Curtain Fabric Options - Material Choice

Curtain material fabric

There are so many options available when you go to choose a curtain fabric but the choice is not limited to the color of the fabric alone. The texture of the curtain fabric is so important and will affect the home décor as much as the shape, cut and color of the curtains themselves.

Heavy curtain fabric

Good quality heavy curtain fabric will help prevent heat less through the window’s glass and reduce fuel heating bills as a consequence. The curtain length is important and can affect the mood of a room. In a formal room the curtains should just reach the floor.

Make curtains

You will have much better choice if you design and make your own curtains because you will overcome all the obstacles presented by made-to-measure shop bought curtains.

Making your own curtains

Even if you are only a beginner the newest sewing machines are capable of the most intricate work, even on delicate curtain fabric. A modern sewing machine can replicate most, if not all, of the stitches that were done by hand many years ago (and at a much greater speed too). Home made curtains are cheap curtains but yet possess the style and panache of the much more expensive tailor made varieties.

Curtain fabric online

Cheap curtain fabrics online

Curtain fabrics can be bought at competitive prices if you shop online. If you order early in the week you will have your curtains ready to hang the following weekend. Ready made curtains in contemporary and traditional designs can also be bought online in the fabric of your choice. Getting your curtains online is a good option for anyone short of time or needing to decorate in a hurry.

Curtain fabric: Silk

Expensive fabric

Add silk curtains to improve the elegance and style of a formal room. Silk is a very fine fabric and is not too heavy and holds its shape well. Silk is versatile as it is very absorbent and can take a dye easily so silk curtain fabric can be colored in whatever shade you require to match the surrounding room.
Silk is reputed to be a sensuous and luxurious fabric that needs to be touched to experience its elegance. Silk is one of the oldest fabrics known and has connotations of wealth and success about it.

Curtain fabric: Cotton

Cheap curtain fabric

Cotton fabric curtains (unlike much heavier velvet curtains) are lightweight as are most of the blended cottons. Linens, lace and silk are all light in weight too. Cotton is often used for kitchen curtains as it is strong and deals well with odors and is easily washed.

Lace curtains

Lace curtains (net curtains) are an alternative for the kitchen and can be used alone but more usually in conjunction with cotton outer curtains because lace curtains on their own offer little in the way of privacy. You will need twin curtain rods to hold both the lace and cotton separately. Like the cotton fabric they can be washed easily.

Cotton with lace

Cotton and lace fabrics are often used together on the same window

Curtain fabric: Polyester

Polyester is a synthetic material which has many advantages over natural fibers including resistance to wrinkles, great color retention, durability, waterproofing and can be recycled. This textile however is highly flammable yet it is used extensively throughout the home. Polyester is often mixed in various proportions with natural fibers to produce a cloth like material.

Shower curtain fabric: Plastic

A shower curtain is 90% polyester (plastic like material) and just 10% cotton because of the need to be waterproof for the shower, wet room or bathroom. Longer drapes can be left inside the walls of the bath ensuring that no water drips onto the floor if the bath faucet attachment is used for showering.

Blackout curtains

These curtains were used extensively during wartime to prevent light escaping from the home and alerting enemy aircraft of the location of big cities. Blackout curtains are now used for children’s bedrooms and for workers who work at night and have to sleep during the day.

Measuring and cutting curtain fabric

The curtain fabric must be put onto a flat surface for cutting. ‘Measure twice and cut once’ is a very good maxim when you are cutting cloth, especially it is expensive. Use a good quality sharp scissors too. Make sure to keep patterns aligned for each curtain drop. It is a good idea to use the curtain poles as a measuring reference rather than the window width because they are wider and once you buy double the width of the curtain pole you will have ample curtain fabric available for your curtains.