Does the thought of having to shorten store-bought drapery panels make you nervous? All that measuring, cutting, sewing, and holding your breath that they hang straight after you're done. The struggle is real and exactly where I was after a frustrating hour trying to shorten mine. But I discovered a much easier way and figured you might appreciate learning how to shorten drapes the easy no measure way too. Seriously, I had my panels hung perfectly straight within 20 minutes!

A Clever No-Measure Hack For Shortening Drapes

I began shortening my drapes old school style. You know; hang them on the rod, fold and pin the length, take them off the rod, measure-pin-iron-sew the new hem, hang them back on the rod only to discover they look crooked as hell.

Scratching my head I grabbed the seam ripper and started all over again.

Ditto the second time.

By this point, there is some colorful language spewing from my mouth and I'm ready to throw the panels out the window. What the heck? I measured...twice! Does this sound familiar?

Ready to throw in the towel I went searching for answers on Google and found this brilliant idea HERE for shortening curtains. Except instead of pins, the magic happened with tailor's chalk and a straight edge.


This post contains affiliate links so you can see what I used or recommend for this project. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

How To Shorten Drapes Without Measuring

First, hang the rod. Here's a tip for hanging drapery rods so it gives the illusion that the window is much larger than it actually is.

Drapery Rod Tip

Mount the rod so the panels hang either at the ceiling or a maximum of 4 inches from the ceiling. To make the window look wider extend the rod out from the window trim on both sides.

Once you have the drapery rod installed, hang the curtain panels and close the drapes.


1. Pull the drapes taut and place a straight edge where the floor and wall meet (pictured below).


2. Work in sections and draw a crisp line with a washable tailor's chalk pen (pictured below).


Brilliant, right? The panels have no choice but to hang perfectly straight with this method!

Take the drapery panels off the rod and now we're ready to sew the new hem. Depending on how long the fabric is will determine what type of hem you do.

Hemming drapery panels with a six-inch or less hem

• Simply fold the drapes under along the chalk line and pin in place. 
• With the steam setting, iron a crease along the chalk line and hold in place with pins placed vertically. 
• Sew the hem with a straight stitch on your sewing machine using a matching all-purpose thread about 1/4 inch from the top of the original hem. 
• If you don't have a sewing machine you could hand stitch the hem. I've included a link to a helpful video tutorial that I found on YouTube.

Hemming drapery panels with six-inch or longer hem

• Fold the drapes under along the chalk line and pin in place.
• With the steam setting on your iron, make a crease along the chalk line.
• If there are more than six inches of fabric from the fold and the original hem, you have one of two options for hemming the panels:

Blind Stitch

Sew the hem with a blind stitch (video tutorial in the previous section). The excess fabric in the hem will not be noticeable with this stitch. Plus, hemming the panels this way is great if you end up moving the drapes to another room because you'll have enough fabric to adjust the hem accordingly.

Straight Stitch

If you plan on doing a straight stitch like pictured above, the excess fabric will need to be removed otherwise you'll have a noticeably large hemline.

• Cut the drapery fabric 7-inches below the chalk line.
• Fold the raw edge 1-inch and with the steam setting on your iron make a crease.
• Fold the fabric again at the chalk line crease and you'll now have a six-inch hem.
• Hold the hem in place with pins placed vertically.
• Sew the hem with a straight stitch on your sewing machine using a matching all-purpose thread about 1/4 inch from the top.
• If you don't have a sewing machine you could hand stitch the hem (video tutorial in the previous section).

I'll never shorten store-bought or hem DIY drapery panels any other way again. How about you?

If you have any questions about this tutorial, please leave them in the comment section below or the Contact Me tab at the top. I love hearing from you!

If you enjoyed this easy drapery shortening trick, I'd be so thankful if you shared it with a friend and saved it on Pinterest.



I share my projects at these inspiring link parties. For more window treatment ideas visit my DIY Linen & Window Treatment page.