Do you need to hem your curtains without sewing? In this article, find out two methods to get the job done without a sewing machine. I will even spill about which method is best!

Black and white striped curtains with a new hem.

It’s week 7 of the One Room Challenge. We’re in the home stretch and time to finesse some of the finer details!

With the window being a major, unavoidable focal point of the guest bedroom, curtains were bound to be super important in the decor. I found it to be the perfect spot to add a little whimsy to the space!

In cased you missed it, check out my other One Room Challenge posts! week 1 | week 2 | week 3 | week 4 | week 5 | week 6

Usually, I love long, pooling curtains. However, the pooling look really distorts the look of the vertical stripes. As a result, I needed to cut off some inches at the bottom so that the curtains kissed the floor.

No sewing necessary: 2 easy ways to hem curtains

Black and white curtains are too long and needs a new hem.
These curtains were too long.

Since I don’t own a sewing machine, I chose to hem the curtains using two different kinds of no sew hem tapes!

Hem method 1: Iron-on adhesive hem tape

Items needed:

Heat n Bond adhesive tape for hems
Iron-on adhesive

How to hem curtains with iron on hemming tape

  1. First, with the curtains hanging, mark with a pencil you want the bottom of the curtain to be.
  2. Next, take down the curtain and measure (and mark) its current hem width. In my case, the hem was 3 inches wide.
A person uses a work square to draw a line for a new hem for a curtain.
Drawing a straight cut line. All I had was this from the garage!
Orange heavy duty scissors lay on a black and white curtain.
Cutting off the excess fabric.
  1. With the curtain panel laying flat, draw a cut line with a straight edge. Begin with the mark you made in step 1.
  2. After that, cut off the excess fabric. If applicable, remove the curtain weights from the excess you trimmed off.
  3. Measure for the new hem. Fold the fabric accordingly and pin into place.
  4. Then, press the new hem with an iron using the steam feature. Let cool.
  5. Snake the iron-on adhesive tape behind the new hem, making sure the tape is straight and flat. Leave excess tape on the sides.
A blue and white iron presses adhesive tape into place.
Pressing the iron-on tape in the new hem.
  1. Afterwards, carefully press your iron down on the fabric in sections for 3 seconds at a time. Do not put your iron onto the adhesive tape. It’ll ruin your iron! Let cool.
  2. Cut excess tape off.
A small weight is hot glued to the bottom of a curtain hem.
Add weight to help the curtain fall nicely!
  1. Finally, hot glue the weights back into place inside your new hem.

Hem method 2: Peel & stick hem tape

Method 2’s items and steps are a lot like method 1 with a couple of minor differences. This way utilizes double sided fabric, so there is no need to press down the hem with heat!

Items needed:

White peel and stick adhesive tape
Peel & stick adhesive fabric tape

How to hem curtains with peel & stick hemming tape

  1. Firstly, repeat steps 1-6 of method 1 exactly as described above.
  2. Then, snake the peel & stick behind the new hem. This time, be careful not to press down on the tape until you are sure that it is positioned correctly.
Adhesive tape is added to the hem of a black and white curtain panel.
Sticking the peel and stick tape in the new hem!
  1. After that, press the tape down in small sections, making sure that it is flat against the curtain fabric.
  2. In small sections, gently peel back the backing paper and press the other side of the hem into place.
  3. Thereafter, cut the excess tape off.
  4. Finally, hot glue the weights back into place inside your new hem.

It’s that easy!

A person holds up heat and bond fabric adhesive tape.
These make hemming easier!

Why did you use two no sew methods for the curtain hems?

I have used the iron-on adhesive method, but I wanted to explore if there was an even easier way to to create a no sew hem! Whichever kind you choose, no sew hem tape is extremely helpful!

Are the new hems washable?

I have not washed either curtain panel yet. Therefore, I do not know how the double stick adhesive tape fairs in the wash. In the past, I have washed curtains hemmed with the iron-on adhesive tape to no problems whatsoever.

Black and white striped curtains with a new hem.
Can you tell which side was hemmed with the double-sided tape vs the one that was him with iron adhesive tape?

Conclusion

Overall, if I were to do this project again, I would definitely use the double sided adhesive tape. My favorite part about using the peel & stick fabric tape is that it does not slip around while you work, unlike the iron on tape. You just press it into place and you’re done! I can, however, imagine that the iron-on adhesive tape may be better for hems in thicker fabrics such as denim.

In sum, I hope this tutorial and comparison was helpful and gives you the confidence to hem your own curtains (or any other fabric items for that matter) with ease.

Sincerely,

Felicia.

P.S. There’s only 1 week remaining! Check out the other week 7 ORC projects!

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7 Comments

  1. I have SHORT ceiling heights and am always having to alter my curtains! Despite being handy with a sewing machine, curtains are SO HARD to hem without making things look a mess, so I don’t attempt it anymore! But I also hate ironing, so the peel and stick looks right up my alley, haha. I’ve never tried it before, but I just may give it a go next time!

    Reply

  3. As a non sewer thirds good we’re really helpful.. thank you for sharing
    And the curtains look great πŸ‘πŸΎ

    Reply
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