Hi everyone, I will be discussing how to pinch pleat curtains with you. Pleat curtains are beautiful when neatly and adequately done. The designs, arrangement, and hanging give your room that fantastic look of beauty and elegance.
If you have ever wanted to make this type of curtain by yourself, this write-up is specifically for you. I will be guiding you on the process of how to achieve your goal. So let’s get started.
Step by Step Guide on How to Pinch Pleat Curtains
Pleat curtains may look so intimidating at first, but anyone can quickly do them with essential sewing experience by following the steps below:
Step #1: Get all the necessary Materials Ready
The material you need for this task include a drapery fabric, pins, iron, pleater tape, pleater hooks, a measuring tape or ruler, a pencil, a fabric ruler or pencil, a thread, and a sewing machine.
Step #2: Measurement and Cutting of the Pleater
The next thing to do after gathering your materials is measuring and cutting the fabrics. When measuring, you have to consider two things: the amount of material the pleats will take and the distance between them.
For instance, you can decide to use 10 inches for each pleat and then have a space of 5 inches between the pleats. You will need a material of about 75 inches wide for a pleated curtain with five pleats that are 5 inches apart.
You need to figure this out using a pleater tape and hook before cutting the fabrics. Use the hooks to hold each pleat together.
Step #3: Measurement and Cutting of the Curtain
Next, you will have to cut the fabric for the pleated curtain. Measure about 3 inches from both ends of the fabrics and then use the total length gotten in step 2 ( 75inches in our case) to cut out the fabrics’ length.
For the length of the curtain, please measure the length of your windows and then add 10 inches to it. You use these 10 inches of the fabrics for the hem.
Step #4: Sewing the sides of the Panel
At the edge of the fabrics, measure out 3/4 inches, fold and use an iron to press. Then, fold another 3/4 inches and iron again. This act will give you a total of 1 and a half inches for the fold. Use a sewing machine to make a stitch at the end of the fold. Repeat this process for the other end of the fabrics.
Step #5: Sewing the Top and Bottom of the Curtain
The button hem will be the same as the sides. Repeat the process in step 3 by measuring out ¾ inches from the bottom, folding it, iron it. Then measure another ¾ inch, fold it, iron it and then proceed to the sewing machine to make a stitch across the material’s width.
You can make the bottom hem larger than that of the side, but you have to factor this when measuring the curtain’s length.
When you are not certain how big you want the hem to be, you can sew the button hem last to check the curtain’s length and know much much of the length you can use for the hem.
For the top of the fabrics, measure out 4 inches, fold the fabrics, and press with an Iron. Fold another 4 inches and iron again. Saw the material with about ¼ alliance at each side and then across the material’s entire length.
Step #6: Attach the Pleater Tape and the Hook
The next step is to lay the pleater tape on the back of the material. Fold the ends of the pleater tape and then use a pin to hold it to the material.
Using a sewing machine, run a stitch on the sides of the pleater tape ana across, thereby joining the pleater tape to the material.
After the sewing:
- Take the hook and attach the end of the prongs into the pockets.
- Push the hook inside and secure it with a bottom piece of the hook.
- Repeat this process for the other pleats, each located 5 inches from the other.
Step #7: Tack the Pleat
To give the pleat a cleaner look, you can decide to tack the pleat by hand sewing them at the base. To do this, hold each side of one pleat together. You start from inside one of the pleats to hide the knot.
Step #8: Hang the Pleat curtains
Yea, your curtain is ready. You can now hang them using whatever option you choose. I hope I have been able to guide you on how to pinch pleat curtains!
How Much Fabric Do I Need for Pinch Pleat Curtains?
Besides knowing how to pinch pleat curtains, it is also essential to know the number of materials needed to make a pinch pleat curtain.
To start with, we have to consider what is called curtain fullness. Curtain fullness is simply the number of fabrics you need to cover a particular curtain pole’s width.
To calculate this curtain fullness, you have to follow the following basic guidelines.
Total flat Fabric = curtain Track length + Fullness.
If a curtain is 200 cm long with 50% fullness,
The Total flat fabrics will be 200 cm + 100 cm = 300cm
Conclusion
Yeah, this article has equipped you with the knowledge on how to pinch pleat curtains. I guess by now, you are surprised as to how easy it is to achieve this. Kindly share your pleat curtain experiences, questions, and suggestions in the comment box.