How much fabric to drape a wedding arch? Guides usually give one total length and hide how the shape changes it. This page separates the two decisions: how long each panel must be, and how many panels you need to cover the width at your chosen fullness. It runs entirely in your browser and saves or sends nothing.
Panel length = side length + top length + 1.5 × depth + pooling at both ends. Rectangular top length = width. Semicircular top length = π × width ÷ 2, with side height = height − width ÷ 2. Triangular top length = 2 × √((width ÷ 2)² + (width ÷ 2)²), using a rise of width ÷ 2, with side height = height − rise. Panels needed = ceiling of (width in inches × fullness ÷ fabric width in inches). Total yards = panels × panel length ÷ 3.
With the rectangular defaults above: panel length = 2 × 7 + 6 + 1.5 × 2 + 2 × 1 = 25.00 ft (8.33 yards per panel). Panels needed = ceiling of (6 × 12 × 2.0 ÷ 54) = 3 panels. Total fabric = 3 × 25.00 ÷ 3 = 25.00 yards.
Why do guides disagree? Some guides use [(height × 2) + width + (depth × 1.5)] × fullness ÷ 36 in inches, which is a single total length, not a panel count. This page instead converts that length into panels at your fabric width, so the same total can need a different number of panels on 54-inch fabric than on 108-inch fabric. What if the arch is taller than it is wide? For a semicircular top, height must exceed half the width, or the curve does not fit — the page will warn you. Does this choose fabric or colour? No. It only estimates yardage from the numbers you enter. This page is not wedding, safety or commercial advice.
This is a free, single-purpose calculator. All calculation happens in your browser. No account, no upload, no tracking by this page beyond any ads Google may serve after approval.