Ready-Made Curtains Are Mass Produced

Ready-made curtains can be produced in very large quantities.

A manufacturer may make thousands of pairs using the same curtain fabric, the same lining and the same heading style. The only major difference between them may be a small choice of standard widths and drops.

Once everything is set up, making the same curtains repeatedly is a very efficient way to manufacture them.

That’s one of the reasons ready-made curtains can be sold at prices that simply aren’t possible when making one individual pair of curtains for one particular window.

Your Made-to-Measure Curtains May Be Completely Unique

Made-to-measure curtains are very different.

You choose the curtain fabric. You choose the lining. You choose the heading style. Then the curtains are made to the width and drop required for your particular window.

Depending on the curtain maker, you may also be able to choose additional making and finishing options.

Put all those choices together and your finished pair of curtains may be completely unique to you.

What Are You Actually Paying For?

The finished price of made-to-measure curtains isn’t simply the price of the curtain fabric.

You’re paying for the main curtain fabric, the lining you’ve chosen, your chosen heading style and the work involved in making the curtains to your measurements.

If you’ve chosen additional options such as interlining or specialist finishing, these will add more materials and more making time.

The fabric itself can also make an enormous difference to the final price. Choosing a more expensive fabric means every metre required for your curtains increases the cost.

Bay Window Curtains Can Need a Lot of Fabric

This is particularly important when you’re buying made-to-measure curtains for a bay window.

When you stand in front of a bay, it can be easy to think about its overall width across the room. But your curtains don’t travel straight across the front of the bay.

The curtain track follows the shape of the window, around the sides and bends of the bay and, in some installations, onto the return walls.

That means the actual curtain track can be considerably longer than the apparent width of the window.

Your curtain maker then needs enough fabric to cover that full track width, plus the additional fabric required to create the correct fullness for your chosen curtain heading.

A large bay window can therefore require a surprising amount of curtain fabric.

Does Paying More Always Mean Better Curtains?

Not necessarily.

Two curtain companies can quote very different prices because they’re offering different fabrics, different making options and different levels of service.

A more streamlined online curtain maker may offer exactly the fabric, lining and heading you want at a very competitive price. Another company may offer branded fabrics, hand finishing and more choices over how the curtains are made.

At the premium end of the market, you may also be paying for designer fabrics, specialist making and a much more personal service.

So rather than judging made-to-measure curtains by price alone, look at what you’re actually getting for that price.

Made-to-Measure and Ready-Made Aren’t Really Like-for-Like

If a pair of ready-made curtains costs £150 and your made-to-measure curtains come out at several times that amount, it’s understandable to wonder why there’s such a difference.

But you’re not really comparing two versions of the same thing.

One has been designed to be manufactured efficiently in large quantities and sold in standard sizes.

The other is being made using your choice of fabric, lining, heading and measurements for one particular window.

Once you look at the two products that way, the difference in price becomes much easier to understand.

Made-to-Measure Gives You Much More Fabric Choice

Another big difference is the amount of choice you have.

Ready-made curtains are usually produced from a relatively limited range of fabrics chosen specifically for that curtain collection. The fabrics are also less likely to be the branded curtain fabrics you’ll find when shopping for made-to-measure curtains.

Once you start looking at made-to-measure curtains, the choice becomes much wider. Depending on the curtain maker, you can choose from different fabric types, colours, patterns and designs, including collections from recognised fabric brands.

This can make a huge difference if you’re trying to find exactly the right fabric for a room rather than simply choosing the closest option available in a ready-made range.

So part of what you’re getting when you move from ready-made to made-to-measure isn’t just a curtain made to the right size. You’re getting far more choice over what that curtain actually looks and feels like.

My Advice

If you’re buying made-to-measure curtains for the first time, don’t panic when you see the initial price.

Instead, look at what makes up that price. Check the fabric, lining, heading and making options you’re paying for, then compare like with like between different curtain companies.

If the price is higher than you want to spend, you may be able to choose a less expensive fabric or a more streamlined curtain maker without giving up the things that actually matter to you.

The aim isn’t to buy the cheapest or most expensive curtains. It’s to understand what you’re paying for and decide whether it’s worth it to you.