How to Stop Curtains from Blowing in the Wind

Curtains blow because something is moving air through or around the window: an open window, a gap in the frame, or a poorly sealed sash.

It’s a fixable problem. Most solutions cost very little and take under an hour.

What You’ll Need

Tools

• Tape measure
• Scissors or a seam unpicker (for adding hem weights)
• Hand sewing needle and matching thread (or a sewing machine)
• Drill and wall plug (if fitting tie-back hooks)

Materials / Replacement Parts

• Curtain weight tape (chain-style, available from haberdashery shops)
• Individual curtain corner weights (as an alternative to tape)
• Tie-backs or holdbacks (clip-on or sewn)
• Self-adhesive draught excluder foam or brush seal strips
• Replacement window seal (if the existing seal is cracked or missing)

How to Fix It: Step-by-Step

Step 1: Find the Source of the Air Movement

Before fixing the curtains, work out where the air is actually coming from. A curtain that blows with the window closed is a draught problem, not a curtain problem.

1. Close all windows and hold a piece of tissue near the frame edges, sill and top. Movement shows where air is getting in.
2. Check sash windows for gaps along the runners and between the two sashes
3. Look for cracked or missing rubber seals around casement windows
4. If the window is open and you want airflow, skip to Step 3

Step 2: Seal the Draught Source

If air is getting through the frame with the window closed, seal it before doing anything to the curtains. This makes the biggest difference and costs very little.

1. Apply self-adhesive foam draught excluder strips to the frame rebate on casement windows
2. Fit brush pile seals to sash window runners (these allow the sash to slide while blocking the gap)
3. Replace cracked rubber seals on double glazing (most glazing suppliers sell replacement lengths)
4. Fit a pelmet above the curtain pole to block the cold air gap between the curtain top and the ceiling

Step 3: Weight the Curtain Hem

Adding weight to the bottom of the curtain stops lighter fabrics from lifting. This works well when windows are open and you want airflow without the curtain going everywhere.

1. Buy curtain weight tape (a length of small metal weights on a chain) from a haberdashery or online
2. Unpick the bottom hem of the curtain with a seam unpicker
3. Lay the weight tape along the full width of the hem, inside the fold
4. Re-sew the hem by hand or machine. No need to press the weight tape down flat, just sew the hem closed over it.
5. Alternatively, clip individual corner weights into each bottom corner seam. Quicker, but less effective than full-width tape.

Step 4: Fit Tie-Backs or Choose a Different Blind

Tie-backs hold the curtain against the wall and out of the airflow entirely. If weights aren’t enough, tie-backs are the most reliable fix for open-window situations.

1. Mark the tie-back height on the wall (roughly two-thirds down the curtain drop)
2. Drill and plug the wall, then screw in the tie-back hook or cleat
3. Loop or clip the tie-back around the curtain and onto the hook. The curtain should sit flat against the wall beside the window.
4. For a no-drill option, use over-the-door hooks or magnetic tie-backs that clip around the fabric
5. If curtains are genuinely impractical for a draughty window, roman blinds or roller blinds sit flat against the frame and don’t catch the wind at all