how to add pinch pleats to curtains.

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If you want to add beautiful custom looking window treatments to your home on a budget, this post is for you. I’m going to show you how to easily add pinch pleats to any curtain panel. Adding pinch pleats to curtains can take a simple $30 set of amazon curtain panels and turn them into beautiful custom window treatments, and I promise you can do this project!

When we moved into our house several years ago, there were no window treatments on any of the windows in our family room. Needing a quick solution while I dealt with the bigger fish to fry, I hung some inexpensive white Ikea curtain panels up and moved on. And those curtains did the job, but for the last year or so, I’ve been dying to replace them with something a little more intentional, that would level up the room. I found these gorgeous gingham curtains on amazon (you will not believe the price), and decided I wanted to make them look a little more custom by adding my own pinch pleats. After teaching myself how to make Roman Shades out of a table cloth for Ava’s room, I figured this would be a piece of cake. And I was right. This is a VERY EASY DIY and I promise you can do it.

What you need to make pinch pleat curtains:

To do this project you will need a sewing machine, and if you don’t own one, no fear, you can usually rent one from your local fabric store and many libraries have sewing machines you can “check out” as well. I use this Singer model for all my sewing and it’s a great machine. I’ve had mine for over 10 years and it still runs beautifully.

Okay, let’s make some pinch pleats!

Step 1: Remove Tabs.

If your curtain panels come with tabs, you’ll need to cut those off first, otherwise they’ll get in the way of the pleating tape and the pleats. This is easy to do with a pair of scissors.

Step 2: Pin pleating tape.

Line up and pin the pleating tape to the top of the curtain panel. Fold the ends under so you get a nice clean edge.

Step 3: Sew on the Pleating tape.

Using a sewing machine, stitch down the pleating tape onto the curtain panel. There’s a stitch guide right on the pleating tape so just make sure you follow that and it’s very easy to attach. And just in case you are wondering about a no-sew option: I would not recommend using iron on fuse or hem tape to attach the pleating tape. Since the weight whole panel will hang on the pleating tape, I don’t think it will hold with fabric fuse, I recommend stitching it down. It’s really easy to do, and only takes about 2-3 minutes.

Step 4: Insert Pleat Hooks to create the pinch pleats.

Once the pleating tape is attached, you are going to create the pleats by inserting pleating hooks. Slide each prong into the slot on the pleating tape, adjusting the folds of the pleats as you go. I leave 2 slots in between each pleating hook for spacing purposes, but you can adjust for your preferences.

Step 5: Stitch together the pinch pleats.

This next step is optional, but I think it finishes the curtain so nicely. Take a needle and thread and stitch together the base of the pleat so it’s nice and tight and stays tight.

Step 6: Hang and Steam your pinch pleat curtains.

The curtains are done, and ready to hang! To hang, slide hook from the pleating hook into the curtain rings. To finish off you’ll want to steam your curtains once they’re hung. This will remove any leftover wrinkles from packaging, and help train the pleats. To train the pleats: adjusting the curtains into the pleat pattern as you steam. This trains the fabric and creates a beautiful finished custom look. If you want to really train them into place, you can use starch but it’s not necessary. (I didn’t use any for these.)

That’s it! You can see how they turned out below!

Before:

After:

I hope you found this tutorial helpful. Adding pinch pleats to your curtains is really such an easy and affordable way to elevate your space, and I love that it’s such a simple and Easy DIY that anyone can do. If you have any question, feel free to ask them in the comments!