Curtain bang is the name given to the D-shape formed at the top of the curtains, obtained by using some curtain hardware accessories. Not only does it add a more beautiful appearance to the rooms in terms of aesthetics, but it is also quite practical and functional. However, as with everything else, how we should style it and how long it should be are very important questions to be answered. Considering standard window and curtain sizes, a 120-inch curtain, which is one of the longest curtain lengths, should have a bang of 80 inches. Medium-length 96-inch curtains should have a 64-inch bang. Shorter 63-inch curtains should have a 42-inch bang. Of course, there may be minor shifts in these standard sizes because the curtain bangs are not straight. You can even change these numbers according to your wish.
Sometimes we can overlook mathematical data while designing our house. However, in this blog post, we will give you all the necessary information down to the smallest detail. After all, small numerical data is the secret behind every visual beauty. So let’s start by answering some basic questions.
What is curtain bang?
Curtain bang is the formation of a D shape at the top of the curtains by using some curtain accessories such as holdback and tieback. No matter which option you choose to stylize your curtain bangs, don’t forget that the fluffier and more correctly fixed your curtain bangs, the better they will look. So along with using either a holdback or a tieback, you may choose to buy a longer and wider curtain to get a much fluffier look at the top. You can also pull the curtain more over the hardware for the best curtain bangs.
What is curtain tieback?
Tiebacks are soft curtain accessories made of flexible fabric, or twisted, satin ropes mostly used with an ornate tassel at the front. Nevertheless, as long as they are flexible and not stiff, they can be made of any material in any style. A tie-back must be flexible and supple enough to bend because it is to loop around and confine all of the fabric in a single curtain. Tiebacks generate a softly curved drape look that is quite appealing and gives the window dressing some elegance and contour. These tiebacks are then attached to a tieback hook or knob bolted into the wall to neatly keep the curtain in one place. Overall, curtain tiebacks are very practical and chic.
They are great for living rooms and dining rooms. Tiebacks are a great choice for your curtains. Nevertheless, we do not recommend you use curtain tiebacks with blackout eyelet curtains. Because tieing these curtains can damage the actual shape of the eyelet and can leave crease or fold marks, however, if your eyelet curtains remain closed frequently, you may choose to use tiebacks.
What is curtain holdback?
A curtain holdback is a piece of hardware that hangs near a window frame on the wall. It is a U-shaped material and is usually made of iron, metal, or even wood. There are also knob-shaped holdbacks. They are bigger than U-shaped holdbacks. It doesn’t matter in which shape your holdbacks will be. If you put the curtain behind this curtain accessory, it will gather your curtain and hold it open.
Curtain holdbacks are especially great for bedrooms and any type of curtain. If you have rod pocket curtains in your room, you are most probably having trouble with opening and closing your curtains. Because of their design, it is hard to move these curtains. So with the help of curtain holdbacks, you will be able to keep your rod pocket curtains open and more orderly without trying to slide them. Curtain holdbacks can also be used as a curtain tieback hook or a wall hook where you can hang your clothes or bags. And that makes it multi-functional.
How long should curtain bangs be?
Here is the most crucial question. Placing the holdback or tieback at the most suitable height is very important to get the most suitable curtain bang length. Each holdback should be hung a third of the way up from the curtain’s bottom. For example, if your curtain is 120 inches, you should mark it 40 inches from the bottom. And remove three inches from the window’s edge for holdbacks. With these standard measurements, you will get an 80 inches long curtain bang. But you don’t necessarily have to follow these criteria. You can place your holdback or tieback at the desired height. However, these standard measurements will give you the best curtain bangs. Because in this way, the upper part of your curtains will look fuller and you will be able to achieve the fluffiness you want. If the holdback is fixed in an upper position, you won’t get the fuller look or if it is fixed in a lower position, you will have a fuller upside but a very short downside and this won’t appeal to the eyes that much. So the best curtain bang length is 70 to 90 inches for long curtains.
Some tips to stylize curtain bangs
Here are some useful tips to style curtain bangs:
Tip 1: Use longer and wider curtains.
If you are planning to buy new curtains for your room and want to achieve better results in your curtain bangs, we recommend you buy longer curtains.
To determine the width of the curtains, measure the width of your window. Then, add 8 to 12 inches to the length of the rod. The width of each curtain piece should be at least as broad as the width of your window. This makes the twice of your window broad. So while buying the curtains, you should buy a curtain as wide as your window’s twice the size.
To determine the length of the curtains, measure from the location where you wish to hang the rod (typically 4 to 6 inches above the window, but a minimum of 2 inches is a must) to the bottom.
If you want the curtains to pool, add some extra length to the measurement. If you use a longer curtain, it will change your room’s aura a lot. It is a recommended trick to add luxury to your house and to make your room stylish. This is called a ‘puddle size curtain.’ It is generally used for heavy velvet or silk curtains. There are two other common sizes for your curtains, too. These are ‘float size’ (which is a little bit above the floor. But there should be only 1 inch between the bottom panel and the ground.) and ‘kiss size’ (which skims the floor and provides your room a more glossy look). Whichever technique you want to use for your room, you should measure according to the chosen size. The shorter the curtains will make your room look smaller and narrower. However, if you have to use short curtains such as cafe curtains, you should opt for them. Especially for attics and kitchens, you should use short curtains. They also look good with bangs.
If your house is a little bit small and dark, you should try hanging your curtains much closer to the ceiling of your room. This will create the illusion of more ceiling height, and your room will be thought of as a more spacious place. So, while measuring the area of the curtain rod, you should start measuring from a higher point.
You may ask how using longer curtains can help you have better-looking curtain bangs. However, this is the beginning of everything. If you start doing something wrong, you will finish it wrong. The proper measurements will always give you good results. And also, longer and wider curtains will create much fluffier bangs. Nevertheless, if you are not planning to buy new curtains and want to use what you already have, the other methods will help you have good curtain bangs.
Tip 2: Use the correct type of curtains.
This is a very crucial part. Because not every type of curtain can create good curtain bangs. As we said before, you will need to use either a curtain holdback or a curtain tieback to have curtain bangs. The choice is up to you. But not every curtain can be practical with these two hardware accessories.
You can use most of the curtains with holdbacks and tiebacks such as rod pocket curtains, sheer curtains, and grommet curtains. The most problematic one is the eyelet curtain, especially the blackout eyelet curtain. If eyelet curtains are used with tiebacks, this will damage the actual shape of the columns of the curtains and leave crease or fold marks. You can opt to use them with holdbacks, but if your eyelet curtains are too heavy, you won’t be able to get the fluffier curtain bang. Still, eyelet curtains should be used with holdbacks. The other types of curtains do not pose such a big problem. You can choose them with peace of mind.
Tip 3: Find the right curtain holdback and place it with an incline of a 30-degree angle.
A curtain holdback is a piece of hardware that hangs near a window frame on the wall. It is a U-shaped material and is usually made of iron, metal, or even wood. There are also knob-shaped holdbacks. Holdbacks can vary in style and design. There are endless options in hardware stores and on websites such as Amazon and Etsy. However, the most important thing is that the holdback must be sturdy enough to be able to carry your curtain. When choosing curtain holdbacks, the other important things to be considered are the room’s design, the curtain’s color and fabric, and other hardware curtain accessories such as rods and finials. You can either match them with the new holdbacks or create a contrast by buying holdbacks with contrasting colors and materials.
This only applies if you are using a U-shaped holdback, which is the most recommended and common type of holdback. You can also place the holdback without an incline but a 30-degree angle will help you to create the bang shape you desire. Thanks to this inclination, you will be able to adjust your curtains to look fuller and create a great ‘D’ shape on the upper side of your curtains.
Tip 4: Use matching tiebacks.
If you plan to use tiebacks to create curtain bangs, you must buy matching materials. Tiebacks are curtain accessories that are made of soft, flexible fabrics or twisted, satin ropes mostly used with an ornate tassel at the front. These tiebacks are then attached to a tieback hook or knob bolted into the wall to neatly keep the curtain in one place. If you want to use tiebacks for your curtains, there are two different main types: One is attached to the wall, and the other is just wrapped tightly around the curtain fabric. For the first one, you will need to install curtain hooks or knobs to attach the tieback later. For the second one, you will just need to buy the tie.
To find the best tieback, consider your curtains’ color and the room’s design. Regarding tieback, it may be more recommended to use colors that match the curtains or even the same color and fabric. However, the use of contrasting colors and materials will also create a very stylish image. The use of black ties with white fabric and silver tiebacks with velvet curtains can be good examples of contrast.
What are the benefits of curtain bangs?
We can list 4 benefits of curtain bangs:
- Your curtains will stay clean longer: When the windows are open, your curtains might be blown about both inside and outdoors by the wind. You can guarantee that if your curtains come into touch with the outside air, they’ll get soiled and dirty more quickly and easily. If you want to open your windows for fresh air but are afraid that your curtains will get dirty, you should create curtain bangs. Curtain bangs keep the curtains in one place and decrease dirt contact. They also indirectly help you in the sense of curtain cleaning expenses. From now on, you will pay less because your curtains will get dirty less. While using the vacuum cleaner for the floors, you can also see that it will attach less frequently to the curtains with the help of curtain bangs. Your curtains will look more stable and tidy.
- They hold your curtains the way you want: There is no rule that curtain bangs are only created on both sides of windows. This is the fun part. Because by using your creativity, you can create different styles such as in the middle of the window, on both sides of a window, or between two windows. The choice is up to you.
- They add contour: This means your curtains will look fuller and more dimensional. This is another benefit because fluffier curtains mean a more stylish room and home.
- They appeal to the eyes: This is perhaps the most important. Most people ignore both reflecting their style and the practicality of the items they add when arranging their homes. But curtain bangs are not like that. The first two benefits we have mentioned represent the practical side, while the last two represent appealing to the eyes and adding style to your room. We guarantee that everyone who comes to your house will love the curtains with bangs.
Some related materials available on Amazon
In this part, we will share some decent and practical tiebacks, holdbacks, and curtains.
TWO PAGES Extra Long 100% Dupioni Silk Curtain Pinch Pleated Curtain Drape for Living Room Bedroom Sliding Glass Room, 52W x 120L Inch, 1 Panel, Wine
These pleated curtains can be used very well to create good curtain bangs. Since it’s 120 inches, we recommend getting 80-inch curtain bangs.
You can see it on Amazon.
Konsilsa Flower Embroidered Curtains, Blackout Curtains with Anti-Rust Grommet, Curtains for Girls Bedroom/for Living Room, Thermal Insulated Noise Reducing Curtains, Set of 2 Panels
These extra-long polyester curtains are another fine option, especially for high ceilings. They are 138 inches. So the curtain bangs should be 92 inches.
You can see it on Amazon.
BEL AVENIR 2 Pack Curtain Tiebacks Tassel Drapery Tie-Backs Rope Handmade Holdbacks Home Office Hotel Decorative (Gold)
This is a classic tieback sample. It would look very well with long curtains.
You can see it on Amazon.
HIKMLK Handmade Metal Curtain Holdbacks 2pcs, Leaf Shaped Curtain Side Holders Pulll Backs, Antique Black Nickel Curtain Tieback Hooks for Drapes Drapery Window Home Decoration
This is a modern-looking black curtain holdback. It will look so good with any curtain. Its U-shape will hold the curtain better. Don’t forget to fix it with an incline of a 30-degree angle for the perfect result.
You can see it on Amazon.
Last Word
In this post, we have provided very comprehensive information on how to get the best curtain bangs. By answering the question of how long should you get the curtain bangs, we saw how decisive mathematical data is in achieving visually appealing results. You can get good results with standard sizes using the rule of one-third. According to the standard measurements, curtain bangs should be two-thirds of the whole curtain. Fix the tieback or holdback on a third of the way up from the curtain’s bottom and get the perfect result.
