How to Train Curtains: Tips for Perfect Pleats
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Curtains and Roman shades add beauty, color and style to your home. They also help with privacy and reduce your heating and cooling costs. To enhance the beauty of your curtains, you need to train the fabric to pleat correctly so the curtains hang properly when drawn. Whether your curtains are new or you’ve had them for years, it’s easy to train them to pleat evenly for a polished and clean look. In this guide, we’ll show you how to train both curtains and Roman shades so they pleat beautifully every time.
Why Is It Important to Train Your Curtains?
Proper curtain pleats are essential for achieving a polished and elegant look in any room. Well-pleated curtains add depth and texture to your space, creating a sophisticated and orderly appearance. They help control the way fabric hangs, ensuring smooth, even folds that enhance the overall aesthetic of your window treatments.
Without proper pleats, curtains can look messy and unkempt, detracting from the beauty of your décor. Additionally, pleats can influence how well your curtains block light and provide privacy, making them a functional and aesthetic feature.
Tools & Materials You Need for Training Curtain Fabric
Before training your curtains, gather your tools and materials to ensure a smooth process. You will need a steamer or iron, a tape measure (depending on your curtain heading style) and something to secure the pleats together while they’re “training.” We recommend a low-tack tape that’s easy to remove and won’t damage your fabric (such as painter’s tape), flexible webbing or ribbon (grosgrain is a good choice), or large clips or binders. If using clips or binders, make sure the holding strength is not so aggressive that they leave marks on the material.
Optional: To help your curtains hang straight, you can sew drapery weights into the bottom corners of the curtain panel’s hem. If you already sewed your curtains or bought premade curtains, you can easily seam rip the hem at the bottom corners, insert the weights and stitch the hem in place.
Step-by-Step Guide to Training Curtains for Perfect Pleats
1. Install Curtain Weights (Optional): If you want to add drapery weights to the bottom corners, do this step first.
2. Steam or Iron the Fabric: Use a steamer or iron to remove any existing wrinkles so you’re starting with a wrinkle-free curtain panel. If you have a steamer, you can steam the curtain on the rod. If you don’t, you’ll need to remove your curtain to iron it, then reinstall it on the rod. Be sure to follow the fabric care instructions to avoid damage.
3. Gather the Pleats: For most curtain heading styles, the pleats naturally form in line with the heading style (grommets, back tab pleats, pinch pleats, etc.) Simply fold and gather the fabric as you draw the curtain, ensuring the pleats are even and uniform from the top to the bottom.
Note: This process is less natural for rod pocket curtains due to how the fabric is scrunched at the curtain rod. You can choose where to pleat the fabric as you gather it and train the fabric to learn those folds.
4. Secure the Pleats: Pinch the fabric at each interval and secure it with clips, binders or by wrapping tape or ribbon around the folded panel to secure the pleats. Ensure the folds are even and consistent across the panel. Wrap the curtain at the top, middle and bottom of the panel.
5. Train the Pleats: Leave the curtains drawn with the pleats taped or clamped for at least a few days to set the folds. This helps the fabric retain the shape of the pleats over time. If your curtain fabric is very thick, like velvet or chenille, you might need to leave your curtains clamped for up to a week.
After the training period, untie the ribbons and gently shake out the curtains to ensure the pleats hold. Draw the curtains open and closed a few times to see how the fabric behaves. The pleats should fall into place naturally as you operate the curtains.
How to Maintain Your Curtain Pleats Over Time
For the first few weeks, you might want to re-tie the curtains every night before bed to reinforce the pleating pattern. Over time, the curtains will maintain their pleats with little to no effort required.
Lastly, consider using tiebacks or holdbacks when the curtains are open to help maintain the pleat structure. Tiebacks keep the pleats in place and add an elegant touch to your window treatments.
How to Train a Roman Shade for Perfect Pleats
Roman shades can also be trained to stack neatly when raised, which gives them a crisp and tailored appearance.
1. Install the Shade: Make sure your Roman shade is installed correctly and functions smoothly. Ensure that the strings are aligned properly so that the shade lifts evenly when pulled.
2. Raise the Shade and Form Pleats: Gently pull the shade up to its highest position. Roman shades fold between the rods or dowels, which is what gives them their unique folded look. All you need to do to train the shade is to smooth and straighten the fabric of each fold, making sure the fabric is flat and straight across its width.
3. Secure the Pleats: To help the pleats maintain their shape, you can secure the folds using large clamps or binders. Clip several layers together at the left, center and right of the shade.
4. Leave the Shade Raised: Keep the shade clipped and raised for at least a week. This allows the folds to “set” into the fabric.
5. Maintain the Shape: After training, your Roman shade should lift into neat pleats each time. However, if the folds lose their crispness, resecure the pleats and repeat the training process.
Tips for Long-Lasting Pleats
1. Choose the Right Fabric: Heavier fabrics and lined curtains often pleat more naturally, but even lighter fabrics can be trained with patience.
2. Use Proper Hardware: Ensure that your curtain rods and Roman shade mechanisms are strong enough to support the weight of the fabric without sagging.
3. Iron or Steam: If your fabric becomes wrinkled, iron or steam it carefully to maintain a smooth appearance.
4. Regular Adjustment: Over time, adjust the pleats as necessary to keep the folds looking fresh and even.
Conclusion
Training your curtains and Roman shades to pleat nicely is a subtle yet impactful way to elevate the overall design of your home. For curtains, the key is pleating and securing them and letting them sit. For Roman shades, gently coaxing the fabric into folds and using clips to set them can work wonders. With a bit of patience and the right technique, you can create beautiful, well-pleated window treatments that add texture and sophistication to any space.
