How to Calculate Fabric Yardage for Inverted Pleated Drapery Panels

Custom made drapes can be extremely costly, but if you have a sewing machine, it is much cheaper to make them yourself. The fabric possibilities are endless and making the drapes yourself allows you to have just the right drapes for your room. Many types of pleated drapes have seen a rise in popularity as traditional styles have come back into fashion. One of the more popular, is the inverted pleat, which is also known as a box pleat. The trickiest part of making inverted pleated drapes is calculating exactly how much fabric you need.

Things You'll Need

• Measuring tape
• Calculator

Instructions

Instructions

1. Determine which window will be hung with inverted pleated drapery panels and measure the width of that window including any trim. To ensure proper fullness for the drapery panel, this measurement must be at least doubled.

2. Based on the width of the window, determine how many pleats the drapery panel will need. Generally, the panel should have one pleat every 10 inches.

3. Each pleat will need an extra 5 inches of fabric. Multiply the number of pleats determined in step 2 by the 5 inches needed for each pleat. Add this number to the width of the window measured in step 1.

4. Finally, take the figure determined in step 3 and divide it by 36, since there are 36 inches in a yard. The result is the number of yards that will be needed to make inverted pleated drapery panels.

References

• Pleated curtains