If you know how to sew, making your own pinch pleated drapes should be no problem for you. It will also save you money by making drapes at home.
To make pinch pleated drapes, sew your curtain panels as normal, adding weights if needed to improve how the fabric will hang. If you do not want to sew weights in, try putting pennies into the hem, it will do the same thing. Pinch pleated drapes look better and hang better with some weight added.
Turn and press your panels, leaving the top raw. Press the seams, tugging along the seam line. You do not want the lining to show from the front of your drapes once they are installed.
Fold the raw top over about a half an inch, tucking the fabric inside of the pinch pleat panel, and press it flat. Stitch as close to the edge and as neatly as possible. Measure the right length of self pleater tape, plus a little extra to fold over the unfinished edges. This will make your header just shy of the width of the drape, and will keep the tape from showing when you look at your drapes from the front. Cut this header piece for each panel you are making.
Stitch the pleater tape onto your panel. Be sure to cover the row of stitches you closed the top with (about a quarter of an inch from the top). Stitch all 4 sides of the panel, be neat. Avoid the ends of the hook pockets. If you forget and sew the pockets closed, you can not install the hooks. Repeat this process for all additional panels.
Form your pinch pleats by gathering the header, making 3 pleats for 3 pronged hooks, or 2 pleats for double hooks. Now slide the hooks into the pockets. Skip a pocket or two between pleats as desired.
Now all that’s left for you to do is hang up your new pinch pleated drapes and enjoy!
Pinch pleated curtains are one of the best alternatives to getting plantation shutters or even blinds for that matter if you are not wanting to spend as much money. The great part about pinch pleated curtains is that there are so many options for colors and designs. Pinch pleated designs could come from catalogs of fabric, or even home decorating magazines.
If you thought you had to go with just the options and colors already existing in a store you don’t. The downside with blinds as opposed to draperies and curtains is that they are not only more expensive, but limited with colors and designs. That’s why when you go with pinch pleated curtains, not only do you get the pleat design you wanted in shape, but you can choose the fabric that will best match the walls or just the shape of the window you will be putting them over.
Taffeta silk has been one popular material that people have used for pinch pleated curtains, and it works quite well as a soft sheer material which can be put up pretty much anywhere. Not only will you have a soft look, but you will have modern pinch pleated curtains in your home. This is especially nice if you do have an older home which needs some remodeling, or if you have window coverings which were making the home look less lively.
One of the best places to have pinch pleated curtains is in the dining room. This is the room that is most formal with guests, and they will have a pleasant look as people sit around the table sharing a meal. the soothing and soft draperies will give a nice ambiance to the room.
One of the things you will need to hold up your draperies are drapery rods. These can come in different shapes and sizes depending on how large your window opening actually is. You will want to look at Standard & Special Purpose curtain rods depending on how sheer your drapes will be.
Drapery Rods can also match or mismatch your draperies. This can be a good or a bad thing. While at the same time you don’t want something that looks too plain, you also want 2 opposite colors that compliment each other. Lets say you are going with heavy insulated draperies and you want to get rods that will work well with them. You may want to opt for the double drapery rods. And whether you decide to go with wooden drapery rods or a bronze drapery rod will be up to you. Just remember that if its a light color you will want to go dark and vice versa.
You may want to consider the fact that you may have animals that might pose a challenge and jump on your window draperies. A wise decision may be to go with a tension drapery rod or a finial drapery rod so if they pull on it you know it wont fall down so easily. And of course make sure to get the right drapery rod hardware to fit the right one purchased. If you don’t want that hassle they have a drapery rod set at most home and garden type stores. Sometimes you can get some really good deals and discounts during winter months just after the holidays.
Hopefully you already have existing drapery rod brackets that you can reuse. But if they have broken or are just old and brittle, make sure to pick those up while you are out. The older drapery hardware gets, the more brittle and prone to breaking it gets which will be bad if the draperies get damaged.
If you just want to eliminate most of the hassle on your own, then call a professional blinds and window coverings expert to help you with the new draperies you have selected. The installation will be a lot faster in most cases if you allow them to do the job.