Curtain Fabrics

Sew Your Own Drapes With Our Massive Range of Curtain Fabrics

A well-dressed window makes all the difference to your home. Stylish curtains are the perfect way to finish off your home decor and add great benefits to your space, like room darkening properties, privacy and insulation. Making your own curtains is a wonderful way to transform your space - you can pick the exact style, length and fabric design that matches your style

As Australia's largest fabric retailer, it's no surprise that we are the go-to destination for curtain fabrics. Here at Spotlight, you can find a variety of curtain fabric sold by the metre in a wide range of types, colours, prints and textures.

What Type of Fabric Is Best for Curtains?

Spotlight's curtain fabrics come in a huge variety of colours, textures, patterns and prints to suit any interior design theme. Explore our wide variety of curtain fabric types and the unique benefits they can add to your home:

• Sheer Curtain Fabrics allow light to filter through the material. These fabrics are available in classic lace patterns or contemporary voiles, as well as continuous sheer curtain fabric that comes in different sizes to suit any window height.
• Cut, Hem & Hang Fabrics are finished with multi-header curtain tapes, eyelets or pencil pleat headings and available in long drop sizes. All you need to do is, as the name suggests, measure and cut, hem the bottom and sides, and hang!
• Uncoated Curtain Fabrics are great for decorative side drapes. You can also choose to add a curtain lining, such as a blockout or thermal lining, for additional benefits.
• Blockout Curtain Fabrics feature a blockout coating that works to effectively prevent sunlight from filtering through the fabric. These fabrics provide excellent light blocking and privacy benefits.
• Thermal Curtain Fabrics are designed to add insulation to your space, helping to keep your room cooler in summer and nice and cosy in winter.
• Room Darkening Curtain Fabrics are made with a unique "triple weave" construction. These curtain fabrics significantly reduce the amount of light that passes into a room while offering a wonderful soft drapery effect when sewn into curtains.
• Linen Curtain Fabrics boast a lightweight design that allows natural light to slightly flow through the fabric.

How Do I Choose the Right Curtain Fabric for My Room?

Before shopping for your curtain fabrics, it's a good idea to first ask yourself how much light do I want and how much privacy do I need? If you are looking to make curtains for your bedroom, you may lean towards blockout fabrics that can help create a dark, cosy space. And for kids' bedrooms, that's where our range of uncoated fabrics in a wide range of patterns and colour tones are a great option. Simply pair these fabrics with a blockout curtain lining for a stylish pair of blockout curtains for their room. On the other hand, if you want to DIY a pair of curtains for your living room, you may prefer a fabric that allows natural light to illuminate your space, making sheer fabrics a more suitable option. In kitchens and bathrooms where moisture can damage the fabric of the curtain, we recommend using waterproof curtain fabrics to prevent mould or bacteria from building up.

Do I Need to Line My Curtain Fabric?

You don't always need to add a lining to your curtains - it ultimately depends on what you want your curtains to do. Here at Spotlight, you'll come across three common types of curtain lining: light-filtering, thermal and blockout linings. Light filtering linings are great if you're wanting to add a little extra privacy while allowing natural light to filter through the fabric. For those looking to create a pair of curtains that adds insulation to their space, then a thermal lining will be the perfect addition to your curtain fabrics. Lastly, if you're wanting to completely block sunlight from filtering through your curtain fabric, then go for a blockout lining. Spotlight stocks curtain lining by the metre alongside our full curtain fabric range, so you can shop for the exact meterage required for your project.

Which Heading Style Works Best With Your Curtain Fabric?

The weight of your fabric and drape will affect which heading style works best. Lighter fabrics like sheers suit S-fold and eyelet headers, while heavier fabrics suit pencil pleat and pinch pleat headers. Spotlight stocks heading tape, curtain rings, curtain rods and all the haberdashery you need to create the perfect header for your curtains.

How Much Curtain Fabric Do I Need?

To determine how much curtain fabric you need, first take the rod or track width multiplied by your desired fullness, divided by the fabric width, rounded up to whole widths and finally multiplied by the drop measurement. Pay attention to the pattern repeat. A larger fabric repeat significantly increases how much fabric you'll need to match up the pattern. We recommend always rounding up when deciding on your curtain fabric meterage rather than cutting it close, as it's always better to have leftover fabric than not have enough.

Tips for Sewing Your Own Curtains

• Before you begin, organise your workspace and ensure that you have a large flat space to work. Have all your pins, threads, scissors and curtain tapes easily to hand.
• Wash, dry and iron your curtain material before cutting and sewing. This will ensure that there is no unwanted shrinkage in your finished curtains and will make it easier to measure and cut the fabric.
• Take the time to carefully measure your windows before making your curtains to ensure a perfect fit. Read through our guide on how to measure your windows for curtains for more information.
• Measure your material to the size you require and cut accurately to ensure neat, even and straight seams. Remember - measure twice, cut once!
• Have an iron on hand to iron the seams, smooth the fabric as you go and create perfectly pattern-matched prints.
• Create a neat finish to your curtains by hemming the edges. The two most common approaches to hemming your curtains are to either use hemming tape or sew your hems.
• Hemming tape is a great no-sew option, ideal for those with limited sewing experience.
• If you have some experience with a sewing machine, sewing your hems using a sewing machine and thread for more precision in your hemming.
• Hang your curtains before doing the final hem so you can double-check that you're folding and sewing the correct amount.

How Do I Care for My Curtain Fabric?

Most curtain fabrics are easier to care for than people think. When caring for your curtain fabrics, you should pay attention to the material your fabrics are made from. Polyester blend curtains are resistant to mildew and can be washed without having to worry about it shrinking. On the other hand, some cotton uncoated curtain fabrics may only be able to be spot cleaned due to the natural materials used in their composition. Make sure to follow any provided washing instructions to maintain your homemade creations.

Why Spotlight Is Australia's Go-To for Curtain Fabrics

Spotlight is trusted by Australians for curtain fabrics for a number of reasons. With an incredible range of fabric, hemming tape, heading tape and scissors all under one roof, Spotlight is a favoured one-stop project shop for a reason. As your fabric is cut in store, staff can cut the exact meterage you need at the fabric counter, so there's no wastage and no guesswork. With over 50+ years of fabric expertise and over 120 stores across Australia, you can enjoy professional advice with the option to feel the texture of the fabric before your purchase. The range spans every skill level from complete beginners using iron-on hemming tape to confident sewists using a machine.

For those who want to go beyond DIY, Spotlight also offers a full made-to-measure service, where you can enjoy a free in-home measure and quote for curtains that are made to fit your windows perfectly. This service also offers an additional installation service for professional installation of your curtains.

Save More On Your Fabric Roll with VIP-Only Deals

Discover exclusive access to events and special offers with the Spotlight VIP Club. Become a member and enjoy incredible benefits including everyday discounts and early sales notifications. You will also receive birthday vouchers as well as an added welcome voucher when you sign up! Sign up and become a member of the VIP Club today.

Shop Bargains Galore and Start Stitching Today

If you're wondering how to make curtains or just need some inspiration, check out some of our free online curtain projects - including a how to make eyelet curtains project and a how to make pencil pleat curtains project.

Making your own DIY curtains can be one of the most satisfying ways to transform your decor and truly turn your house into a home. At Spotlight, you can find everything you need to complete your custom curtain creation, from heading tapes, scissors, pins, sewing machines, and of course, curtain fabrics. We also have curtain rods, curtain tracks, rings and all the essential accessories to take you through to installation. Shop the complete range in-store or online today to reinvent the windows in your home!