Dressing a Daughter's Room 3: Tabs, Rings and More

by Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger

07 Jul 2008 03:42 PM

Do you know how to choose curtains? Of course there is the style, color and print, but don't forget about how you will actually mount those curtains. Following, I'll talk about some of the different options for the way curtains can be mounted. Each of these options gives a different look and practical considerations.

If you missed the earlier posts about dressing a daughter's room, be sure to check them out. They will give you all of the back story of this project as well as some design tips. Just follow these links: Dressing a Daughter's Room, Dressing a Daughter's Room 2 So here are the different mounting options.

Tabs consist of flat pieces of fabric that resemble, well, tabs! The tabs slide on to the rod and make opening and closing the curtain pretty easy. Although a three-inch tab is standard, tabs can be made almost any length, depending on your rod and other considerations.

Rings are the best way to go if you want your curtains to slide with ease. They also help protect the fabric from wear and tear and from becoming frayed. Rings are very long-lasting. If one happens to break, it can be easily replaced. Rings are usually made out of plastic, wood or metal.

Rod pockets are an easy option for a beginning seamstress or tailor. This is the classic curtain look. An invisible pocket is made in the material to fit the rod. This is a great option for curtains that will remain open or curtains made of a light material, because it dresses up the window quite a bit but does not lend itself to easy opening and closing when the fabric is thick.

Pinch pleats were really popular mid-century into the 1980s, but are still used today. They can give a crisp look to a curtain, and the curtains can be mounted on rod hardware that will open and close the curtains using a rope pulley system. Special curtain hooks are attached to the curtains, which are then hooked into the rod.

Check back again for the next post! Coming up, I'll talk about which styles we chose and how we found the perfect fabric.

Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, technology in the Computing Blog, and creating a home in the Home Blog. Starting June 1st, don't miss her articles in the Baby Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here.

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Learn more about Mary Ann Romans

Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat.

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