Curtains letting in light around the edges - solutions?

[irridium]

I have family stay over now and again and they suggested I get black-out curtains for them as the street light was filtering through the room and they couldn't sleep well.

When I was shopping for said curtains, I realised that they were really flimsy polyester material and thought they weren't really nice enough to use. I've since bought "room darkening" curtains. Unfortunately, they were nowhere near dark enough. How can rectify this? I know pelmets are a thing to cover the top of the window frame, but what about the sides where the light still shines through?

I have them coming in a few weeks, and am feeling a bit worried that I haven't got the curtains right.

Thanks for reading.

We have blackout roller blinds or black out Roman blinds and then curtains with blackout lining. The IKEA black out curtains are great - you do need to make sure they run past the window though

You need proper blackout Curtains that reach past the edge of the window.

you could Velcro the edges of the curtains
to the wall - but this risks damage to both your curtains and the paint/wallpaper.

for a temporary solution try amazon and the stick on blackout blinds for children/travel. No mess, easy to use and do the job.

could use these
www.amazon.co.uk/MaximoLife-Blackout-140x240cm-Temporary-Permanent/dp/B08K95N9LR/ref=sr_1_5?adgrpid=48692758050&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI3vX7z-nI-AIVk4BQBh3TEAKiEAAYASAAEgI1M_D_BwE&hvadid=259106036054&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=1006854&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=6541386340499465536&hvtargid=kwd-312262230896&hydadcr=10818_1789899&keywords=temporary+blackout+blind&qid=1656167756&sr=8-5

Would a longer curtain pole work, so that the edges of the curtains are a good way along the wall?

Blackout blinds & blackout curtains. Works a treat. Dunhelm.

I went to Dunelm to find black-out ones but they too, were the thin flimsy ones. Do people actually use these, or do they use them as an extra layer between the actual curtains? I saw the @rwalker video but they don't roll up. I had to get a friend to put the pole up using their rubbish drill and they struggled to drill through the hard as fxxk board/lintel whatever. @Orgasmagorical I did think about lengthening the pole so that the sides of the curtains would be far away from the frame, but short of a decent drill, I won't be able to test this out.

As it's summer, using any form of blind will cut out most of the air circulation, thus making the room too warm - aarrghh, can't win either way!

Buy them a sleep mask. I use one all the time in the summer months.

A thermal blackout blind will cut the heat down. Team it with a fan.
Or get proper blackout curtains and a longer curtain pole to ensure they propey
cover the windows.
Or as pp said give them a mask.
Or ignore them/suggest they sleep in alternative accommodation.

You can get those curved curtain rails that curve right round to the wall

We have a street light outside our bedroom window…. We have ikea black out curtains and I’ve attached Velcro to the edge so that they stick to the wall. The Velcro isn’t at all noticeable but it stops the light around the edges.

Bloc blinds are the best. they have edging to block out the light that usually creeps in round the edges. Brilliant.

Fit a ceiling track, curtains then don't let light in at the top and if you get a track wider than the windows then no light comes in at the sides. Use blackout curtains-try Dunelm

Thanks for the advice, @2020ihavenoname @NewNormalLife @LittleOwl2 @sittingonacornflake . I'll have another look around for these options.

I use a stick on black out blind in my toddlers room during summer months. Sticks on with little suction cup things. You can get various sizes on amazon.

Blinds in a Box is the company to use. Buy their black stick on blinds. Very easy, very cheap, no drilling.

Velcro to stick the edges of the curtain to the wall plus a pelmet- like in hotels.

You need to put the rail/pole at least a couple of inches above the window and you need it wider than the window.

If you're struggling to get the screws into the wall, use a piece of wood between the wall and the fastenings.

Agree that Blocblinds are the solution.