DIY Curtains For An Oversized Window

As I have stated before in this post, I love the 11 ft ceilings in our dining area, but they do pose a few design related challenges. When we moved in, one of the main challenges we faced was finding drapery for the oversized windows. It seemed simple enough, all I wanted  was two toned curtains that I could hang near the ceiling to play up the rooms height. I quickly discovered that it is next to impossible to find 132" ready made curtains, and custom quotes came in at around $1000. Although I could have bought fabric, it still would have been pricey, and I'm barely what you would call a whiz with a sewing machine.

Our DIY solution ended up costing a whopping $140 including the curtain rod! Best of all it's no sew, all you need is an iron and a pair of scissors. It's so easy I feel bad even calling it a DIY.


1. I bought two sets of Ikea Ritva curtains, one in white, one in grey.

2. Decide which color curtain you want to be dominant and lay it face down on a flat clean surface.

3. Subtract the length of the curtain from the height of your wall/window to figure out how much you need   to cut from your secondary pair of curtains.

4. When cutting the secondary curtains, be sure to cut above the bottom hem to keep it intact(remember to add a few inches to allow for shrinkage and to let it pool a little on the floor)

5. Flip up the hem of the dominant curtain and iron a crease in it so it lays down flat.

6. Lay the enclosed iron on hemming strip on the hem, and place the cut side of the secondary curtain on top, and slowly iron, fusing the two together. Work in small sections, making sure enough heat is being applied to fuse it properly. (Before you start, be sure to check that the secondary curtain is facing down.)

7. Once you are finished, flip the curtain over, and iron to create a crease on the secondary curtain so it lies flat against the primary curtain.

8. Repeat, hang and enjoy!

A great affordable long curtain rod is the Crystal ball curtain rod from Martha Stewart Living that you can pick up at Home Depot. It's longest length is 144" and only costs $59.99

The finished product

House of Movi