how to Pinch Pleat Ready Made Curtains?

Hi Buddy,

Why don't curtains you hang yourself ever resemble those you see in home decor magazines or Instagram feeds? That's how I felt before learning how to pinch pleat curtains which are readymade, and store-bought on a budget.

You don't have to settle for shoddy, lifeless curtains, which is wonderful news! If you know how to sew a rather straight line, you can create the appearance of handmade curtains without having to pay for them.

• To begin with, you'll probably need to buy more than just two curtain panels. A decent general rule of thumb is that your drapes' entire width should be roughly 2.5 times that of your opening. The total window opening is 60 inches (38 + 11 + 11 = 60) even though my window is 38 inches wide. This is because I want the curtains to stack outside the window by approximately 11 inches on each side. I am in the 150-inch area for the combined panel width when multiplied by 2.5.

• I split open each of the three curtain panels' top edges using a seam ripper. This is required so that the buckram may be inserted later on in the procedure.

• After that, I divided one of the panels vertically in half, then stitched the halves to each of the other two panels. On one of the sliced panels, I pressed and stitched the remaining raw edge.

• I used my two curtain panels, which were now each 79 inches wide once the seams and edges were finished. I placed the buckram inside the top edge of each panel, pinned it in place, and then stitched along the edge.

• To determine where the pleats should be placed, some maths is now necessary. To make this phase of the process simpler, I employ a few "rules of thumb"

1. Number of pleats: 

As a general guideline, there should be one pleat for every four inches of opening width. Divide the width of the opening in half because there will be two curtain panels for the window. Each panel must cover 30 inches because my aperture is 60 inches wide. I get 7.5 pleats when I divide 30 by 4 inches. I have the option of rounding up to 8 pleats or down to 7.

I decided on 8 pleats for each panel since the more pleats, the bigger the curtain will be.

1. There will always be 1 fewer spaces between pleats than there are pleats. I therefore have 7 spots for 8 pleats.

2. A general guideline for the width of the intervals between pleats is 3 to 5 inches.

• On the backside of your curtain, mark the locations of each pleat and space using a fabric marker. If you'd like, you could even mark the fabric to indicate which areas are spaces and which are pleats. Because I am beginning my first pleat 2 inches from the edge, my first mark is at 2 inches. Normally, this would be 1.5 inches, but in order for my measures to be accurate, I had to add a tiny amount. I then made 5 inch marks for each pleat and spacing across the fabric.

• Next, fold your first pleat, lining up the marks with the curtain's reverse side. To keep in place, insert a pin. Do this for each pleat you have.

• Stitch the buckram down from the top of the pleat to the bottom. Here's a terrific tip: when you sew each pleat, use a piece of cardboard that has been cut to the same depth and length as the pleat as a reference.

• You should now double-check that the panel covers at least half of your window by holding it up to the window. If not, you must remove the first and last pleats and make them somewhat smaller than the rest. It is better to undo a few stitches now rather than discover that the curtains don't completely close when you attempt to hang them.

• To create the pinch pleat, pinch the middle of each pleat to create three roughly equal portions. In order to produce the pleat, press down on the seam you sewed.

• Hold the three pleat pieces together while pressing the pleat with your fingers.

• From your vertical stitching line to the front of each pleat, sew across the bottom of each pleat.

• Place the centre fold of each pleat to the right and stitch down just below the top of each pleat, approximately an inch from the edge.

• After that, align the pleat's centre fold to the left and stitch down just below the top of the pleat. For each pleat, repeat.

Finally, hang the pleated curtains with hooks, and enjoy the look.

I would like to conclude here about the pinch pleat curtains. I hope this helps:)

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