- Choose a fabric that flows. You do not want to purchase a fabric that is too heavy or stiff. Lightweight fabrics work well for scarf valances. Lightweight window scarves are easy to drape and arrange to get the look you desire. Heavy drapery fabrics do not always want to go the way you want them to and they do not hang well. Use sheer fabrics for a different look. Buy two different colors and hang them together on the curtain rod.
- Measure your window. Measure up both sides and across the top of the window. At least double this measurement to get the appropriate amount of fabric. You may even want to triple the measurement. You want to make sure you have plenty of fabric for draping. Look at pictures for different ideas of hanging window scarves. Some scarf styles use more fabric than others. Keep this in mind especially for styles that wrap around the curtain rod. If you do not use all the fabric for your scarf, you can use it to make pillows to pull the curtains into the décor of the room.
Get one long piece of fabric if possible. If you need to join pieces of fabric to get the desired length or to make sure the pattern in the fabric is going the right way on both tails of the scarf, make sure to sew the seams so they will lie at the corners of the curtain rod. Some large floral patterns need piecing so that flowers will not be right side up on one side of the window and upside down on the other. The same goes for any patterned that has a definite up and a definite down. - Find the middle of the scarf by folding it in half. Put a safety pin in the center just to mark it for now. Remove it after you have the scarf draped to your satisfaction. There are many ways to hang window scarves. You can have one swag that hangs down in the middle of the window or multiple swags that are evenly spaced across the window. Fold the scarf around the curtain rod and make scallops for another look. Use decorative hooks or ribbons to hold the scallops or swags of the scarf. Fold the fabric accordion style to make pleats in your window scarf. You can leave one tail hanging longer than the other. Hanging a window scarf takes a little practice to get just the look you desire. Try different ideas, step back and see how you like them. Do not be afraid to pull the scarf off the curtain rod and try again with something different.
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