How to properly attach curtain tape to fabric?

Which tape is better to choose?

Curtain tape or tape is a structure made of dense flexible fabric, pierced with one or more strong cords for drapery and equipped with loops for hooks. The tape of the desired configuration is sewn to the top edge of the curtain or tulle along the entire width from the inside, and then the fabric is gathered and hung from the cornice.

Tapes differ in the following parameters:

1. Material of manufacture. For light veils, fishing line fittings are sufficient, and for heavier curtains, it is better to choose an option made of cotton, linen or polyester with strong cords. Color is also important – you can’t sew a rough white cotton ribbon to transparent organza, you need a hidden synthetic one, and for colored curtains it is now easy to choose a ribbon to match.
2. Width. There is a choice from 1.5 to 10 cm in half-centimeter increments. The more massive the curtain and the denser the material, the wider the tape should be and the more cords it has, because significant effort is needed to hold the fabric in the air and for smooth draping.
3. Method of fastening to the fabric. For tulle, it is acceptable to use a tape that is glued with a hot iron, and it will be more reliable to stitch it to classic curtains.

A universal choice would be a curtain tape 2.5-5 cm wide made of durable synthetics, equipped with two or three cords for gathering and two or three rows of loops for hooks to be able to adjust the height of the panels relative to the floor. You can sew the tape to the tulle in a custom-made curtain salon, but it is sold in any large sewing store.

Features for different types of fasteners

The undisputed leader is the tape with loops, but there are models with eyelets, clothespins and even Velcro. The last two options came to us from Western Europe and have taken root well in kitchens. The curtains there, as a rule, end at the level of the window sill, weigh little and are periodically sent to the wash. Velcro and clothespins make it easier for the housewife to remove and hang kitchen curtains.

The tape with metal rings (eyelets) has an impressive width and is intended for decorating windows in bedrooms and living rooms with solid curtains, for example, made of velvet, brocade or linen.

How to calculate the length of the tape?

The starting point will be the width of your cornice, not the window frame, but the cornice itself. Let’s assume it is 220 centimeters. Now let’s decide on the drapery you are going to do.

KS (assembly coefficient) is a parameter that describes the degree of “waviness” of the curtains and depends on the step with which the laces are threaded into the tape. The wider the step, the thicker the wave and the more fabric is spent. The standard coefficient is 2.

Let’s say you want to get a more lush and elegant result. Then multiply 220 cm by 2.5 and add 10 cm for hems – we get 560 cm. This is how much tape will need to be sewn to one curtain or tulle for the entire window. It is assumed that the edges of the fabric are already hemmed.

When there are two curtains or tulle curtains, the calculation for each of them will be as follows:

110 cm (half the width of the cornice) x 2.5 (gathering coefficient) + 10 cm = 285 cm (length of the curtain tape)

Step-by-step instructions

If you are sewing curtains from scratch and have purchased pieces of fabric of the required length and width, wash them first. The material can stretch, shrink, deform – all this must be taken into account when assembling. Inexpensive “creeping” fabrics and budget types of tulle are especially susceptible to unpleasant metamorphoses.

Process the top edge and side cuts, iron the panels, it is more convenient and reasonable to do this before sewing the tape to the curtain. It is also better to iron the curtain tape itself, which is usually sold in rolls, before sewing it on. Only having finished products on hand and knowing their final width, you can cut the tape to the desired length, because in case of a mistake, you can only throw it away.

Prepare everything you need:

• a needle with a thick eye or a safety pin;
• sewing pins or a needle and thread for basting;
• thread to match the curtains and a sewing machine for stitching.

Follow the simple steps according to the instructions:

1. Lay the curtain or tulle fabric on a flat surface with the front side down.
2. Pull the ends of the laces from the edge of the tape and fix them to the fabric with a safety pin or a large needle so as not to accidentally sew them on – this will make drapery impossible.
3. Turn the edges of the tape inward in accordance with the width of the fabric, the excess can be cut off. Place it on the fabric and pin it, it is more reliable to sew it by hand with waste thread. The top and side edges of the curtain should stick out by 1-2 centimeters.
4. Machine stitch with standard stitches 2-3 mm along the perimeter of the tape, retreating 5 mm from the edges.
5. Remove the pins from the tape or remove the basting.
6. Pull the tulle, forming the desired folds with the help of cords along the entire length of the tape and fixing them with a knot or a special plastic fastener, which is sold in sewing stores. It is better not to cut off the ends of the cords, in case you want to change the drapery.
7. Hang the finished curtains correctly, choosing the appropriate row of loops for the hooks according to the length, and enjoy the results of your work!

Video tutorial for beginners

This short tutorial will leave you with no questions about how to neatly sew curtain tape to tulle or curtain and how to hang them correctly:

How to make folds using tape?

You should not perceive curtain tape only as a tool with which you can fold the top edge of the curtain and attach it to the cornice. There are many design varieties of tape, and they open up wide opportunities for a creative person to form folds: make a light drapery, lay the curtains in lush waves, let large folds or make relief tucks.

Here are some interesting curtain tapes that can be sewn to tulle or curtain:

• “Accordion”. KS (assembly coefficient) 1.5-2, width 3-6 cm. Forms uniform narrow folds, is suitable for any materials and allows you to save significantly on curtains or tulle, and on tape.
• “Pencil”. KS 2-2.5, width not less than 7 cm. Allows you to make large tucks on tulle, which smoothly diverge downwards and is especially well suited for flowing silky fabrics.
• “Sleeve”. KS 2, width 5-10 cm. If you sew a curtain tape of this type to the top edge of a heavy curtain, the fabric will begin with regular waves and fall in wide folds.
• “Pleated”. KS 1.5-2, width 8-10 cm. There is a narrow single and wide double pleated, it gives the effect of small tucks located in a checkerboard pattern, and best of all pulls together delicate tulle and thin transparent fabrics.
• “Waffle”. KS 2.5, width 7-10 cm. Similar to pleated, but the folds will be larger. This curtain tape can be sewn to thick silk curtains.
• French assembly. KS 2, width 8-10 cm. One of the most elegant, forms groups of three thin folds on curtains, smoothly diverging at the floor.
• Flemish assembly. KS 2.5, width 8-10 cm. If you sew such a tape on a transparent tulle, it will curl up in graceful waves, similar to champagne glasses on a thin stem.

Surely housewives who know how to handle a needle, but do not have a sewing machine, after reading our step-by-step instructions wondered whether it is possible to reliably sew curtain tape to tulle or other lightweight material on their own, by hand?

Why not, it is a matter of perseverance and skill. But if you baste the tape to the curtain at home and take it to the tailor with a request to give you just one line, then most likely they will meet you halfway – you will pay much less than for the full service of sewing on the tape, and at the same time you will save time.