Curtain Tiebacks and Holdbacks: How to Choose the Right Type
Match the tieback to the weight of the curtain, not to the room. A spring clip pinches a sheer panel and holds it all day. The same clip on a lined blackout drape works itself loose by lunchtime. We currently hold 107 tiebacks in stock, from $10.99 to $49.99, and exactly one of them needs a hook on the wall. Here is what each mechanism actually grips.
What is the difference between a tieback and a holdback?
The two words get used for the same job. The distinction that matters when you buy is not the name, it is what the piece grips and whether anything ends up on your wall.
| Type | Best for | Wall hardware |
|---|---|---|
| Clip on, metal or wood | Sheers, voile, light linen | None |
| Magnetic wrap around | Sheers through to lined drapes | None |
| Braided cord and rope | Lined and thicker panels | None |
| Adhesive hook | Any weight, drape pulled to the wall | Self-adhesive pad |
| Tassel on a cord | Heavy drapes only | Hooks, not included |
Which curtain tieback works on sheers and voile?
A clip. We stock 21 clip-on tiebacks. The mechanism is a spring that pinches a gathered panel and grips the weave, so a pair styles both sides of a window with no rod, no hook and no hole. The faces are small, 2.1 to 3.75 inches, which is why they read as an accent on a light panel instead of hardware.
- Openwork rose clips, $17.99 a pair, 2.5 by 2.5 inches, with rounded inner edges so voile releases without marks: white or black.
- Leaf clips at $13.99 a pair, 3.75 by 2 inches, in whitewash or textured black.
- A larger 3.6 inch face: the Helios sun clip set ($15.99) or the poppy flower clip set ($16.99).
Do magnetic curtain tiebacks hold a lined drape?
Yes, because the magnet is not carrying the weight. A flexible cord wraps all the way around the gathered panel and the two ends snap together to close the loop. The fabric sits inside the loop, so a thicker fold just needs a longer cord. Our 44 magnetic tiebacks run from 11 to 19 inches.
For sheers and light panels, an 11 to 12 inch cord is enough: the magnetic wooden heart ($15.99) or the resin tulip ($18.99).
For a lined drape, move up to 17 inches. The matte black resin flower ($17.99) and the wood rope tieback ($15.99) both have a cord long enough to go round a full fold. The metal feather ($18.99) closes on a magnet too, with a 6.8 inch face.
What if you cannot drill into the wall?
Nothing in this range needs a drill. If you want the drape pulled fully back against the wall rather than gathered in the middle, the answer is an adhesive hook. We stock 11 of them at $10.99 a pair, each supplied with a 3M adhesive tip made for smooth surfaces. Peel, stick, hang.
They are small, 1 to 2.8 inches, and come in finishes that disappear against most walls: glossy black round hooks or the ecru and gold branch design. This is the cheapest way to hold both sides of a window, and it is the renter friendly one.
What holds a heavy or blackout drape?
Cord, and more of it. Our 12 textile tiebacks are the long end of the range. The braided cotton blend cord ($26.99) is 24.8 inches with magnetic ends, which is enough to go round a generous blackout fold. Shorter alternatives are the 19 inch double braided cord with wooden tips ($19.99), the 19 inch braided jute ($23.99) and the 14 inch jute rope holdback ($15.99).
Two other options are built for weight. The wooden heart holdback ($16.99) is a large 8 by 5.7 inch piece that wraps and secures with a matching stick. The Intense Black twist tieback ($16.99) has an inner wire, so you bend it to the shape of the fold and it stays there.
The one piece that needs wall hooks is the Midnight Black tassel tieback ($29.99): 33 inches in total with a 16 inch cord and a 10 inch tassel, specified for heavy curtains only, hooks not included.
Are black tiebacks available across the range?
24 of the 107 in stock are black or black based, which is the largest single color group after white. That covers every mechanism, so you are not forced into one fixing to get the finish. Clips in textured black at $13.99, magnetic in matte black ($29.99 a pair), a wrap around metal wings cuff in black ($19.99), adhesive hooks in glossy black, and the tassel above.
The full curtain tiebacks and magnets range is 107 pieces in stock, and the clip section is the place to start if your panels are sheer.
Common questions
Do I need one or two? Two, if you are dressing both sides of a window. Most of the range is sold as a set of 2 for that reason, 67 of the 107 in stock, with 40 available as singles for a single panel or a door curtain.
Will a clip damage a sheer? Not if it is a clip made for sheers. The rose and leaf clips have rounded inner edges that pinch the weave rather than bite it, and the panel releases with no mark. Heavy clips designed for drapery weight are a different matter.
Can I use a magnetic tieback on a very thick panel? Check the cord length against your fold, not the magnet. An 11 inch cord will not close around a lined and interlined drape. A 17 to 24.8 inch cord will.
What is the cheapest way to hold both sides? A pair of adhesive hooks at $10.99. Nothing else in the range is under $13.99.
