a good seamstress will save the day. Always order longer than needed and hem, rather than shorter.

Hanging the drapes wide depends on what kind of window you are dressing. For a smaller window that requires single panels, you will need to bring the rod about 6-8 inches further on either side of the window. When dressing a window that will require double panels (this would be a larger window, often a window in the front of the home), you will need to bring the rod 9-12 inches from the window frame on either side of the window.

Once you have hung the drapes in perfect placement, the next step is to get the wrinkles out. Often a good steam with any general steamer found on Amazon (about $30), will be adequate to help the wrinkles relax. We have been known to grab some Lavendar spray from The Good Fill (https://thegoodfill.co/) to help shake the wrinkles out too. It often takes a bit of manipulating to get the curtains looking their best after being folded in the package, but it can be done.

Lastly, you will need to think about how you want your curtains folded at the curtain rod. Our preferred method at KKI is the ripple fold (see below). To achieve this look, we alternate the fabric between the rings being pulled forward, pushed back, pulled forward, pushed back. This creates a “ripple” affect with the curtains that is soft and lovely. With a double panel, you will have eight ripples, and with a single panel you should expect four.

With these tips, your windows will be dressed to perfection and will make a huge impact in your space.