How To Add Pinch Pleats to Store Bought Curtains

I recently acquired new curtains for the bedroom.  They were going to be the perfect curtains to bring in warmth and add a little bit of glamour to the room.  They are much prissier than my usual taste, but if there is a room that calls for glamour, it just might be the bedroom.  Below is a picture I shared on instagram during the process.  And by the way, I moved the blue velvet pillows from the living room into the bedroom and love the texture they add!  I bought them from Radiance From Ruins.

When my curtains arrived, I immediately hung them and this is what they looked like.

How many of you are disappointed when you hang store bought curtains?  I know a larger rod would have made a difference, but I really wanted something a bit more custom looking in this room.  So I decided to add pinch pleats.  There are lots of tutorials on the blogs and I found this one to be most helpful.

Most pinch pleat curtains require using a double width (two panels) so that they still have the fullness after being "pinched".  My challenge was to use four panels for two windows adding the most pleats possible without loosing the fullness of the curtains.

Here is what I did...

After pinning and re-pinning several times, I decided that  I could get 7 pinch pleats on each panel and that they could be 4" apart.  Starting at the top left side with the right side of the fabric facing up, I measured 4" over.

I then drew the two folds upward to form the creases.

Here is what it looks like from the side.  I pinned the fold in place vertically - perpendicular to the edge, parallel to the fold.

I continued measuring and pinning every 4".

Once I reached the end, I made sure the pleats were evenly spaced before stitching into place.

The stitch is only about 1/2" long as you can see above.

Using drapery hooks like these, I hung the curtains onto clips.

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