Determining how much fabric you need when embarking on a do-it-yourself drapery makeover project can be daunting when you start to consider the amount of fabric needed to cover all the pleats, gathers, folds and swags your dressing may require. But bringing your vision to life doesn’t have to cause a pause in your plans or errors in your fabric yardage purchase when you know the steps to taking accurate measurements beforehand.

If it’s your first time adorning your window frames, using solid or textured mid-weight and/or decorative fabrics is a good place to start as prints and sheers require extra consideration and handling to match the design and manage the slippage that often occurs with lightweight fabric.