How to Hang Curtains from Your Ceiling

Though curtains are traditionally used to decorate windows and control the amount of light entering the room, they can also be used for less traditional purposes. Hanging curtains from your ceiling can add a dramatic effect to any room, and can also add a sense of privacy. This is especially true if you live in a studio apartment where your sleeping space is essentially a part of your living room. By hanging curtains from the ceiling of your studio apartment, you can make the bedroom area look and feel closed off from the rest of your home. Hanging curtains from the ceiling is relatively easy to do and can transform the look and feel of your home.

To hang curtains from your ceiling you will need:

Curtains with a folded seam along the top
Tape measure
Pencil
Aircraft cable
Turnbuckle
Wire rope clips
Hooks
Anchors
Drill
Cable cutter

1. Use the tap measure to measure the distance across your ceiling where you plan to hang the curtains. Use the pencil to make a mark at each end of the measurement so that you will know where to install the hooks.

2. Measure and cut a piece of aircraft cable that is six inches longer than you need to span the length of the measurement you made on the ceiling. Use the cable cutter to cut the aircraft cable for a precise cut.

3. Drill a hole in the ceiling on top of each mark that you made.

4. Push an anchor into each hole you drilled in the ceiling, and then screw a hook into each hole. Make sure that the hooks are screwed in as tightly as possible.

5. Fold one side of the aircraft able over to form a loop, and use a wire rope clip to hold it in place. Loop the end of the aircraft cable onto one of the hooks now installed in your ceiling.

6. Expand the turnbuckle by loosening the nuts on each end. Attach the turnbuckle onto the empty hook. Pull the aircraft able across the ceiling until it reaches the turnbuckle. Pull the end of the cable through the turnbuckle so that the cable is taut and then secure the turnbuckle. This will ensure that the cable is pulled as tightly as possible.

7. Remove the turnbuckle and fold the end of the cable into a loop. Secure the loop with a wire rope clip and use the cable cutters to remove any excess cable. Place the looped end of the cable onto the hook.

8. Test the sturdiness of the cable by gently tugging on it. First tug the cable from one end, next to one hook, then tug in the center of the cable. Lastly, tug on the end of the cable next to the other hook. The cable should be pulled so tightly across the ceiling that it barely wiggles when tugged. The hooks should not shift in the ceiling when pressure is applied to any part of the cable.

9. Once you have determined that the cable will be secure enough to support the weight of the curtains, unhook one end of the cable from the ceiling and slide the curtains onto the cable. Rehang the looped end of the curtain onto the hook and arrange the curtains as desired.