These 3 Cheap Hacks Can Fix The Most Annoying Shower Curtain Problem

Of all the rooms in my 100-year-old rental home, there is one that frustrates me more than any other. It’s the second bathroom which, after living in tiny New York apartments for years, I am very grateful for. But the aesthetics let me down. It has a too-short sink, a yellow ceiling, and a brown (yes, brown) tub. My fiancé and I have done our best to spruce it up in different ways (when in doubt, just put a bunch of plants in the bathroom, right?), but something about it has always felt… off.

It wasn’t until recently that I realized that at least part of the reason it felt so strange was that the shower curtain didn’t extend all the way to the bottom of my shower. It made the space look even less elegant. I shouldn’t have been surprised: In old homes and many industrial conversions, shower enclosure dimensions can vary greatly. That means it’s all too easy for a standard 72-inch-long shower curtain to be too short (or even too long, in some spaces). And extra-long shower curtains just Goldilocks the problem in the opposite direction.

I wasn’t prepared to replace the shower rod or the curtain itself. I admittedly just resigned myself to always being disappointed with the space (and the too-short shower curtain), but then I realized: Fixing a too-short shower curtain can be as simple as tying a ribbon or looping some hooks together—no sewing required. And as an added bonus, it may even mean more light in the shower every morning (a wake-up game changer, really). 

If you’re looking to use this hack in your own nightmare bathroom, you can invest in two or three sets of shower curtain rings and link them together to lengthen the curtain. The end result is a slightly ‘60s look that lets your hardware shine. Want the focus to stay firmly on your curtain? Opt for clear acrylic rings which will help your curtain feel like it’s floating in mid-air.

If you have some extra ribbon or string sitting around, you can use them to lengthen your shower curtain. Using ribbons or strings will make it easy to get the exact length you want. Just be sure your fabric is either waterproof, or won’t bleed dye or come undone if it gets hit with a blast of shower spray—and double-check that you’ve tied the strings tightly enough. (No one wants their curtain to come crashing down mid-wash!)

You might not be able to afford a custom curtain, but XXL rings provide the custom feel for a fraction of the cost—and you can buy a set in any half-inch increment between 3 inches and 8.5 inches to fit your space. At $30 for a set of 12, going out of your way to nab a set is a more expensive option than basic shower curtain rings (which can be bought for less than $2). And sure, they look a little college-dorm-like, but they do the trick.