Drapery designs & how to make them

Make designer drapes with these easy step by step instructions. Decorate your home and save lots of money in the process.

Drapes, when purchased at department stores, can be very expensive and then you are limited in the styles and colors in which to choose from. If you decide to have your drapes custom made, you will be paying much more money and may not be happy with the results.

To make your own draperies, first purchase upholstery material, making sure the material is heavy in weight. The heavier the better. This keeps the drapes hanging straight. You might also want to add weights to the corners of your drapes at the hem corners when completed. This keeps the drapes hanging straight also.

Using your upholstery material three times the width of the window, sew 3 inch hems on the sides and bottom of the drapes. For the top, use Heavy duty interfacing, inserting a piece in to the 3 inch hem for stiffness. This will keep the pleats standing up when the drape is attached to the drapery rod.

Now mark with sewing chalk where the pleats will go. To make the pleats, fold the material in one small section on top of the drapery at a time, making sure you make three folds, facing outwards and pin, then sew the pleats with a sewing machine. You should now have 3 folds facing out. This is called a pleat.

Do this along the top of the curtain, making sure all the folds you make in your pleat are uniform and are spaced accordingly. Do not space them too far apart. The idea is to keep the drapery looking like you spent a fortune on them.

To hang the drapes, buy the long style drapery hooks, not the pin type, and place them through the pleat.

Install a drapery rod, and insert the drapery hooks into the rod according to the maunfacturer's directions.