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Start by ironing the curtain so there are no wrinkles in it. You want the fabric to be smooth so your measurements aren't off. Lay the curtain out and start one one side with a tape measure to make your measurements. You'll want to gather five to six inches of fabric for each pleat, depending on how large you want the pleats to be, and leave from four to six inches between each pleat according to Denver Fabrics.com.
Measure over from the edge and pull the material up to make a fold along this spot. Pull the fold over to the edge and use a straight pin to hold it in place. You may need to place several pins along the fold to secure it. Measure four to six inches over from this pleat and make the second fold in the same manner. Continue this until you have folded the entire piece of fabric. If the folds aren't holding, iron them for a few seconds to help the fold stay. - Once you have the pleats folded, you are ready to sew them in place. You will not sew the entire fold, just the top. Measure down about four to five inches from the top of the curtain. Move the fabric so you can sew the first fold without sewing the others to it by accident. Sew across the fold horizontally. To create bigger pleats, gather two or three folds and sew them together. This works best for a large amount of material. Smaller curtains should typically have only one fold for each pleat. Once you've finished sewing the first fold, move on to the next fold or group of folds. Sew the same distance down from the top. Use a thread the same color as the curtains. After you've finished all the folds, remove the safety pins and hang the curtain back up. The pleats are created from the folds sewn together, forcing the rest of the fabric to fold on its own.
