How To Pinch Pleat Ikea Curtains
I should really call this the 'post you thought I forgot about'....
I feel so guilty for not getting this tutorial to all of you sooner. In fact, If you make it to the bottom of this post, you will see that I made it extra special for you in hopes of alleviating my guilt.
You may recall my One Room Challenge Ikea curtains that I hacked up. Here is the promised tutorial.
I started with the Lenda Curtains from Ikea. The weave and color on the curtain was a perfect match to the weave of my fabric. Here are all the supplies I used.
1.Buckram (4" wide) the width of each panel.
2.Drapery Hooks (I used 1.5") 7 hooks per panel.
3.Drapery Weights (cloth) 2 - 4 per panel.
4.Stitch Witchery (double roll pack) enough for 2 panels.
As you may recall, I found a striped fabric to use on the leading edge of each panel. I prepared the fabric by cutting it into strips.
Turn under and press the raw edges into place.
On the wrong side of the prepared strips, place stitch witchery into the seam and press.
Now to prepare the drapery panels, start at the bottom end of the Ikea panel, that way you don't need to worry about the tab top.
Give the bottom a quick pressing with an iron. I should tell you that I love my iron and have had it for over five years. You will definitely want an iron with a great steam system and a Teflon face.
Place the buckram under the lip of the existing hem, pin and sew along the edge of the pin line.
Turn and press the buckram header over....pin and stitch into place.
Once the header is ready, apply the trim to the leading edge with stitch witchery.
Using pins at the top and bottom of the pleats, I spaced them 2" apart per pleat. The spacing between the sets of 3 pleats is the same width as my trim, 4" wide.
You will want to lay out all the spacing before sewing. Alter where necessary to fit your panel width.
Sew each pleat separately, the length of the header. At the bottom of the header, sew all three pleats together.
This is one set of pleats....keep going until you reach the end.
Place drapery hooks (one per set of pleats) in the back and hang. I turned the end of the panel toward the wall to finish the look.
Custom drapes have a lot of weight to them and that's what makes them hang so beautifully. This last step will give all of your window treatment a professional look in minutes.
Once you have decided how you want to hem your panels (of course I used the stitch witchery), add 2 drapery weights inside the pocket of the hem on each side.
Here are the finished panels. The drapery weights help shape the bottom edge.
And now, because I have been feeling so guilty about not getting this up sooner.....
Here are some beautiful fabrics that would be perfect to use on an Ikea Curtain Hack.
You want to make sure the stripes go up the roll and not railroaded. All of these go up the roll.
A 3 yard piece will give you enough stripes for several windows.
Great in a girl's room:
Pink & Black / Blue & Green / Pink & Green / Pink Multi
Here are some beautiful fabrics that would be perfect to use on an Ikea Curtain Hack.
You want to make sure the stripes go up the roll and not railroaded. All of these go up the roll.
A 3 yard piece will give you enough stripes for several windows.
Great in a girl's room:
