How to Make Box Pleated Drapes

Box pleated drapes are formal, elegant window treatments. Traditional box pleats have to be designed, measured and folded accurately, but widely available pleating tape makes the process much quicker and easier. Purchase pleating tape specific for box pleats and the appropriate matching curtain hooks. After measuring the window and cutting the fabric panels, the construction and sewing techniques needed are really quite simple because the pleating tape shapes the box pleats for you.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Drapery fabric
• Pleating tape designed for box pleats
• Curtain hooks designed for box pleats
• Scissors
• Sewing machine
• Thread
• Pins
• Iron
• Measuring tape
• Curtain rod

1. Mount the curtain rod over the window and measure its width. Multiply the width of the pole by 2.5. Divide this number in half (for two curtain panels) and add 4 inches for the side hem allowance. This is the cut width for the two curtain panels.

2. Measure from the curtain pole down to the level where you want the bottom hems of the drapes to fall. Add 4 inches for the lower double-fold hem, plus the depth of the pleating tape, plus 3 inches for the heading and seams. This is the cut length for the curtain panels.

3. Cut the two fabric panels to your determined dimensions. Make double-fold hems on the panels: fold the lower edge toward the wrong side by 2 inches, then another 2 inches. Press, pin and sew along the upper fold.

4. Fold and press the top edge over to the wrong side of the fabric by 1 inch on each panel. Pin a strip of pleating tape along the right side top edge about 1 inch below the fold you just made. Trim 1 inch from the width of the pleating tape at each side, then stitch it in place along the top and bottom edges.

5. Fold the heading of the panels over toward the wrong side so there is a 1-inch margin of drapery fabric above the top edge of the tape on the reverse side. Stitch along the top fold to create a neat upper edge along the panels.

6. Fold each of the sides of the panels over to the wrong side by 1 inch, then 1 more inch (folding the sides over the pleating tape on the heading). Press, pin and stitch these side hems, stitching over the sides of the pleating tape at the heading. Trim any loose threads from the finished panels and press them well.

7. Pull the strings on the pleating tape and tie them securely when you are happy with the amount of gathering. Place one curtain hook every two to four pockets on the pleating tape. Then, hang your drapes.

Tips & Warnings

• Line the drapes to add weight and opaqueness if you wish.

References

• The Complete Photo Guide to Sewing; Singer; 2005

Resources

• Box Pleating Tape