How to Hang Curtains Around French Doors

Select the curtains you want for the French doors. You have several options for French doors. The top image shows a French door that has the curtains hung on the door from both the top and the bottom. This style of French door curtain works well for doors where you want the view obscured most of the time. The French door curtains shown below are hung from the wall above the door and are free flowing at the bottom. This is the kind of French door curtain to use if you want look out the windows during the day, and close the curtains and night.

Measure the width of the door. If you are going to hang the curtains from the wall, add a few inches to each side so that the curtains cover the entire span of the French doors. If you are going to use the double-hung French door curtains (shirred curtains), measure the distance between the span of glass, adding about an inch to each side.

Buy curtain rods that will fit in the top and bottom of the casings if you are hanging shirred curtains. If you decide on the free-flowing curtains, you'll only need one curtain rod. Most of the shirred curtain rods are the small diameter, narrow curtain rods, also commonly used for hanging cafe curtains. If your curtains are free flowing, you have many options for choosing the type of curtain rod. Some are functional, and others are decorative. Whatever kind you buy, make sure the rod will fit through the curtain casing easily, since these curtains need to move easily along the rod to close the curtains for privacy.

Measure where the rod needs to be mounted from the ceiling (or the top of the door if you are using shirred curtains). Make sure that the rod hangs straight, using a level. Mark where to mount the top and bottom screws to hold up the curtain rods on both sides.

Drill a small pilot hole in the wall or door on both sides. Use the screws that came with the curtain rods to mount the rod holders on the wall. If you are installing shirred curtains, you'll have to repeat the process for the bottom rod. Make sure that the curtain rod holder is facing the floor, opposite of how the top holder is mounted. Measure the curtains to determine where to place the bottom curtain rod holders. Shirred curtains should hang taut, so getting an accurate measurement is important. Make sure that there is tension on the curtains so that they are stretched tight. Place the pilot holes for the bottom curtain rod about 1/8 inch longer than the actual measurement of the curtain.

Get the curtains and start threading the rod through the top casing. Most curtain rods separate, and you'll have to start putting the curtain through the middle of the rod, not from end, which will probably be too big to pass through the casing.

Hang the curtain and rod on the curtain rod holders. If you are using shirred curtains, insert the bottom rod just as you did the top one to finish the installation. Slip the curtain rod in the holder from the bottom.