How to Make Pinch-Pleated Curtains
If your windows look bare and boring with regular curtains, you should dress them up with pinch-pleated curtains. They are lovely and stylish, and best of all, they’re easy to create. Here’s how to make pinch-pleated curtains.
What You’ll Need:
Drapery fabric
Sewing machine
Pleater header tape
Notions
Scissors
Thread
Pennies
Procedure:
Gather your materials, so you won’t have to stand up every now and then to get them.
To create the pinch-pleated panels, sew your curtain panels the usual way, adding some weights to improve the hang of the fabric, if required. If you don’t like sewing in weights, just drop several pennies in the hem; you’ll get the same results. Many homeowners like doing this, since pinch-pleated curtains hang and look better when weighted.
Turn your panels and press them. leaving the upper part raw. Press the seams while tugging along the fabric’s seam line. The lining won’t be visible from the drapery’s front panel when it’s installed. Hem the seam up.
Get the raw top and fold it over at least half an inch, tucking the fabric in the pinch-pleated panel. Press to flatten it, then stitch as close to the edge as possible. Make your stitches neat and even.
Get the self-pleater tape and measure a length of it, adding a few inches, just enough to fold over the unfinished edges. Make the header shy of the drape’s width so the tape won’t be seen when the panel is viewed at a front angle. Cut the header piece for every panel you’ll make.
Cover the row of stitches you used to seal the top with by stitching the pleater tape on the panel. Do this about 1/4 inch from the top. Neatly stitch the four sides, but avoid the ends of the hook pockets. If you sew these pockets, you can’t put in the hooks. Repeat this for every panel.
Form the pinch pleats by gathering the header, creating two pleats for double hooks, or three pleats for three pronged hooks. Slide the hooks in the pocket, skipping one or two pockets in between the pleats.
Hang the curtains on a drapery rod or traverse rod.
You don’t have to run to a linen store and spend money for expensive pinch-pleated curtains. Just try these easy tips, and you’ll get fantastic results you’ll be proud of.