CURATE

Ikea Ritva Hack: Affordable, Custom White Curtains

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I am obsessed with gorgeous, flowy white linen curtains, specifically the ones that Pottery Barn sells. And I wanted them in every room. Unfortunately, they are a tad bit on the pricey side and I needed about 24 panels to complete all the rooms in my home. Curtain panels coupled with all of the hardware and rods needed, it would have cost me thousands of dollars. I had to come up with another way to get my desired look. 

Thankfully, there IS another way! Ikea has some amazing items that are really affordable and allow you to customize them to fit your needs. Their line of curtains come in a variety of lengths, colors and thicknesses. And as an added bonus, each pack comes with TWO curtain panels. I chose the white Ikea Ritva curtains. I have used them in both 98” and 118” lengths depending on my ceiling height. The 118” length for your really tall ceilings are typically very expensive if you look for them elsewhere–Ikea sells these for only $39.99 per pack. 

So, here is what you need:

  • Ikea RITVA White Curtains (your desired length)
  • Ikea Curtain Hooks
  • Curtain Rod
  • Curtain Rings with Eyelets
  • Iron on Hemming Tape
  • Tools to hang your rods

*Note: Ikea tends to be sold out of these curtains–you can purchase these curtains through Amazon as well. 

First, take the curtains out of the packaging. These are washable and CAN be thrown into the washing machine; however, I tried washing several of mine before hanging and I could never get the wrinkles out of the curtains. On the panels that I chose not to wash, I was able to get the wrinkles out very easily and they look much more crisp and expensive. I would recommend NOT washing your panels and spot cleaning if you ever need to wash them.

Next, hang your curtain rods. If you are like me, no matter how many times I measure, I can never get the curtains to just kiss the floor and always end up hemming mine to the exact length I need. I would rather the curtain rods be hung at my chosen height. It is my preference to hang the rods “high and wide” as they say, which will give the illusion that your windows are much larger than they are. This makes the room feel much cozier. Once the rods are hung, add your curtain rings with eyelets.

Then, take your curtain hooks and your curtains. You will hook one end of the curtain hook into the first set of flat ribbon loops on the back of the curtain. I like to count 8 loops over and insert the other end of the hook into the 8th loop (see picture below). You will want the rounded part on the back of the hook to be facing down so that you can insert the hook into the eyelet of the curtain ring. Continue this pattern until you are at the end of the curtain panel. You should use 10 curtain hooks. This way, you will use 1 pack of curtain hooks for every 1 pack of curtain panels. 

Once you have attached your curtain hooks to both panels, insert the curtain hooks into your curtain rings. Decide if you like the way that your curtains have pooled on the floor or if you prefer a more tailored look. If you prefer a more tailored look, take a ruler and measure the distance from the end of the curtain panel to the floor to see how much extra fabric that you have. You can use an ironing board, iron and ironable hemming tape to hem the end of the curtains to your desired length. Ikea sells some hem tape but, in my experience, it is more difficult to work with. Hobby Lobby sells some that is very easy to work with and just irons right on. 

AFTER

How did your curtains turn out? Questions about the process? Ask me below!