Drapery Fabric Calculator
Built for pleated, floor-length drapes: fullness, return & overlap (the width most calculators forget), pattern repeat and lining — all in one pass.
Calculate your drapery fabric
Traverse rods, pleated panels and stationary drapery panels.
How drapery yardage is calculated
Return & overlap is the drapery-workroom factor most DIY estimates miss: on a traverse rod the panel must bend back to the wall and the two panels overlap at the center. Skipping those 8 inches per panel short-changes you exactly one fabric width on medium windows.
Worked example
72-inch rod, 84-inch length, pinch pleat (2.5×), 2 panels with 8-inch return & overlap, 54-inch fabric, no repeat:
Add a 27-inch pattern repeat: cut length rounds to 108 in (4 repeats), total becomes 432 in = 12 yd — a full extra yard disappears into pattern matching.
Frequently asked questions
How much fabric do I need for drapes?
Multiply rod width by your fullness ratio (2.5× for pleated drapes), add return and overlap allowance (about 4 inches per panel for traversing drapery), divide by fabric width to count cuts, then multiply cuts by cut length. A 72-inch rod with 84-inch pleated drapes in 54-inch fabric typically needs 11–12 yards per pair.
What is return and overlap in drapery?
Return is the part of the drape that bends back from the rod to the wall, blocking side light (usually 3–4 inches per panel). Overlap is where the two leading edges overlap in the center. Together they add roughly 4–8 inches of fabric width per panel — forgetting them is a classic short-fabric mistake.
How long should floor-length drapes be?
Measure from the top of the rod (or pin hook) to the floor, then subtract ½ inch for a floating hem, add ¼–½ inch to just touch, or add 1–2 inches to break. A puddle effect adds 6–18 inches of length and looks best with heavy fabrics.
How much extra fabric does a pleated header need?
Pinch-pleat, pencil-pleat and goblet drapes need 2.5× to 3× fullness. The header construction itself uses the fabric already counted in fullness, but french/goblet pleats need 4–5 inches of extra length at the top to form the pleats, plus buckram interfacing.