How to Get Stiff Curtains to Hang Straight

Check the drapery hardware, including the brackets and rod, to ensure that everything is secure, and the rod is not sagging from the weight of the fabric. Large windows should have one or two brackets evenly spaced between the ends to support the rod across the entire window.

Inspect the back of the curtains to ensure that all the drapery hooks are inserted properly. Even one hook incorrectly inserted can cause a portion of the curtain to hang improperly.

Hang the drapes and close them completely. Inspect the hems to determine which sections are not hanging correctly. Mark any uneven sections with a straight pin or clothes pin.

Remove panels from the rod, and place them on a flat surface, with the lower hem closest to you.

Gently cut away any whip stitching, using a seam ripper, in the places you marked with the pin or clothes pin. Whip stitching is the tiny thread used to tack the bottom hem to the panel. Use a very sharp seam ripper, and proceed delicately to avoid pulling the entire hem or piercing the fabric.

Lift the hem gently, and insert one weight at each marked point. Then use a needle and thread to tack it into place. Sew the weight to the back side of the panel only, securing it with two to four stitches. Then knot the thread and snip it off above the knot. Repeat this process for each weight.

Tack the hem back into place, using a blind slip stitch, at each point where a weight was inserted, working into one or two existing stitches past each point to secure the hem. Work in the holes that were left when you initially removed the thread to maintain an even appearance.

Press the hem down flat, using a low setting and no steam.