--- title: "Curtain Size & Fullness Calculator | Neat Drape" description: "Curtain width, drop and fabric from your window: pole width, fullness by heading, sill or floor length, fabric widths and pattern repeat." url: https://neatdrape.cfd/ --- Curtains # Curtain size & fullness calculator Enter your window and choose a heading and a length. You get the pole width, the finished drop, how wide each curtain must be, and how much fabric to buy if you make them. Drawn to scale from your numbers. The curtains are shown open. ## Buying ready-made Look for curtains at least **190 cm** wide each (flat, as labelled) with a drop of at least **234 cm**; shorter is no good, longer can be hemmed. - 117 cm (46 in) per curtain 1.2× fullness - 168 cm (66 in) per curtain 1.8× fullness - 228 cm (90 in) per curtain 2.4× fullness Common UK widths, sold in pairs, with the fullness each gives on your pole. Standard US panel lengths that cover your drop: 96 in or 108 in. ## How to measure and what each option means **Window:** measure the outside of the frame, edge to edge, then from the top of the frame to the sill, and from the floor to the sill. If your pole or track is already up, set the extension so the pole width matches yours (between the finials). **Pole or track:** Dunelm suggests about 20 cm each side of the window; Bob Vila suggests 8 to 12 inches, so open curtains stack beside the glass instead of over it. Hang it at least 10 cm (4 in) above the frame; higher makes the window look taller. **Fullness** is how much wider the flat fabric is than the width it covers. Twice the pole width is the usual standard; each heading has its own range (see the table). **Length:** sill length stops 1 cm above the sill, below-sill 15 cm under it, floor length 1 cm clear of the floor, and a puddle lies on the floor (in inches we use ½, 6 and ½ in). The drop is measured from the top of the pole for eyelets, from the eye of the ring on a pole with rings, and from the top of a track. **Returns and overlap:** a return is fabric that turns from the front of the rod back to the wall; an overlap is where a pair crosses on a track with overlap arms. Measure both on your fitting and they are added to the width. **Fabric:** widths are the total flat width divided by the usable fabric width, rounded up; a pair may share a width split down the middle. Each drop is cut to the finished drop plus the making allowance, rounded up to whole pattern repeats so the widths match. **Example:** a 150 cm window with 20 cm each side needs a 190 cm pole. Floor length from 235 cm gives a 234 cm drop. At 2× fullness that is 380 cm of flat width: three widths of 137 cm fabric, each cut 264 cm, so 7.92 m. ## Typical fullness by heading | Heading | Fullness | | --- | --- | | Pencil pleat | 2–2.5× | | Pinch pleat | 2–2.5× | | Eyelet / grommet | 1.5–2.5× | | Wave / ripplefold | 1.6–2.2× | | Tab top | 1–1.5× | | Rod pocket | 1–2× | Ranges quoted by heading-tape makers, curtain workrooms and retailers (sources below). Light sheers look better towards the top of a range; heavy lined fabric towards the bottom. ## Sources - Dunelm, [How to measure for curtains](https://www.dunelm.com/info/buying-guides/how-to-measure-for-curtains): sill (1 cm above), apron (15 cm below), floor (1 cm above) and puddle (2–7 cm on the floor) lengths; where to measure the drop for eyelet and pencil pleat curtains; 2× standard and 2.5× luxury gather; 20 cm each side when no pole is fitted; ready-made widths of 117, 168 and 228 cm per curtain. - Bob Vila, [Standard curtain lengths](https://www.bobvila.com/articles/curtain-lengths/): US panel lengths of 63, 84, 96, 108 and 120 inches; a rod 8 to 12 inches past each side of the frame and at least 4 inches above it. - Two Pages Curtains, [How to measure for curtains](https://twopagescurtains.com/blogs/all-posts/how-to-measure-for-curtains): fullness of 1.5–2× for grommet, 1–2× for rod pocket and 1–1.5× for tab top; ½ inch above the floor or 6 to 8 inches below the sill; add a track's centre overlap to its length. - Empress Mills, [3 inch pencil pleat curtain tape](https://www.empressmills.co.uk/3inch-curtain-tape) and [80 mm eyelet tape](https://www.empressmills.co.uk/80mm-eyelet-tape): fullness 2–2.5. - Drapery Rods Direct, [Pinch pleat draperies](https://www.draperyrodsdirect.com/products/pinch-pleat-drapery) (2.5:1 fullness, 4 inch standard return) and [Ripplefold draperies](https://www.draperyrodsdirect.com/products/ripplefold-drapery) (60–120% fullness, that is 1.6:1 to 2.2:1). - The Millshop Online, [Calculating the cut drop](https://www.the-millshop-online.co.uk/blogs/news/calculating-the-cut-drop): widths rounded up, cut drops rounded up to whole pattern repeats, usable fabric width and the making allowance. ## More size tools for the home Blinds, table linen, bedding and rugs, each with its own calculator. - [Blind measuring guide](https://neatdrape.cfd/blind-measuring-guide/): Inside or outside the recess, three widths and three drops, and the size to order. - [Tablecloth size calculator](https://neatdrape.cfd/tablecloth-size-calculator/): Rectangle, square, round or oval tables, casual to floor-length drops, in cm and inches. - [Bed & duvet size chart](https://neatdrape.cfd/bed-and-duvet-size-chart/): Mattress, duvet and sheet sizes for the US, UK, Europe, Australia and Japan, compared. - [Rug size guide](https://neatdrape.cfd/rug-size-guide/): The right rug for a living room, dining table or bed, drawn to scale in your room. ## Recommended Two free services that help when you shop for curtains and soft furnishings online. Disposable email · no sign-up ### CleanTempMail Curtain and bedding shops often offer a welcome discount in return for your email address, followed by a steady stream of newsletters. CleanTempMail gives you a free temporary inbox straight away: no sign-up, a random or custom address on hundreds of domains, and messages deleted automatically after 3 days. Receive the code there and keep your own inbox for the order confirmation. [Get a temporary inbox](https://cleantempmail.com/) Disposable cloud browser · free domain lookups ### WebTraceCheck Found made-to-measure curtains at half the usual price on a shop you have never heard of? WebTraceCheck's free DNS and domain lookup shows the details behind a shop's domain, and its disposable cloud browser opens unfamiliar links on an isolated desktop that is deleted after each session. Nothing to install, with free time every day. [Try WebTraceCheck](https://webtracecheck.com/) ## Questions **How much wider than the window should curtains be?** Measure the pole or track, not the glass. For gathered curtains the flat fabric is usually about twice the pole width in total, and up to two and a half times for a fuller look. Eyelet and wave headings use a little less, and tab tops less again, because their folds are set by the heading. **Should floor-length curtains touch the floor?** Most guides stop them about 1 cm (½ inch) above the floor, so they hang straight, open easily and stay clean. If you want them to touch or pool, add a few centimetres; Dunelm describes puddled curtains as ending 2 to 7 cm below the floor line. **Do I measure the drop from the top of the pole or from the rings?** It depends on the heading. Eyelet and tab top curtains are measured from the top of the pole, because the pole runs through the fabric. Pencil and pinch pleat curtains on rings are measured from the eye of the ring, where the hook goes, and curtains on a track from the top of the track. **Why does a patterned fabric need so much more?** Every drop has to start at the same point of the pattern so the widths line up when they are sewn side by side. Each cut is rounded up to a whole number of repeats, and the extra is cut away, so a large repeat can add close to one repeat to every drop. **Are ready-made curtain sizes per curtain or per pair?** In UK shops the width on the label is usually the flat width of one curtain, sold in pairs. Dunelm's rule is that each curtain should be about as wide as the pole for a standard look. US panels are often sold singly, so check whether the price is for one panel or two.