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Home / Decorating Resources / accessories

How to make pinch-pleat draperies?

pam kueber - Updated: November 10, 2020

Retro Renovation stopped publishing in 2021; these stories remain for historical information, as potential continued resources, and for archival purposes.

Reader Brenny wants to know if anyone has good instructions on how to make pinch-pleat draperies. Drats, I do – somewhere. But I cannot find them! Help! Maybe while you’re tidying up for guests… you’ll uncover your instructions?

One tip I have immediately: You can spray paint your traverse rod to match your wall or wall covering. I did this (barkcloth pinch pleats in my dining room, above) and it turned out great.

Hello,
I wonder if it would be possible to pry some good pinch pleat drapery instructions from you. I have searched the net on how to make them, but all the instructions seem to be a bit vague. Do you have any that you could share? I have some barkcloth that is the atomic bomb and would love to get my sew on.
Thanks!
Brenny

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31 comments

Comments

  1. Tony Pinizzotto says

    February 27, 2012 at 7:07 pm

    I truly found this video to be one of the easiest ways to figure it all out! Thanks http://youtu.be/ce5YkzuW_vo

  2. Jacqui says

    January 9, 2011 at 5:13 pm

    I found this short video very useful.
    http://www.ehow.com/video_7463017_sew-french-pinch-pleat.html#OldComments

  3. Angela says

    November 17, 2009 at 2:06 pm

    I have a picture window in my living room that is 11 foot wide by 7 feet tall. We purchased this 1956 ranch 4 years ago, and I believe the drapes hanging up are the original pinch pleated draperies. The slides in the traverse rods are breaking, so the drapes are “falling down” in places. The are very heavy drapes and lined, too. I don’t really care for the color and was thinking that if I could somehow replace the sliders and cords on the traverse rod I could just keep the draperies. My friend said I should just dye them the color I want, but they are HUGE and how would I do that without dying the lining. Do you think my local cleaners could handle a dye job of this size or would I be better off making new pinch pleated draperies. The only place I know that sells them premade is JC Penney and they do not have the size I need or the color I want. Help!

  4. Jan says

    October 16, 2009 at 1:47 pm

    I found the tape and the hooks at Joann Fabrics last weekend, at least in my area. The tape was under $1 per yard. The hooks were a little more expensive at about $4 for a bag of 10 hooks and 4 end hooks. I remember those end hooks – poked my finger a few times on the sharp point when I used to have that job during my grandma’s spring cleaning (no child safety issues back then!).

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