Young House Love

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How To Make Pleated Curtain Panels

I’ve always thought that curtains are the unsung hero of room makeovers because everyone’s quick to talk about how paint can make such a huge difference (agreed, it totally can) but I’d argue that curtains can rival the whole “wow, paint totally changed that room” because they can:

  • make a small window look twice as wide
  • draw the eye up and make ceilings feel taller
  • add a whole lot of color/pattern/interest (or not, if you just want something simple/breezy)
  • make any room feel more cozy by adding softness
  • add function (block light and drafts, provide privacy, absorb sound, etc)

So there it is. My name is Sherry, and I’m a fan of curtains. Just look at the nursery wall without any:

Curtains BEFORE

And here it is now with some happy green-apple deliciousness going on:

Curtains AFTER Full Room

This room is still far from finished (we’re planning a colorful large-scale mobile for over the crib – maybe something like this – and the bare wall across from the crib still needs furniture and art). But back to the curtains. They make such a difference, right? I also tried a new pleated approach this time, along with an extra thick hem at the top and bottom to give them some added heft, and I’m a complete fan. It was really easy, so I’ll just stop yapping and dive into the details.

Curtains AFTER Vertical Two

When it came to picking the fabric for the nursery, we knew we wanted something happy and colorful since the walls and built-ins are a neutral palette (Clara’s white-walled yet super colorful room has taught us that safer choices on those harder-to-change surfaces leave things wide open to layer in a lot more personality and color with other accents like textiles, art, and accessories). We considered everything from a bold pattern to a fun dip-dyed look or a band at the bottom, but thought one solid hue would be nice because we didn’t want anything that would look too busy next to our patterned rug and crib bedding.

Curtain AFTER Bottom Detail

We were actually really inspired by the different tones of green in the Target box that we recently grabbed for the built-ins, along with our old stacking tree game, which both showed us how great a vibrant apple green color could look with a darker kelly tone in the mix.

Curtains Green On Shelves

We hit up a local place (U-Fab) as well as JoAnn fabrics, and ended up falling for a cheerful apple green color at JoAnn. We thought it would layer in nicely with the kelly green bedskirt, bike art, and chair pillow without being too matchy or flat. I bought five and a half yards of fabric, which was listed at $6.99 a yard (it’s 100% cotton, and the color is Solid Apple if that helps you track it down at JoAnn) but I used one of those 50% off coupons so my entire purchase was $19.22, which means each of my panels breaks down to being under ten bucks.

Curtains 1 Fabric

The first thing I did when I got it home was pre-wash it (this helps you avoid shrinkage on the back-end, which can result in highwater panels if you wash them later). Then I laid my fabric on the floor and folded it in half (length-wise, not width-wise) and cut along the fold so I was left with two equally sized 99″ panels. My desired finished length was 88″ so that meant I could have a nice weighty 5.5″ hem at the top and the bottom. First I hemmed the top and bottom of the panel just about an inch from the edge with hem tape, like so:

Curtains 2 Little Hem Measure

Heavy duty Heat N’ Bond is a favorite of mine, just because I’ve made a few curtain panels with my sewing machine and others with hem tape and find that hem tape is easier for me to get a nice straight seam instead of a slightly meandering one. I’ve also had luck with durability (and washability) in a nursery/kids room with it over the last 3.5 years (all of Clara’s curtains have been hemmed with the stuff) so that made it an easy choice.

After making that first 1″ hem on the top and bottom of the panel, I folded each one of them over again to make a 4.5″ cuff, so I was left with a nice finished looking edge on each end (that’s why I did that little 1″ hem first). Even though it’s the back of the panel, it doesn’t take much time to make that extra little fold, and it ends up looking nice and clean.

Curtains 3 Big Hem Measure

Again I used hem tape to secure that flap of fabric at that 4.5″ mark.

Curtains 4 Hem Tape

After securing each of those top and bottom hems, I hemmed the sides (just with simple 1″ one) to keep the panel as wide as possible, but give it a finished edge. Here’s what one panel looked like on the floor with the backside-up, wrinkles and all.

Curtains 5 On The Floor

Next I ironed each panel to get a bunch of the wrinkles out (they honestly still could use a steam-session now that they’re hanging in place) and then it was time to give the whole “pinch-pleat effect” a try. Instead of my usual MO of clipping rings to the top edge of the fabric (so the curtains hang like this or like this), I pinched the fabric in ten equal increments and secured the clip to the back of the top hem, about 2.5″ from the top of the panel. Burger was intrigued.

Curtains 6 Burger Pinch Clips

Here’s a close up for you of that top hem along the back of the panel (again, I just used ten ring hooks and spaced them out by eye in as-equal-as-possible increments).

Curtains 7 Pinch Clip Close Up

This is John holding up the rod after I strung one panel on so I could snap a picture of the back for you guys.

Curtains 8 John Holding Up

And here’s what they look like from the front after hanging them with the anchors and screws that came with the rod we picked up at Home Depot:

Curtains AFTER Vertical One

Don’t those pleats add a little something extra? I like that they’re not super perfect & uniform (it’s more of a casual pleat if that makes sense) but they still feel a bit more upgraded than the regular old ring-hook look that I’m used to. If you’re at home thinking “I’d make those, but I wish each pleat was identical and super uniform” – fear not. You could probably stand on a stepladder and tweak the clips in the back to even everything out. John and I just thought they looked sort of effortlessly cool this way. Either that or we’re too lazy to break out the step-ladder.

Curtains AFTER Full Room

Update #1: We’re getting a bunch of questions about if we’re planning to use blackouts and/or if these curtains can close to block light. They can close (they’re each 56″ wide) but we have light-blocking faux wood blinds on all of the upstairs windows (more on those here) so we typically just close those instead of the curtains. Although I might add some blackout panels to the back of these panels like we did in Clara’s room if this guy ends up loving total darkness like her. Will keep you posted!

Update #2: Also getting questions about where the chair’s from. We bought that from Joss & Main a few years ago (it used to be in the corner of the kitchen across from the fireplace in our old house, and was in our office at this house until we realized it made more sense in the nursery). The white pouf is a sale find from J&M too.

It’s definitely feeling a bit more like home (and making this baby on-the-way thing feel a bit more real) to see how much this space has changed since we bought the house.

Nursery Before

I’m telling you, curtains make the difference. Ok, and a new floor, some wall paint, a pair of built-ins, crown molding, and furniture help too.

So that’s what’s new in the nursery. And Operation Homemade Mobile is actually in progress, so I hope to share that with you guys soon – along with some updates to the completely blank wall across from the crib. Have any of you ever done pinch-pleats, either with the sewing method or the ring-clip method? Do they make you feel fancy? Was your dog super interested the entire time?

Psst- Wanna know where we got something in our house or what paint color we used? Just click on this button: 

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Comments

    • cc says

      I second that! I tend to also end up making my own curtains, and I actually have been wanting to do something soon with all these old drapery hooks I have, but it would be SO MUCH EASIER to get the same effect this way.

    • Sarah says

      The curtain clipping is GENIUS! I have a pair of curtains I made that are too long due to my awesome measuring skills. This would be perfect to get the right height! Love this idea!!!

  3. liz says

    Love the green! Love the pleated look! And I also like the pulled back shot of the room – puts everything in context! Thanks for sharing your progress! As always – very inspirational!

    Reply

  5. Jen @ Jen Spends says

    This is looking really great! I agree, curtains can make all the difference in the world. I have a small window behind my sofa that’s driving me nuts, and I’m planning to use drapes to make it look a lot wider.

    Reply

  6. Anele @ Success Along the Weighn says

    BURGER!!! :-) He was just trying to help you smooth out the wrinkles.

    I’m so over my panels in the living room. I want new ones but no clue what to do. We have sliding bamboo panels on the slider but I hate the lack of privacy. I’m wondering if I could do a liner on the back and paint them a different color or if that would look weird? Sorry, I’m now talking to myself in your comments. *blushing*

    Reply

  7. Paula says

    Sherry,

    Room looks beautiful and great job on those curtains. You certainly inspired me to make my own. And that chair looks so comfy.

    Reply

  8. Stacie says

    Watching you guys complete your little barnacle’s nursery is taking me back to the excitement of decorating for my little girl 2 years ago. I know you are super excited about bringing home your little man, but until you can hold him in your arms, standing in the room that is decorated just for him must be an awesome feeling. Enjoy…what a fun time for all of you!

    Reply

  9. Krissy says

    Murphy is always interested in everything we’re working on, until noisy power tools come out!

    I lovelovelove the color of the curtains! Such a fun, happy pop!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Haha, same with Burger! Anything the squeaks or creaks or bangs or whirrs is a “RUUUUNNNNNN FOR YOUR LIIIIIIIFE!” moment for him, but if we’re just doing smaller projects he’s all “I wonder if this will result in something I can eat…?”

      xo
      s

  10. Renee says

    Looks fantastic! I am loving how you’re layering all this in and using it for inspiration on the big boy bedroom project I am working on in my head.

    Reply

  12. Cat @ MaryMarthaMama says

    LOVING the pinch pleats! And the happy color. You did such an awesome job budget-wise, too. You said it was cotton… was this over in the home decor fabrics or the regular quilting fabrics? It looks thicker than the quilting fabrics…

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Yes, it was in the home decor/upholstery area (those bolts tend to be wider, and they’re a little thicker for some nice heft). I used a kelly green fabric from the quilting area for the crib skirt though!

      xo
      s

  13. Jennifer Rizzo says

    I think they look amazing and you’re right, people totally forget how curtains can transform a room!
    I used to love when our dog would photo bomb every picture I was trying to take for the blog! :) She was totally into DIY.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Thanks Amanda! That was from Joss & Main a while back (it was in our last house’s kitchen across from the fireplace, and lived in the corner of our office here until we realized it would be more useful in the nursery).

      xo
      s

  15. Christine Anderson says

    Hey Sherry! Love the nursery! We are in the middle of doing ours right now and would love an updated source list for the room. I can’t seem to find where you bought the chair you have in front of that window, or that fabulous pouf for that matter! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  16. Cathy C. says

    hey Sherrie! One tip for helping keep your curtains square, instead of cutting the material, rip it. Sounds scary, right? Not too much, promise! there are times where you will be amazed at just how crooked a straight-looking cut is, and it will keep things square when you wash it down the road.

    Hope this helps with future sewing endeavors.

    Reply

    • Martha says

      Cathy, your comment brought back memories. I was taught (40 years ago already!) to pull a thread or two where you wanted a straight cut and then cut along that mark. If the fabric is tightly woven, then make a small cut and work out a few threads to pull. If they break, then cut along the mark you made and loosen up another thread to pull. You would need to do this on the ends cut by the store also.

  17. Laura @ Rather Square says

    Wow, those curtains came out really nice! I love how you were able to do it all without a sewing machine. And I never thought of doing pleats with curtain rings – that really adds some visual “texture” to the solid color.

    Reply

  21. Liz K. says

    Wow, you are totally right about the curtains making an impact. That looks awesome! Also, I love all your tutorials on curtain hanging, as random as that seems. That is one area of my life that has always been a mystery to me for some reason – how long a curtain should be, where the bar should go, etc. :)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      In general I pre-wash the fabric, wait until the curtains are made, clip them on the ring, and then John holds them up at varying heights while I step back and say “THERE!!!!” and then we mark the spot on the wall and use the anchors and screws that come with the rod to hang it (assuming it doesn’t go into a stud, in which case we can skip the anchor). It definitely helps to have four hands so someone can step back and eye the right spot, and I always have more luck hanging the rod with the panels on it than clipping them on afterwards (and sadly discovering they’re a little shorter or longer than I planned).

      xo
      s

  22. Jessica says

    Curtains are always the hardest part for me. I like a lot of curtains I see but light blocking qualities are an absolute must for the nursery as well as all the bedrooms. How do you guys overcome this obstacle? Or are you just super early risers and it does not bother you?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We have light-blocking faux wood blinds on all of the upstairs windows (we got them right after moving in here) but I might add some blackout panels to the back of these curtains as well (we did that in Clara’s room since she loves total darkness).

      xo
      s

  23. Elle says

    Normally I’m not a fan of that color at all (and of course my monitor may be displaying it differently that it is in real life), but it looks really good in that room. It really is coming together!

    Reply

    • Emily says

      I liked the mixed greens on the smaller toys, but I’m not sure it’ll look good with apple green curtains and a Kelly green door right next to each other.

      Good luck finding the right door color.

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Yeah, we feel the same way! We’ll wait to get furniture and art on that bare wall next to the door and then make door color decisions when that side of the room is more filled out!

      xo
      s

    • Leah says

      I’m starting to like the idea of the white door more and more. I’d definitely leave that for last to see how all the other color has layered in.

      Also, I’ve never made curtains before, but you are inspiring me. We have inset windows, so normal curtains don’t work. But I think I can make ones that will work. Thank you!!!

  25. Kristine says

    Where did you get that white pouf?? I am in a constant search to find some reasonable but modern looking poufs for my basement. Love this room completely!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Thanks Kristine! It’s from Joss & Main a while back. They have them all the time (sometimes for a lot more than others) so I stalked them for a while to wait for the price to drop down and free shipping ;)

      xo
      s

  30. Lizzy says

    Blast. Every time I see your cute new rug, I spend 30 minutes on the internets trying to find one for me. I covet thy rug.
    The room looks darling and the little bundle that’s coming will be the best finishing touch!

    Reply

  33. Melissa @ HOUSEography says

    I love this look and have been thinking about it for various curtains around my house – mostly just for a change :) Hm…. Now I’m super curious about what you’ll paint the closet door??? Back to the dark green or something different altogether like red or orange??

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I feel the same way! I’m all… hmmm…. what’s going to happen on that wall? Once we have the art and furniture along that bare expanse I think we’ll have a better door idea.

      xo
      s

    • JenB says

      I love the idea of red or orange, but I also thought the more subdued blue color (denim shade) would look nice. The room is awesome!

  34. Kim says

    I didn’t have time to read the whole post, but popped over to find the Burger photobomb :) Funny that your DIY projects aren’t the only things your fans love!

    Reply

  36. Amy says

    Green is my favorite color so I’m loving this nursery!! Just got around to hanging curtains in my living room and play room after 2 years of deciding what I wanted, and I totally agree. Our house looks so much more polished. Also, side note, that rug is to die for!

    Reply

  37. Rosemary says

    Are you planning to add anything to block out the light? I’m loving the easy breezy curtains, but the room looks to bright for naps!

    Also, I broke my sewing machine before actually sewing anything (fail). Maybe I should just give up and master the art of hem tape…

    Reply

  39. HeatherB says

    Any thought to blackout liner? Or are you just planning on a shade? Or something else entirely?

    Looks great! I love how ya’ll do great kids rooms and nurseries without the packaged bedding set with matching wall decals.

    Reply

  40. Ashley says

    Gosh, I keep forgetting how small this room is! I think the built ins look so much more proportional from this angle (although still not totally digging the color). I love the green curtains, though! You could probably get uniform pleats if you measured and spaced the clips out evenly while it was on the ground instead of while it was hanging. Can’t wait to see the DIY mobile!

    Reply

  42. Kathi says

    Love all the color! And especially the patterned floor rug, that might just what I need for my living area. Where is that from? Thanks!

    Reply

  43. haverwench says

    I agree that curtains have definite advantages over paint when it comes to changing the look of a room. One that you didn’t include in your list (but sort of mentioned later on) is that they are SO much easier and faster to change than wall paint. Repainting walls, though not expensive, is a major undertaking (move or cover all the furniture, get into grubby clothes, tape everything, paint everything, let it dry before doing a second coat, let it dry again before you can put everything back). Curtains, by contrast, can be knocked out in an hour or two, as you just demonstrated. And what you can do with curtains you can reinforce with rugs, throws, pillows, and all that jazz. Given the choice, I’d definitely rather brighten up a drab room with fabric, and it doesn’t have to cost more, either.

    Reply

  44. Bailey says

    Looks great! I’m about to start on our nursery and had a quick question about the chair. I noticed that it doesn’t rock or glide which I thought was a requirement in a nursery, ha! In Clara’s nursery did you use a stationary chair and if so, how did it work out? The room is looking great!!!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Yup, we had a little stationery chair (I ended up nursing everywhere, from that chair to the couch to the car while it was parked at Target, haha) so it worked great!

      xo
      s

  45. Jessica says

    Love the curtains I just found out I am having a baby too! I am really looking forward to the mobile post I want to make my little one a mobile too!

    Reply

  46. Jessie says

    Why not just sew some pinch pleat tape on top instead of the rings? It would take the same amount of time as adding all of those rings, and it won’t ever come undone.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Never heard of that method but it sounds awesome! I’d love to try that – maybe for the guest room or the dining room or the office or the living room or the kitchen (just typing that out makes me laugh- we need a lot more curtains, huh?!).

      xo
      s

  47. Kelly Gross says

    I am with you on the curtains. I wasn’t as huge of a fan of them until I started working for an interior designer. They totally make a room, warm it up, make it feel bigger, taller whatever you need. But they are soooo expensive when done professionally, which is why I love DIY.

    Reply

  48. Whitney says

    U – fab just recently started buying furniture from the company I work for (Cox), and when they put in their first order I was like “oooh I’ve heard about them from John and Sherry!” I’m lame, I know.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Those strange round registers in the ceiling are where the heat comes out on the second floor. So weird huh?! Lots of two story homes in our area have them there (at first I was completely turned off, but it has been toasty warm so I can’t complain).

      xo
      s

    • NatalieS says

      Most homes built in the last 20yrs in Australia have the central heating in the ceiling and most of the older homes have the vents in the floor like ours, I dont think I’ve seen any houses with them under the windows unless they are about 100yrs old. The latest trend is just adding a couple of reverse cycle air-conditioners to heat/cool the whole house but we don’t get as cold over here. It’s so funny the difference between countries.

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