How to Lengthen a Curtain with Drop Cloth

Are your curtains too short? Don’t replace them, just lengthen them! Follow this simple tutorial and DIY the new curtains yourself!

You’ll save money and get a custom look without the cost. A standard curtain and drop cloth are all you need. I’ll share a “no sew” option also!

Necessity is the Mother of Invention, Right?

Here at the cottage we have a lot of quirky spaces. My master bathroom shower is one of them. Even though the ceiling height is only seven feet high, the shower opening is really tall, due to the step down into the shower.

In this post I’ll show you how I lengthened a standard shower curtain. But the same method can be used to lengthen any curtain. It’s so easy, you’re going to want to do it!

Many of you with a standard height shower curtain rod have discovered that raising it up higher gives a more luxurious and designer look. A longer liner is quite affordable. But when it comes to the shower curtain, it can be the budget buster!

A standard sized shower curtain is usually 72″ x 72″. As you can see in the picture, my shower curtain looks like crop pants. Might be good on a person, but not so hot as a shower curtain.

As I was wandering around HomeGoods I spotted this linen, ticking stripe shower curtain. I  bought it while knowing that I would have to figure out a way to add length.

Drop Cloth to the Rescue!

In my small fabric stash I found some drop cloth from a past project. It’s a great choice for Farmhouse style because it adds a neutral, simple texture that goes with most other fabrics. Plus, it’s so affordable you can’t really go wrong.

If you’re wondering where to buy drop cloth, it’s at your local hardware store. It’s in the paint section. Most larger home improvement chains like Lowe’s and Home Depot carry fabric drop cloths. For a small project you don’t need much and you’ll definitely have some left over for pillow covers, table runners, or you could actually use it as a drop cloth when you paint!

Of course you could use any fabric that you like for this project. Add a print for a Boho style, or maybe a Buffalo Check?

How to Do It

Make sure that you prewash your fabric. For this project, I soaked my drop cloth fabric in some bleach and warm water to brighten it up a little. I didn’t bleach it all the way to white because I don’t mind the natural gray/cream color.

Step 1: Measure from the top of your curtain down to the floor.

This will give you the finished length that you need.

Step 2: Next you’re going to cut out your fabric. Think of your curtain as a large rectangle and the new piece as a small rectangle that you’ll add onto the bottom.

In my case I needed nine inches added onto the bottom. So I cut my drop cloth at nine and one half inches. The half inch is a seam allowance added for when I sew the pieces together. I didn’t add a seam allowance for the hem because I used the existing hem on the drop cloth. One less seam to sew!

Measure your width and add a one inch seam allowance to each side. For example, my shower curtain is seventy two inches wide so I cut out a seventy four inch width.

TIP: I just clip the fabric and tear it when I use drop cloth. For the length I cut a couple of inches longer and then straighten the edge with my rotary cutter.

Step 3: Pin the right sides together and sew using a half inch seam allowance. Fold over a half inch twice (to equal one inch) and iron it. Top stitch it for a finished edge.

That’s all there is to it! Hang it up and enjoy your handy work.

Now sew option: for a no sew option simply use fabric glue or iron on fabric seam tape. Just make sure that they’re washable if you plan on washing your curtains in the future.

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