How to Get Pleated Sheers to Hang Properly

With a little effort, your pleated sheers can have a professional look.

Draperies are an expensive investment in your home. To have nice-looking and functional draperies you need a good rod, pins or rings and draperies and pleated sheers. Unfortunately, all too often when you buy ready-made draperies and hang them based on the minimal directions on the package, they just don't have the polished appearance of custom drapes. With a little extra work, you can use the techniques of professional drapery installers and have your draperies work and look like they should.

Things You'll Need

• Short ladder
• Tape measure
• Traverse rod
• Screwdriver
• Wall anchors (optional)
• Cord tension pulley
• Drapery pins
• 3-by-24-inch paper bands
• Straight pins

Instructions

1. Place a short ladder in front of your window. Select a traverse rod and mount the rod 4 inches above and to each side of the window trim (a traverse rod has two master carriers and many plastic slides and a cord that hangs to one side to open and close the drapes). Screw the rod brackets into the wall, using a screwdriver. Use wall anchors if you are not screwing into a stud.

2. Mount your cord tension pulley 8 inches above the floor and 3 inches from the side trim of the window so that the cord loop is comfortably stretched. The cord can be slipped into the pulley after it is mounted. When you pull on the cord, the master carriers of the traverse rod should easily move from side to side.

3. Insert a drapery pin into the back of each pleat at 1 3/4 inch from the top of the sheer. The pin should not be visible from the front of the drape. Insert a drapery pin into the ends of the fabric.

4. Hang the back sheer onto the traverse rod first. If you look up into the rod, you will see two square box shapes (master carriers) and a number of plastic slides near each carrier. One carrier is behind the other; this is the back of the rod (closest to the window). Insert your first pin from back to front through the extended arm that comes off the master carrier. This first pin is backward so that the fabric wraps around the end of the arm.

5. Hook the second pin into the hole in the base of the arm from the front side. Continue hooking the sheer one by one into each hole and into the slides until you have two hooks left. Mount one hook into the front end of the traverse rod bracket and the last hook around the bracket corner into the last hole on the side of the bracket. Hang your second sheer on the front traverse rod master carrier and slides in the same way.

6. Train the top of your pleated sheers by breaking the buckram. Buckram is a stiffening in the header of the sheers that makes the pleats. To break the buckram, pull the fabric between the pleat forward (toward you) and make a vertical crease with your thumb and forefinger. Break the buckram between each pleat and then open and close your sheer to make sure the creases continue to fold forward at the header. These forward folds will automatically reverse below the header.

7. Open the sheers. Move along the pleated header and make sure that the pleats are standing properly, and that the buckram crease is forward. Go back across the sheer about 10 inches below the header to make sure the pleated fold is forward and the fabric between the pleats is back. These should be even pleats. Wrap your gathered pleats in a paper band and pin. Move 30 inches lower and pleat the sheer again with your fingers. Gather your pleats and band. Make a final pass (gathered and banded) about 6 inches from the bottom of the sheer.

8. Repeat with both sheers. You should have two sheers that are perfectly pleated being held in position with several paper bands. This trains the sheers to hold this position. Allow the drapes to rest in the paper bands for three days and your sheers should hang and move properly.

Tips & Warnings

• Vacuum your drapes every two weeks to remove dust and dirt. Dust lightly in between with a soft, clean cloth. Dry clean when necessary. Do not wash drapes or sheers as this may distort the fabric, ruin the stiffening, and disturb drapery weights. Your drapes may require retraining after dry-cleaning.

References

• Castec: Pleated Drapery on Traverse Rod