Hanging Window Panels - Tutorial

My daughter's last words to me yesterday before she left for school was, "do you think you could hang my drapes soon"?  That was all the inspiration I needed to get the job done.  I had bought everything I needed to hang the drapes over the weekend, but with Halloween, it just never got done.  So shortly after she left for school,  I got out all of the tools to get started. 

Turns out I really didn't need a hammer

To be completely honest, I usually supervise this part and my husband actually hangs the hardware.  I have supervised enough times that I know exactly what to do.  It's so much easier than you might think.  I figured a simple tutorial on how to hang a curtain rod and drapes might make a fun post.

I bought the rod and finials from Pottery Barn Kids.  It was a little pricier than at other stores, but they had finials that my daughter loved, and as it turns out, their finials only fit their rods.  Clever, right?  I must say, it was actually worth the extra cost.  The quality is great, and the hardware was extremely easy to use.

So, first things first.  I needed to decide exactly at what height I wanted to hang the drapes.  In this case, because the bed is in front of the window, I could "cheat" a little on where I wanted them to hang since you won't be able to see the bottom.  In the event we ever move the bed I would either add a coordinating fabric on the bottom, add rings, or as a last resort change out the drapes.  A good rule of thumb is to hang the drapes either 4" above the top moulding of the window or at the ceiling height.  I originally thought I wanted to hang the drapes near the ceiling.  But after thinking it through, I realized that I may want to add crown moulding in the near future and that hanging the drapes at the ceiling would limit me.  So I decided to hang the drapes 4" above the top of the moulding on the window.  I measured from the top of the moulding and from the ceiling on both sides to make sure I was level (my window is 72" wide so my level didn't reach both sides at the same time).  After I was satisfied with the location I held up the bracket and marked both holes with a pencil.

Using my Yankee Drill (it's a tool with a drill bit that you push in and out of the wall to make a hole like a drill would - one of the best tools ever invented), I made a small starter hole in each of the pencil marks.  Since I did not hit a stud, I needed to use the plastic wall anchors that came with the rod.

I used my phillips head screwdriver and screwed the plastic anchor into the wall.  Please take note, that you do need to apply some pressure to make sure they easily screw themselves into the sheetrock.

After the wall anchors were screwed in, all I had to do was tighten the screws into the bracket to attach the bracket to the wall.  As you can see at the bottom of the picture - I placed both brackets even with the end of the window casing.  Next I slid the drapes over the rod - I have four panels.  I decided to have the rod extend beyond the brackets approximately 8" on each side.   That way when open it didn't cover too much of the window and in addition it makes the window appear larger.

The longest part of the process was fussing with the drapes to get them just the way I wanted them.  The rod did come with a center support which I did not install.  The drapes I am using are not overly heavy and I didn't want to make any additional holes in the wall.  I may be adding a black out liner I saw at Target.  I will see if it works with these drapes.  I would love to be able to draw the drapes at night and have the room be dark, even in the morning.  If the blackout liner works or if it appears that the rod is drooping in the next few days, I will add it (I did make light pencil marks for it).

The drapes are from Target's Shabby Chic line.  I do have two panels on each side for extra fullness and for a more custom look.  I chose to use the pink faux silk drapes for two reasons.  One, I already had the drapes.  Two, I thought this color drape would continue the soft look of the stenciled wall.  Had I used drapes with a contrasting color, ie aqua blue, the effect would have been quite different.  Still beautiful, but not nearly as soft looking.  By choosing a solid colored drapery, it allows more freedom in my bedding choices.

The finials are clear crystal daisies.  They are not age specific which will give them longevity.

Panels really dress a window.  It truly is a simple project that anyone can tackle.  You only need a pencil, screwdriver, level and anything to make a starter hole (in my case the Yankee Drill).  Her room is on its way.  Let me know what you think.

-Judy

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