How to Hang a Curtain With Heading Tape and Hooks

Heading tape, hooks, rod: who does what

The heading tape is a corded tape sewn at the top of the curtain: pulling the cords gathers the fabric to create the pleats. The hooks slide into the pockets of the heading tape and attach to the support, either the rings of a rod or the gliders of a rail. This is the most common and most adjustable system: it fits any width and lets you adjust the height of the curtain.

How to hang a curtain with heading tape, step by step

1. Find the right row of pockets. Heading tape often has several rows of pockets: the bottom row raises the curtain, the top row lowers it. Choose according to the height you want.
2. Gather to the right width. Pull the tape cords from both sides to draw the fabric in to the width of the rod. Spread the gathers evenly, then knot the cords without cutting them, so you can ungather them for washing.
3. Position the hooks. Slide a hook into a pocket every 8 to 10 cm, plus one hook at each end. Even spacing gives consistent pleats.
4. Attach to the support. Pass each hook through a ring on the rod or a glider on the rail. The end hooks attach to the rings closest to the finials to close the curtain at the sides.
5. Adjust the pleats. Once hung, arrange the pleats by hand from top to bottom for an even drape, and let the curtain settle for a few hours.

Rod with rings or rail with gliders?

Heading tape hooks attach to both systems. On a rod with rings, each hook passes through a ring, and the tape stays visible just below the rod. On a rail with gliders, the hooks clip into the gliders, and the curtain can rise to hide the rail. The rail is better suited to wide-widths and to heavy curtains, which slide more easily.

Adjusting the fullness of the pleats

The fullness depends on the amount of fabric relative to the rod width. The wider the curtain is relative to the rod, the fuller the pleats once the heading tape is gathered. Heading tape lets you tighten or loosen this fullness at will. To understand the different heading types, including eyelets and pleated headings, see the heading guide.

A curtain ready to hang

The right fixing system depends on the curtain and the support. Kurtens makes made-to-measure curtains in a range of colors and fabrics, with the heading of your choice, heading tape, eyelets or other, delivered ready to hang. To choose the fixing suited to your rod or rail, see the heading guide, then the Kurtens made-to-measure curtains. To fix the support without drilling, see also how to hang a curtain without drilling.

What is heading tape and how do you hang a curtain with it?

Heading tape is a strip with cords and pockets sewn along the top of a curtain. To hang the curtain, pull the cords until the panel covers the width it needs to, knot them without cutting, slide hooks into the pockets, then hang them on the rings of the rod or the gliders of the rail.

Heading tape, curtain tape and gathering tape all name the same part. Each step is detailed above, in the step-by-step section.

How do you hang a curtain with heading tape, and how many hooks do you need?

Pull the tape cords until the panel covers the width it needs to, then knot them without cutting. Place one hook near each end and spread the others through the pockets every 8 to 10 cm. Hang each one on a rod ring or a rail glider. The number of hooks therefore depends on the gathered width.

• To count. Measure the gathered panel at its working width, divide that width by the spacing you chose, round up to the next whole number and add one hook. This gives an estimate, ends included: then check how the hooks fall in the tape pockets. For a pair of curtains, count each panel separately.
• One hanging point per hook. Plan one ring or one glider for each hook. If your rail has a fixed end point, it counts in the total.

Which hooks and gliders do you need for a heading tape curtain on a rail?

Choose hooks that fit both the pockets of the heading tape and the attachment of the gliders, and gliders compatible with your rail model. With eyelet gliders, each hook goes into a pocket of the tape, then into the eye of a glider. Count one hanging point per hook, including any fixed end point on the rail.

Some gliders carry their own hook: they slot straight into the pockets of a compatible heading tape, with no separate hook. If your rail loads from one end, insert all the gliders before closing it, following the manufacturer's instructions.

Also check the load ratings given by the manufacturer for the rail, gliders, brackets and fixings against the total weight of the hanging curtains. Kurtens three-layer curtains are dense fabrics, at 620 g/m². Kurtens sells no rails, rods or supports and does not install them: these are chosen separately.

Frequently asked questions

Heading tape adjusts the fullness and height of the curtain. Have your curtain made with the heading of your choice as a Kurtens made-to-measure curtain, delivered ready to hang.