How to Make High End Pinch Pleated Drapes From Ready Made Curtains

Want the look of high-end pinch pleated drapes without the high-end price tag? In this DIY tutorial, I’ll show you how to turn ready-made curtains into beautiful pinch pleated drapes using a simple, budget-friendly technique. If you’ve ever priced out custom drapery, you know how fast things can get expensive. I wanted that polished, tailored look of pinch pleat drapes—but not the custom price tag. So I got creative and transformed off-the-shelf curtain panels into beautiful, high-end pinch pleated curtains..

Updated May 2025: I’ve refreshed this post with the original DIY tutorial and updated details to make it easier to follow.

In This Tutorial

• Supplies
• Steps
  • How much fabric do you need for pinch pleats?
  • How to calculate pinch pleat spacing
    • How many pleats do you need?
    • How much space should there be between pleats?
    • How many spaces will there be?
    • Sample calculations
  • Sewing the pleats
  • Hanging the curtains
  • The finished look

SUPPLIES

• curtain panels – aim for a total curtain width of approximately 2.5 times the width of your window area for a full tailored look
• buckram – 3 inch wide interfacing for the top of curtain. Sold at Hobby Lobby and Amazon.
• fabric marker
• seam ripper

STEPS

How Much Fabric Do You Need For Pinch Pleats?

Before buying your curtain panels,, measure the full width of your curtain rod from end to end. This is your extended window opening: the width of the window plus the extra space beyond each side where the curtains can stack when they’re open. Extending the rod beyond the window allows you to pull the curtains back without covering as much of the glass. You’ll use this measurement to determine how many ready-made curtain panels you need and, later, to calculate the spacing for your pinch pleats. Most likely, you’ll need to purchase more than just 2 curtain panels. A good rule of thumb is that the total width of your curtains needs to be about 2.5 times the extended window opening. My window is 38 inches wide but since I want the drapes to stack beyond the window by about 11 inches on each side, my extended window opening is 60 inches (38 + 11 + 11 = 60). 2.5 times puts me in the 150 inch range for the combined panel width.

For my project, I purchased three curtain panels (no longer available) from Wayfair. Each one was 54 inches wide so 3 panels gave me a total of 162 inches (a little extra width does not hurt).

Using a seam ripper I opened up the curtain header (the top edge) of each of the three panels. This is necessary in order to insert the buckram later on in the process.

Next I cut one of the panels in half vertically and sewed the halves onto each of the other 2 panels. I pressed and sewed the raw edge that remains on one of the cut panels.

With my two curtain panels (each one now 79 inches wide after finishing the seams and edges), I laid the buckram (cut to the width of each panel) inside the top edge of each curtain panel, pinned and sewed it into place along the edge. It doesn’t matter if the buckram is slightly wider than the curtain header. You can trim it to fit before you insert it, but I didn’t bother. (I’m all about shortcuts!)

How to Calculate Pinch Pleat Spacing

To calculate your pinch pleat spacing, you’ll work with one curtain panel at a time. For a pair of curtains, each panel covers approximately half of the extended window opening when the curtains are closed.

You’ll use the usable width of one panel, the number of pleats, and the width of the extended window opening to determine how wide each pleat should be and how much space to leave between pleats.

Here’s the basic approach, using one curtain panel at a time:

1. Calculate the working width. Subtract 3 inches from the full panel width to allow approximately 1.5 inches at each end for the first and last pleats.
2. Calculate the width allocated to the pleats. Subtract half the window opening width from the working width. In my example, the working width is 76 inches and half the extended window opening is 30 inches, leaving 46 inches for the pleats.
3. Calculate the pleat width. Divide the width allocated to the pleats by the number of pleats. Each pleat should generally be no wider than 6 inches.
4. Calculate the total width allocated to the spaces. Subtract the width allocated to the pleats from the working width.
5. Calculate the spacing. Divide the total width allocated to the spaces by the number of spaces, which is always one less than the number of pleats.
6. Round and check your measurements. Round pleat widths and spaces to practical measurements, ideally to the nearest half inch. Spaces should generally fall between 3 and 5 inches. Adjust the end allowances or slightly vary the end pleats as needed so the measurements add up to the full panel width.

How many pleats do you need?

For the number of pleats, a rule of thumb is about 1 pleat for every 4 inches of opening width. Keep in mind that you will have 2 curtain panels for the window so divide your opening width into 2. My opening width is 60 inches so each panel has to cover 30 inches. When I divide 30 by 4 inches, I get 7.5 pleats. I can choose to round down to 7 pleats or round up to 8 pleats. The more pleats, the fuller the curtain so I chose 8 pleats for each panel.

How much space should there be between pleats?

The rule of thumb is 3 to 5 inches between pleats.

How many spaces will there be?

This will always be 1 less than the number of pleats. So for 8 pleats, I have 7 spaces.

Sample Calculations

Here’s how to do all the calculations using my curtains as an example:

1.Subtract 3 inches from the curtain panel because your first and last pleats should be about 1.5 inches from the ends of the fabric. This can be increased if necessary but we’ll get to why you might want to do that later.

79 (width of curtain panel) – 3 = 76 inches

2.Subtract one-half of the width of the extended window opening (because each panel will cover half the window opening) from the number from step 1.

76 – 30 = 46 inches

3.Divide the number from step 2 by the number of pleats.

46 ÷ 8 = 5.75 inches

This means that each pleat will take 5.75 inches. This number should not be larger than 6 inches. If it is, then you’ll need to add a pleat and repeat this calculation.

4.Take the number from step 1 and subtract the number from step 2.

76 – 46=30 inches

5.Divide the number from step 4 by the number of spaces (remember the number of spaces is always one less than your number of pleats).

30 ÷ 7 spaces = 4.29 inches

This number should be in the range of 3 to 5 inches. If your spacing falls outside of this range, you’ll need to adjust the size of the pleats or add or subtract a pleat.

6.I find it much easier to round the numbers up or down to the nearest half inch. Just be sure that the total still equals the total panel width in Step 1 (79 inches in my example). I rounded all the pleats down to 5 inches and all the spaces up to 5 inches. For a total of 75 inches. Since I ended up with 4 inches left over (79-75=4) I increased the recommended 1.5 inches on each end to 2 inches. (Another little trick is to simply make your last pleat on each end slightly larger so as to absorb the extra half inch or so.) Now my numbers add up to the original 79 inches. It’s best to work this out on paper. Here’s how the pleats and spaces worked out for each of my 2 curtain panels:

Sewing the Pleats

1. Using a fabric marker, mark the position for each pleat and space on the wrong side of your curtain. You can even write on the fabric to identify which areas are pleats and which are spaces, if you like.

My first mark is 2 inches from the edge because I adjusted the end allowance to make my measurements work out evenly. Normally, I start the first pleat about 1.5 inches from the edge, but you may need to adjust this measurement to make all your pleats and spaces fit your panel.

Next, I marked the fabric every 5 inches, alternating between the pleat sections and the spaces between them. In my example, each pleat and each space measures 5 inches. Your measurements may vary depending on the width of your panel and your calculations.

2. Then, fold your first pleat, matching the marks on the wrong side of the curtain. Insert a pin to hold in place. Do this for all your pleats.

3. Sew down from the top of the pleat to the bottom of the buckram.

TIP: Cut a piece of cardboard to match the depth and length of your pleat. Use it as a guide when sewing each pleat to help keep them consistent.

4. Now is a good time to hold the panel up to your window and double check to see that it covers at least half the window. If it doesn’t, you’ll need to rip out the first and last pleats and make them a little smaller than the others. Better to rip out a few stitches now than find out when you go to hang the curtains that they don’t close fully!

5. To form the pinch pleat, pinch the center of each pleat so as to form three sections that are roughly equal. Push down against the seam that you sewed to create the pleat.

6. Finger press the pleat and hold all three sections of the pleat together like this.

7. Sew across the bottom of each pleat from your vertical stitching line to the front of the pleat. (I find that a zipper foot works easier).

8. For each pleat, lay the center fold of the pleat to the right and sew down about 1 inch from the top of the pleat.

9. Then lay the center fold of the pleat to the left and sew down about 1 inch from the top of the pleat. Repeat for all pleats.

Hanging The Curtains

I used this type of drapery hook (available on Amazon). Insert each hook about 1.5 inches down from the top of the pleat on the reverse side of the curtain. You can mark the insertion point with a fabric marker to make sure all the hooks are positioned at the same height.

I used 1.5-inch-diameter curtain rings from Target and removed the clips. The clips aren’t needed because the drapery hooks fit directly into the rings.

After hanging the curtains on the rod, I finger-pressed the folds created by the pleats all the way down the length of each panel. I then loosely tied the folds with ribbon in three places to help them hold their shape. After two days, I removed the ties, and the folds stayed nicely in place. I use this type of drapery hook (available on Amazon) and insert it about 1.5 inches down from the top of the pleat on the reverse side. You can mark the spot to insert the hook with your fabric marker to be sure they are all inserted at the same height.

I used 1.5 inch diameter rings from Target and removed the clips. The clips aren’t needed because the curtain hooks get inserted directly into the rings.

After hanging the curtains on the rod, I finger press the folds of the fabric formed by the pleats all the way down the length of the curtain. I used ribbon to loosely tie them in 3 places to get the folds to stay. After 2 days, I removed the ties and the folds stayed nicely.

The Finished Look

And here’s a more recent photo of my DIY pinch-pleated curtains after our kitchen renovation. I love how this simple DIY gives ready-made curtains a more custom, high-end look.

I’m in week 5 of the Spring One Room Challenge. If you’d like to see daily progress on our dining nook refresh, be sure to follow HomeSpunStyle on Instagram! And if you’d like to check out the other participants progress you can find them at the One Room Challenge Blog!
Debra