How to Train Drapery for Straight Pleats & Perfect Fall

Straight out of the box, your new custom drapes look beautiful — the fabric, the finish, the custom craftsmanship — everything is perfect. But once hung, you may be surprised to find them not quite falling into those crisp, magazine-style folds you had been imagining. Instead, you might notice your new curtains ‘flaring’ at the bottom, refusing to fall into straight, structured pleats. 

Many clients do not realize that new drapes require time and training to find their shape and settle into place. The good news is that with a few simple steps and a bit of hands-on care, you can help them fall into graceful pleats. Think of it as part of the installation process — a quiet ritual of easing your new decor items into their place. So take a moment, roll up your sleeves (just a little), and let’s help your drapes find their flow on stage.

Press to Impress: Steam Your Drapes

While every drapery panel is lovingly ironed before it leaves our studio, a few wrinkles might still appear enroute to you. Therefore, once you’ve mounted them, we recommend a round of steaming with a handheld steamer for a smooth finish. While a steamer is preferred, just in case you don’t have one handy, we recommend a good old-fashioned round of ironing before you mount your curtains. 

Hold Thy Fold: Hand-Guide the Drapery Pleats

Stack your panels to the sides and start guiding the pleats—one by one—from top to bottom by hand. If you have ordered pinch pleat drapes, this is relatively easy as all you have to do is follow the lead of the pre-stitched pleats. For drapes without pre-stitched pleats, begin by forming evenly spaced folds on top, and then guide those pleats down the full length of your curtains. 

Put a Bow on It: Tie (Or Clip) Your Drapes

To wrap up your drapery training session, it’s time to put a bow on it (quite literally)!

Tie three to four fabric strips or ribbons along the length of each panel to gently hold the folds in place. This helps your drapes ‘learn’ to stay in this position and develop what we call pleat memory. Leave them tied like this for about two weeks — think of it as a little boot camp for better draping.

Working with sheers or lightweight fabrics? These tend to be a tad more forgetful, so they might need extra help. Try adding gentle weights at the bottom to encourage the folds to settle faster.

HomeSewn Wisdom: Don’t tie your drapes like they’ve wronged you. Excessively tight knots can leave creases at the tie points. Aim for a gentle hold that is just secure enough to shape the pleats, and that’s it, your drapes will fall into neat pleats like a whispered magic spell!

All that Drapes Well, Ends Well

A little steam, a few ribbons, and here we are! Even without training, sooner or later, your drapes would have donned the graceful fall, but you walked the extra mile and got there faster with us!

We’d love to see how your drapes are settling in. So go ahead, take a pic and share with us. We’ll be here, refreshing our inbox like hopeful stage moms. On that note, see you on the prettier side, fellow draper!