Remember when we cut four Ikea curtain panels we loved in half to make eight for our living room? That was a happy accident—those panels were discontinued, so we doubled them to get the height and fullness we wanted. If you want the original backstory, there’s a link in the old post, but here’s the short version with fresh details.
We admired how the patterned panels added height, texture, and pattern to the room, but I kept thinking that adding lightweight sheers would make the whole setup feel softer and airier. The idea was to layer for fullness and gentle diffusion of light. I waited until I found an affordable option that would complement the existing panels, and then one day at Ikea I found two ready-made 98″ white curtains for $9. It felt like the exact bargain I’d been hoping for, so I grabbed four packs with our living room windows and sliding glass door in mind. I didn’t save the packaging, so I wasn’t sure which line they were from at first—those curtains were lighter than some other Ikea options we’ve used. Update: We think they’re called Wilma.
First step: I tossed the new sheer panels in the wash to pre-shrink them so the hems would stay true after future washes. Next, I dug out the ring clips from Target—the same clips I’d used to hang the original panels. Once the sheers came out of the dryer, I removed the tab-top headers so the panels could be clipped directly to the rings. (If you’re trying to identify similar curtains, check whether they have a tab top rather than a rod pocket—this was a giveaway for these.)
I hung the white sheers directly behind the patterned panels on the same curtain rod. To keep everything looking seamless and to help the panels move together, I overlapped the sheers slightly behind the patterned panels using the ring clips. Specifically, the two left-most clips on each patterned panel also hold a sheer clipped behind them. That prevents gaps and makes the curtains function as one layered unit when drawn. In our house the curtains are mostly decorative—they add softness, height, and a cozier feeling to a large space that could otherwise feel cavernous.
After hanging the sheers, I stalled on finishing the hems. Other projects and book commitments came up, and the unhemmed panels stayed in place for a while—some readers even noticed them in other posts. Eventually I came back to the project and finished the hems using heavy-duty iron-on hem tape (Heat N Bond). I hemmed the panels while they were hanging on the rod, trimming about a foot of excess fabric from each panel and leaving an extra inch so the finished length would just graze the floor. The iron-on method was quick and gave a neat result without sewing.
It’s sometimes hard to see the curtains clearly in wide shots because of the bright light coming in through the windows, but the layered sheers do make a noticeable difference up close. They soften the view, provide an airy backdrop to the room, and add a polished, slightly posh look thanks to the double set of ring clips.
Two of the panels hang on the sliding door off the living room, and the rest frame the main windows. Our daughter’s little coloring desk often appears in the same area—it’s fun watching her play at the tiny table while the curtains create a calm, light-filtering background.
All in all, this was a simple, affordable upgrade that made a big visual impact. Washing, trimming the tabs, clipping the sheers behind the patterned panels, and finishing with iron-on hem tape was an easy sequence that anyone can copy. The end result is taller, softer-looking windows and a room that feels more finished and welcoming. Have you tried layering curtains or using ring clips to create a similar look? I’d love to hear what methods you’ve used to add softness and height to your rooms.