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Curtain Design Options For An Arched Window

Curtains for an Arched Window

Lace curtains or, for that matter, any ready made curtains installed in an arch top window can be used in several attractive different ways. It may seem to be a challenge to you but there are several ways to enhance the beauty of the window with curtains and make it a part of the overall room design.

The easiest plan would be to ignore the arch top and install curtains on the lower part of the window. You could have just the side panels tied back or include a valance over the panels. Most of the arched windows are separated from the lower part. Doing this sort of treatment would allow you to leave the upper part plain or you could perhaps display statuary or objects d'art in the arched portion above the curtains.

There are several other very attractive ways to drape the window and cover the arch as well. You can install a valance on a metal rod that has been curved to fit the arch. Once the rod has been inserted in the valance it can be hung on cup hooks that have been placed around the arch. Don't forget that the length of the arch is longer than the measurement straight across the window. You have to allow enough width in the valance to include this. By itself a valance can be very attractive but you can also install a curtain in the straight lower part of the window. If you can find a valance that is long enough to cover the straight part of the window it would create the effect that the panels actually extended all of the way to the top of the arch.

There are a couple of other choices involving custom sewing the curtains and/or valance. A custom valance with an arched top and a straight bottom hem can be easily made if you are familiar with using a sewing machine. Measure the length of the curved rod and use enough fabric width to gather nicely on the rod. You would first sew the bottom hem and then lay the material out flat on a table. Transfer as many as five height measurements from the arch onto the fabric and sew from point to point creating a curved double hem at the top. Once it is gathered on a rod the valance would conform very nicely with the arch. By placing curved hems on the top of a pair of panels the same effect can be achieve. They can then be allowed to hand straight or tied back.

If you wish to see other treatments for a variety of window designs you may wish to look at the various solutions here on our window curtain design page or on this page for additional sewing instructions.

Good luck with your project.