Making Eyelet Curtains: A Simple Tutorial

Choosing the Right Fabric and Eyelets

Eyelet curtains — sometimes called grommet or ring-top curtains — are wonderfully forgiving for a first sewing project. There is no pencil pleat tape to wrestle with and no hooks to fiddle with; the fabric simply slides onto the pole through a row of metal rings. The trade-off is that eyelets demand care with the calculations and a crisp, well-stiffened header, because any wobble in that top edge is on permanent display.

Medium-weight fabrics work best: cotton canvas, linen blends, wool mix or a decent faux silk. Very light fabrics such as voile will sag between the eyelets, while upholstery-weight cloth is a struggle to fold into a neat 10cm header. Choose eyelets with an inner diameter of around 40mm, large enough to glide over a 28mm or 35mm pole. Buy them in packs with matching washers, and always add two or three spares.

Calculating Fabric Quantities

Measure the pole, not the window — the full width between the finials. Most windows look best with two panels, each covering half the pole plus a little overlap where they meet.

• Fullness: multiply the pole width by 2 to 2.25. Eyelet curtains look flat and mean when under-gathered.
• Header allowance: add 10cm to the top of each panel for the eyelet facing.
• Hem allowance: add 15cm at the bottom for a 7.5cm double hem, and 8cm across the sides (a 4cm double turn each).
• Join allowance: if widths must be joined, add 3cm per join for a French seam.

Say your pole is 180cm wide and you want two panels. Multiply by 2.2 for 396cm, then halve it: each panel needs roughly 198cm of finished width, or about 206cm allowing for the side turns. That means joining two 140cm widths per panel. Add the header and hem allowances on top and round up to the nearest half metre when you buy.

Preparing and Joining the Panels

Cut your lengths before you sew anything. Rather than measuring from the cut end, snip into the selvedge and pull a crosswise thread, then cut along the line it leaves. This guarantees a straight edge on fabric with a mind of its own. If you are joining widths, place right sides together and stitch a 1.5cm seam. Trim it to 7mm, fold the panels right sides together along the seam line and stitch again to enclose the raw edges — a proper French seam that will not fray. Press it flat to one side now, and press it again once the curtain is finished.

Finish the side edges with an overlocker or a narrow zigzag. Eyelet curtains get washed and cleaned more often than you might expect, and an unfinished edge will not survive many trips through the machine.

Sewing the Side and Bottom Hems

Work on a large flat surface — a clean sheet on the floor is ideal. Turn up 4cm on each side, press, then turn another 4cm and press again, pinning as you go. Stitch close to the inner fold with a slightly longer stitch length. On a heavier cloth, a hand slip stitch gives a softer, more professional finish.

For the bottom hem, turn up 7.5cm, press, turn another 7.5cm and pin. A strip of weight tape or fusible hemming web tucked inside helps the curtain hang straight and stops the hem flapping. Stitch along the fold and press the whole panel from the wrong side. Do this before the header: the panel is far easier to handle without a stiffened top edge.

Creating the Eyelet Header

Turn the top edge to the wrong side by 10cm and press firmly. Tuck the raw edge under by 1cm so it is hidden, then slide a strip of firm buckram or fusible eyelet tape into the pocket, cut a couple of centimetres narrower than the panel. This is what stops the header rippling between rings.

Pin generously and stitch two rows: one about 3mm below the top folded edge, and one along the bottom edge of the header. Keep the fabric flat as you feed it through — do not stretch it, or the finished header will bow. Press the header once more, then leave the panel to rest overnight if you can. A settled fold makes a crisper curtain.

Fitting the Eyelets and Hanging Your Curtains

Mark the eyelet positions along the header. Space them 8–10cm apart, centre to centre, with the first and last ring set in from the side edge by half that distance. Adjust the spacing slightly so the gaps divide evenly and both edges match. Mark with tailor's chalk, using the template supplied with your eyelets.

• Cut a hole just large enough for the barrel of the eyelet — slightly smaller than the outer flange.
• Place the front half of the eyelet on the right side of the fabric and the washer on the wrong side.
• Press the two halves together using the setting tool until they click firmly into place.
• Work along the row, checking that no fabric is caught between the rings.

Thread the pole through the eyelets and step back to admire your work. One last measurement point: with 40mm eyelets the top of the curtain rides roughly 4cm above the pole, so remember to add that to your drop when you calculate your length. Give the panels a gentle shake into their folds, and they will settle into soft, regular waves within a day or two.