A Solution For Hanging Curtains On Tricky Windows

Scratching your head on how to hang curtains on awkward windows? Check out this tutorial for a non-traditional method that I learned from a design show house and have used in our last three homes.

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I absolutely love all the light from our two bay windows in our dining room, but they are super awkward. The windows are actually different styles and one of them has a bunch of funky wall angles, plus a built-in cabinet under it, that make using bay window rods with corner joints a bit of a nightmare.

I could have just gone with roman shades on all the windows but I didn’t want to block any natural light in here, plus I figured curtains might disguise the weird mismatched window situation, and I’m a big fan of simple straight drapes anyway. To hang curtains on the awkward angles and pull this room together, I opted to use a clever trick I saw at a design show house many years ago:  using ring clips to hang curtains from cabinet knobs.

This method allows you to hang the rings on various walls with an angle situation like I have, and allows the curtain curve as needed. A quick tutorial:

GATHER SUPPLIES

MOUNT THE KNOBS

Use a level to draw a very light line with a pencil,

then measure, mark and drill pilot holes for your hanger bolts. Make sure the pilot hole is smaller than the screw size. Erase your guide line.

HANG THE CURTAINS

OPTION 1 – SEWN IN RING METHOD

To attach the rings to the curtains I hand sewed each ring to the back of the curtains, about 1″ from the top. I also used this opportunity to line the curtains with a white sheet I cut in half, and also to hem the curtains by folding down the top to the desired length. Then I sewed the ring clips on through the two layers of the curtain and the lining. This part is a little time-consuming but I did sewed on the rings to each curtain panel over a couple winter evenings while we watched TV in front of a fire, so it wasn’t that tedious!  As you can see, I didn’t even bother to take off the clips; they are hidden anyway.

A bit of ironing was in order, then up they went on the knobs.

The panels that are on the angle would hang beautifully if not for my cabinet, but I don’t mind how they sashay out like that. Gotta work with what you’ve got! See how the knobs wrap around the 3 angles of that corner on the right window?

Facing these windows hung on the funky angles, they look straight and frame out the window prettily.

I like that for my awkward windows, the hardware is not a major focal point….it’s a subtle little detail and hanging the curtains this way allows me to have the full length panels I wanted, and give the windows the illusion of being the same.

OPTION 2 – HIDDEN RING CLIP METHOD

If your curtain panels are not lined or heavy, you may opt to attach the rings to the panels with this great trick that I use all the time!! 

OPTION 3 – EXPOSED RING CLIP METHOD

When I hung stenciled drop cloth curtains a few years back, I used rings with clips, folding down the top of the panel so it was the right length, with the clip exposed. This is the quickest way to get your curtains hung up!

However, if you have the time and inclination, sewing the rings in does make a nicer finished product. Here is the difference between using the clips and sewing the rings in or using the pinch and clip method.

So much more finished looking without the clips (now I need to sew in the rings on curtains all around our house!)

I hope this little tutorial helps those of you who are struggling to figuring out how to hang curtains on weird and wacky walls!

Wishing you a happy weekend friends!