English · Australia / Decision guide
Can you use hemming tape on IKEA blackout curtains?
Check the exact curtain before cutting or ironing. The Australian BENGTA, MAJGULL and LÖNNSTÄVMAL examples below have different shortening instructions: one can be cut without a hem, one explicitly permits SY tape, and one has a separate lining and low ironing limit that need a different decision.
Australian BENGTA 506.021.50, MAJGULL 305.860.28, LÖNNSTÄVMAL 005.563.77 and SY 101.832.16.
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Choose the route from the article number
Use the number on the curtain label or packaging to match the Australian listing. A family name, colour or another person's successful alteration is not enough to establish that your curtain has the same construction. These checks cover the three article numbers below.
On small screens, scroll the table sideways.
| Curtain checked | Published instruction | Your next decision |
|---|---|---|
| BENGTA beige, 506.021.50 | Laminated fabric can be cut to length without sewing or hemming. Polyurethane backing; ironing is limited to 110°C on the front. | Use its documented cut-to-length route. Buying tape is unnecessary for that route. |
| MAJGULL dark green, 305.860.28 | SY is explicitly permitted. Maximum shrinkage is 4%; IKEA advises washing before shortening. Ironing limit: 150°C. | Prepare and measure after the instructed wash, then follow the SY instructions. |
| LÖNNSTÄVMAL beige, 005.563.77 | Polyurethane underside to the lining; ironing limit: 110°C. The front and lining are deliberately unattached at the bottom. | No raw-cut or SY permission was found on this listing. Obtain a model-specific alteration approach before cutting or bonding layers. |
Sources: IKEA Australia's BENGTA listing, MAJGULL listing and LÖNNSTÄVMAL listing.
Why a low heat setting does not settle the tape question
SY's Australian listing excludes fabrics requiring low ironing temperatures. Its own care information does not override the curtain's lower limit. Turning the iron up to make an adhesive bond is therefore not a substitute for checking compatibility.
For the named BENGTA, the manufacturer already provides a route that avoids a taped hem. For MAJGULL, it expressly permits SY. For LÖNNSTÄVMAL, ask IKEA or an alteration professional how to shorten the exact construction while retaining its separate front and lining. Do not take the absence of an instruction as permission to try a hotter iron.
Measure the finished drop before deciding where to cut
First decide where the finished bottom should sit. Keep the curtains on the rod or track and hanging arrangement you intend to use. A change of hook position after measuring can change the finished drop.
- Identify. Record the article number, care label and chosen route. If they conflict with this comparison, stop and use the instructions supplied with your curtain.
- Prepare. Follow the model's care guidance. MAJGULL's pre-shortening wash matters because its stated shrinkage makes a measurement taken before washing unreliable for the finished length.
- Mark the finish. Measure the distance from the actual hanging point to your chosen bottom position. Check more than one point along the curtain and record any floor variation.
- Separate finish from cut. The desired finished length is not automatically the cutting length. A folded hem requires an allowance; the documented BENGTA raw-cut route does not require that folded construction. Confirm the allowance for the chosen method before removing fabric.
- Check again. Compare both panels, the intended finished drop and your marked line before making the irreversible cut.
These are planning checks rather than a sewing pattern. No universal hem allowance, iron dwell time or substitute adhesive is supplied here: each would need to suit the exact method and fabric.
A worksheet to take to an alteration service
On small screens, scroll the table sideways.
| Write down | Why it helps |
|---|---|
| Model and article number: _____ | Identifies the construction and its care limits. |
| Hanging arrangement and hook position: _____ | Makes the measurement reproducible. |
| Finished drop at left, centre and right: _____ | Shows whether one straight finish will meet your chosen floor clearance. |
| Front and lining attached at bottom? _____ | Flags separate layers that need their own alteration plan. |
| Wash completed if instructed? _____ | Prevents planning from an earlier, unwashed measurement. |
| Chosen finish and allowance agreed? _____ | Separates what you want to see from what must remain for the method. |
For LÖNNSTÄVMAL, specifically ask how both bottom edges will be finished and whether the original separation will be retained. A generic curtain-hemming quote may not answer that question.
Keep the model distinction when comparing advice
A tutorial for a different IKEA fabric can help you understand a technique, but it cannot establish permission for these three curtains. Match the article number, shortening guidance and heat limit first. This guide resolves the choice of route; it does not report an alteration test or promise a particular appearance after shortening.
Australian product and care information checked 10 October 2026. Recheck your own label and current listing before altering a replacement or different article number.