Adding blackout to ready made curtains?

[Fliebel]

Evening wise MNers! I've found some ready made curtains for my bedroom that I really love, but unfortunately they don't have a blackout lining. I was wondering if those clip in blackout linings you can buy are actually any good, or if I should get a seamstress to sew some blackout linings into them instead? I've never added blackouts to existing curtains before so I was wondering if there was anything else I should be aware of that could catch me out before I buy them? TIA!

either will do.

clip in ones you basically hang them on the hooks before you put the hooks in to the curtain hooks.
I think they don't sit as smoothly and nicely as sewn in ones. It is also hard to balance the gather in the curtain with the gather or not in the lining.

My prefered way to do it would be to buy linings the same size as the flat curtain before it is gathered. They should be a couple of inches shorter, and you just sew one straight line of sticking, attaching the lining to the curtain along the bottom edge of the heading tape.

It is a very easy sew for anyone with a machine, and shouldn't take long.

I would buy the lining as fabric, not a set of lining curtains, as it is actually easier to sew, and you don;t need to hem blackout linings, you just cut them the right length

actually reading that back, I would probably stitch the side edges too.

I have done this in my kids' curtains, and I can't remember what I did

Do they have a pencil pleat heading? The Dunelm ready-made linings are excellent and just hang on a lower row of the heading tape. I’m looking at the set in DD’s room now and they are hanging beautifully.

I have the Dunelm onres just hanging from the same curtain hooks. They are really substantial and do block the light
However mine are not the same size as the curtains as my windows are a non-standard size, so in my case I would prefer blackout curtains that were sewn in, but I have never bothered to do that!

We did this quite easily. Bought the material from Amazon and sewed it in. We have ring eyelet curtains though so it's very straightforward.

Thank you all so much for your replies! Yes, @PlumpAndDeliciousFatcat they are pencil pleat, although its sounding like getting them sewn in wouldn't be too painful either, thank you so much @steppemum. Its a relief to know it won't be a huge faff!