How to Hang an Extra Long Shower Curtain
We’ve talked about how to make smaller bathrooms look bigger on this blog before. None of the bathrooms in our 1960s house are very spacious. So we’ve had to get creative in a lot of ways to trick the eye in making them appear bigger than they really are.
I’m convinced the latest trick we used is the best of all: hanging an extra long shower curtain to add height to the low ceiling in our girls’ black and pink bathroom. I love how it turned out!
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What you need to hang a shower curtain higher
This is so easy to do yet it adds a huge impact! And you might not even need a specialty extra long shower curtain at all to make this work for you.
- Double shower curtain rod (We used a curved one but a straight curtain rod works too.)
- Pair of 90″ or longer window curtain panels (Two tablecloths could also work!)
- Extra long waterproof shower curtain liner
- Shower curtain hooks
- Curtain ring hooks
Related: Easy DIY No Sew Curtains With Trim: Step By Step Tutorial
How to measure for a shower curtain
A shower curtain should be wider than the shower since the curtain hangs in folds rather than hanging taut.
Measure your shower from one end of the shower curtain rod to the other. Then, add at least 12 inches to that measurement. Add more than 12 inches to create a billowy, rippled effect to the curtain even when closed. Divide that measurement by 2 to calculate how wide your curtain panels should be.
Our shower was 60 inches long, so we used curtain panels that were altogether 100 inches wide (50 inches wide per panel) because I wanted a billowy, rippled look.
Measure the height from the shower curtain rod to the floor to calculate how long your curtain panels and liner should be as well.
Related: Best Luxury for Less Amazon Curtains & Window Shades
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The benefit of using window curtains as shower curtains
Every time I’m decorating a bathroom, I get annoyed at the limited colors and fabric patterns available on the market when shopping for shower curtains.
By using window curtain panels, there are way more design options out there! You can even use long tablecloths for this method. (Keep an eye out in the textile section of your local thrift store. You never know what you’ll find as an extra affordable option.)
As long as you use a long waterproof shower curtain liner along with it, your decorative shower curtain panels will be protected.
Related: Our Black and Pink Bathroom Refresh Done in 4 Days
How to hang a shower curtain higher
1. Just follow the double shower rod installation instructions to install it just below your bathroom’s crown molding. (If you don’t have crown molding, install it 2-3 inches below the ceiling.)
2. Hang the extra long fabric shower curtain liner on the inside rod with traditional shower curtain hooks.
3. Use the curtain rings to clip the curtain panels to the outside rod. If your curtain panels have a rod pocket, you can omit the rings, but I prefer the look of rings. These are especially helpful when hanging tablecloths instead of curtains since you don’t have to sew a rod pocket at all!
Steam out any wrinkles with a garment steamer, if you want to make them look extra polished.
That’s it! So easy!
If your shower doesn’t have a light directly above and the long curtain blocks out too much light, you can use this battery operated wireless flush mount light on the ceiling without needing to hardwire one.
Here are some of my favorite curtain panels that work work beautifully as extra long shower curtains.
- Black and white stripe curtains
- Toile curtain panel
- Pinch pleat curtains
- Linen blend striped curtain
- Pieced stripe curtain
- Hyacinth curtain
- Scalloped curtain
- Rowena curtain
- Laney floral curtain
- Textured plaid curtain
- Gingham curtain
- Perla curtain
- Verity tweed curtain
- Ticking stripe curtains
- Floral and trimmed curtain
- Rhode thistle ruffle edge curtain
Have you ever done this decorating trick in your bathroom before? Let me know if you try it!
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