DIY Pinch Pleat Curtains // How to Make Budget IKEA Curtains Look Like a Million Bucks
Read on for our diy pinch pleat curtains tutorial. This easy project will transform basic curtain panels into custom-looking curtains with a high end look. psst: beautiful curtains don't have to cost much! This IKEA curtain hack came in at just $25/panel! Read on for all the details...
curtain rod + ball finial | more sources below
THE FARMHOUSE
I wanted to circle back to Daphne's nursery and share how we made her basic IKEA curtain panels into custom-looking pinch pleat curtain panels on a budget. All told they cost us about $50 per window, which includes the IKEA Tibast panels. Originally, I had been planning to sew my own pleated curtains, but this is way cheaper than I could have made them for and easier (no sewing machine required!).
DIY Pinch Pleat Curtains
Time: 1 Day
Level: easy
Format: Blog Post
Materials
Curtain panels (we used IKEA Tibast curtain panels, but any blackout curtains, sheer curtains, or light-filtering curtains will work!)
pleating tape (see note below)
Iron
Needle and thread (optional)
Note: IKEA's Tibast curtain panels already come with pleating tape on the back of the panels. If your curtains don't have pleating tape, you can buy it (here) and sew the tape on the back of your panel (here's a tutorial on that).
Step 1 // Attach the Pleating Hooks
Star by laying out your panel, good side down, and determining a pattern for your drapery hooks. With our four-pronged hooks, I put the first prong in the 4th slot, and then a prong in every 3rd slot after that. I repeated this for every pleat, and then used a single-pronged hook at each end of the panel. Consistency is key. And patience. This is definitely the longest step and best done on a couch with a movie and glass of wine (just don't spill!).
One quick note about this step, make sure the total width of your curtain panel after pleating will still cover your window. Pleating will considerably narrow the width of a single curtain panel, so if your curtain will be opened and closed, make sure the curtain ends up wide enough to cover your window.
Step 2 // Add a stitch in each pleat
You could stop here and leave the curtains pleated, but adding a stitch gives them the pinch. Turn the curtain panel over, good side up, and with a needle and thread, synch the pleat near the base of the pinch. To do this, I tied the base of the thread, ran it through the pleat once and then back, pulled tight, and tied the thread. Hot tip: pick a color of thread that's similar to your fabric so you won't see it (I used white)!
Step 3 // Iron!
I hate ironing. In fact, it's been a solid 3 years since I pulled one out. But if you want these curtains to look like a million bucks, this step is key. Hot tip: steaming is easier than ironing curtain panels (this steamer is great!).
Step 4 // Hang curtain panels using rings with eyelets
I hung our curtain panels from rings with eyelets (found here in different finishes - make sure they’re sized for your curtain rod!). If you find that the hook on the leading edge of your curtain comes out of the eyelet easily, just tighten the hook down with pliers (i.e. close the hook into a loop). I find it's necessary if you use your curtains a lot.
That's it! Beautiful pinch pleat ikea curtains on a budget. Such a great ikea curtain hack!
Please let me know if you try this tutorial. I'd love to hear how it goes! And if you have any tips, leave them in the comments so all of us can benefit from your experience.
Sources
curtains / curtain rods + ball finial / white quilt and shams / bed sheets / overhead light / jute rug (similar) / Skyline rug / bird pillow fabric / unicorn stuffie / nightstands diy / lamps / dresser / dresser hardware / black pillow fabric / glider / bird prints (Crow and Orange Crowned Warbler, free downloads from here) / picture frames (DIY) / paint color: BM Simply White
Related Posts
Daphne's room reveal / Debating about curtains / How to DIY a glider
