Are You Shopping for Ready Made Curtains for Bay Windows?

Then I'm sure you're struggling to find what you need!

The truth is that there's NO such thing as ready made curtains for bay windows. You just need curtains wide enough and long enough to fit your bay.

You certainly won't go into a shop and go to the ready made curtains section. Then browse the packs of curtains looking for a label that says "ready made to fit bay windows".

If you do you will be looking for a long time😂

Another truth is that unless you have a very small bay window. Then a pair of ready made curtains are not going to be wide enough to fit your bay. Also the set drops (length) are often not what you want.

So read on and let me show you how you can solve this problem.

You will probably be looking long and wide window curtains

Curtain width

Pencil pleat gathered curtain heading

To start with you really need to be choosing curtains with a pencil pleat tape heading. These are the only kind of ready made curtains that will work on a bay window. The kind with cords you pull to add gather the curtains.

Forget Eyelet (ring top), Tab top, Back tabs and Slot top. They are NOT going to work on a bay window. Not if you want a pair of curtains that stack back open to each side of your bay window.

As a rule the widest ready made curtains are 228cm. That is each curtain will be 228cm wide when completely flat out of the packet. I know you may say

"I'm sure I've seen wider ones on the internet".

Possibly but they so rare that it's not worth discussing here. Also, if you found any the length would be wrong. The colour and design would not be what you want.

So allowing for gather in the curtain. You would pull the cords on the heading tape until each curtain is a few cm's over 114cm wide (half the track width plus a few cm's). This gives your curtains double fullness when hung. Much less than this and your curtains will start to look flat when drawn together on your window.

Most UK bay window widths are between 300cm to 450cm wide. Allowing for the track returns out of the bay on each side. Assuming the curtains are going to hang out of the bay on each side.

So you can see you won't have enough width in a single pair of ready made curtains. Not even to fit a 300cm wide bay allowing for enough gather.

So you will need to hang 2 pairs of ready made curtains to get the width you need.

Typically the set widths of ready made curtains are. 117cm, 168cm & 228cm.

Curtain drop

Curtains hanging just right to the window sill

When it come to the drop (length) of ready made curtains. You have multiple set sizes to choose from.

120cm, 137cm, 183, 228, & 274cm.

Be aware not all ready made curtain widths come in all the different curtain drops. Often the narrower widths stop at a drop of either 182cm or 228cm. So if you need ready made curtains for bay windows. For Victorian or Edwardian bays which often have higher windows. Then your choices may be more limited.

With the curtains lengths it's often making a compromise. The length is not going to be exactly what you want.

They will be either too long of too short. The big problem starts when you want the curtains to hang just off the window sill. Or you want the curtains to hang just off the floor.

Often you will find they are draping a bit more than you would like onto the window sill. Or they are hanging too far off the sill leaving a big gap. The same scenario goes for floor length curtains.

I know by now you must be thinking it's all doom and gloom 😒 when it comes to ready made curtains for bay windows. Well that's not entirely true. You do have some options but it's going to take a little more effort and a bit of compromise.

If you're still with me and are willing to do a bit of leg work. Then you will be able to solve all these problems dealing with ready made curtains. Take a look at the simple solutions below.

Use our handy ready made curtain calculator

Enter the width of your bay. Then enter how long you would like your curtains to be. The calculator will then display the best ready made curtain sizes you will need. The calculator rounds up to the next biggest size.

Solutions for ready made curtains for bay windows

Getting the width you need

Let's assume you want your curtains to be wide enough to fit with enough fullness (gather) to look good on your bay window. Rather than stretching the curtains to meet in the middle of your bay window.

Then the only solution to this problem. Is to hang 2 pairs of ready made curtains together on your bay. This is not as bad as it sounds. You would have the wider pair hanging in the middle. then the narrower pair hanging to the outside of your bay window.

Once you have them hanging you have a few of options for keeping the 2 curtains together. So when you pull the wider middle curtain across your bay. The 2nd narrower curtains follows.

Option 1: The quickest and simplest option is to use a safety pin to pin both curtains together. Just attach the safety pin just under the curtain heading tape. This will hold the heading of the curtains together. You mat need to dress the curtains together a little after closing.

Option 2: Use a sewing needle and thread. You don't need to be a great sewer. As you are only going to use a tack stitch in a few places down your curtains. The longer the curtains the more you will need. On a typical height bay window. you will probably join the curtains in 5 places. Starting just under the heading tape. then evenly spaced down the curtain. The final stab stitch will be just above the hem. This will hold your curtains together well. So they act as a pair when you open and close them.

Option 3: Is to use an iron on fabric hemming tape (Wonder web). I recommend you gather both pairs of curtains first. Then use the tape between the curtains but not going on to the heading tape. It's just bit bulky trying to connect the header tapes together. You will be surprised how well this tape sticks the curtains together.

First lay one curtain edge over the other by about 3cm. Then tuck under the fabric joining tape between the 2 edges. Then press down with a hot steam iron. If using your table to do this make sure you put some towels underneath the curtains to make it softer and protect your table from too much heat.

You could stand the ironing board next to the table. This would allow you to press the tape seam on the ironing board. While the rest of the wider curtain is supported by your table.

Getting the right length: Option 1 (quicker)

Option 1: Altering you curtains from the bottom is the quickest solution. This works best when the curtains not lined. So unlined curtains can have either have the bottom of the curtains simply turned up and hand tacked with a needle and thread. Or again fold up to the right length and use a strip of fabric joining tape (Wonder web).

You might only want to adjust the bottom a few cm's, or maybe by a big amount. Then the existing curtain hem might get in the way. Or end up far too high up the back of the curtain. In this case carefully unpick the existing hem. If adjusting the length by a few cm's. Or simple cut the existing hem off the curtain if adjusting the length by a lot.

If cutting of the hem completely. Then I recommend you measure down the curtain from the op of the heading tape to where you want the bottom of the new hem to finish. then add another 16cm to this sizes to allow for the new hem. You will be doubling over the fabric to create the new hem. So fold over 8cm and press down the bottom edge with a steam iron. Then fold over once more (8cm) and press down again.

Now you are ready for either hand tacking the hem down with a needle and thread. Or sealing it down using the fabric hemming tape.

Getting the right length : Option 2 (longer but better)

Option 2: In my opinion this is the better of the 2 options when it comes to shortening ready made curtains for bay windows. Why's that I hear you ask 😂

Well simply because you can solve 3 problems in 1 go. This option you the option to turn ready made curtains into made to measure curtains. How you approach this option will depend on one of the following:

Do you have and can you use a sewing machine?

Do you know someone who has and can use a sewing machine?

After doing a Google search is there a local small business that can complete this for you?
Curtain & clothing alterations, Some dry cleaners offer this service.

You can use this link here to find someone local to you to alter your curtains.

Regardless of who is going to do this job. The alterations are going to happen from the top of the curtains this time. The curtain tape will be removed or cut off depending on how much shorter you want the new finished curtains to be.

This by far the better option if you have bought lined ready made curtains. When I say lined I mean made with a separate lining fabric that is sewn in top and sides.

Then decide if at this point you want to join the curtains together. If so then join them together using the sewing machine. Turn inside out after removing the header tape. Then if lined separate the lining and the curtain fabric on the side to be joined to the next curtain.

Once the curtain and lining have been joined together. Then the new joined curtain will be turned over and pinned at the new curtain drop (length). Ready for the new heading tape to be sewn back across both joined curtains. I recommend you don't try and join the old heading tape and resew back on to your altered curtains.

You will now have new correct width and drop curtain ready for hanging.

Finally the most important stuff!

Displayed size issues!

If after reading this article you 're ready to jump in and use made to measure curtains on your bay window. Then stop first and be aware that when it come to the sizes displayed on ready made curtain packaging. It often states after the sizes (APPROX). This means what it says.

The finished curtain sizes will only be approximately the sizes you see on the packaging. The width and drop maybe a few cm's in either direction. So be aware of this sizing issue as it's common.

If the curtain drop especially is just right for the length. Very likely it won't be once you get the curtains out of the packaging. So it is better to get the next size up on the drop size. If the size displayed is close to your required finished drop (length).

Fabric patterns and design issues!

When buying ready made curtains for bay windows with patterns or some kind of design. That is will be very common for the pattern/design to only match on that one pair in the packaging.

So if you buy 2 pairs of ready made curtains. Don't be surprised that the pattern/design on the curtains does not line up across both pairs vertically. Also, the pattern design is not likely to match where you sew pairs of curtains together.

So I'm sure your thinking here's another problem. Also, what if any thing can I do about it.

The reality is with some pattern/designs you can do much about it. I would recommend you stay away from horizonal stripes, Checks and other geometric designs. That if slightly out will hit you in the eye.

Choose patterns/designs that are more random. One that are harder to follow well across the pairs of curtains. Especially when they are gathered. Vertical stripes are fine as well as most floral type designs.

I'm sure your thinking now that I will play safe and go with a plain coloured fabric. This can be a better choice if you want the curtains to be easier to join and still look good.

However, with plain fabrics you need to look hard from one pair of curtains to the other. Make sure the shade is the same from one pair to the next. Occasionally, you may find that like wallpaper. When a new batch are made the dye colour is not quite the same.

Ready made curtains for bay windows: Conclusion!

If you have read this whole article (most of you will have just skimmed over the page) 😊
Then you must be thinking "what a nightmare getting ready made curtains to fit a bay is".

If you have shopped around for "made to measure curtains". Then I'm sure your thinking.
Made to measure is too much but ready made curtains for bay windows is so much messing around.

You would be right on both occasions. However, going with ready made curtains can cost a fraction of buying quality made to measure curtains. So there is the trade off.

I have discovered this company on Etsy that can supply some very wide and long curtains for a great price. They are based in Turkiye but do speedy delivery to the UK. The curtains look great and the reviews are good. However, be aware I have not personally bought anything from them.