Pleat Styles on Drapery or Curtains

Why Pleat - Fullness matters

Pleats allow drapery to be full. Most pleats take approximately 6 inches of fabric to make but you can use a little less or more depending on the style. The more fabric put into a pleat, the fuller the drapery will be.

Variation in Pleats

Pleats vary by how many fingers (folds) it has. The most common are two and three finger pleats, but you can also have 1 finger or 4.

The height of the pleat is affected by the header size. My standard header is 4” on a regular drapery panel, and 3” on a cafe. On some very tall drapery, it may be a good idea to request a taller-than-standard header size so the pleat length looks to scale on the drapery.

What is the Difference Between French and Euro Pleats

Where the drapery is tacked gives the name to the pleat. A tack point at the top is called a Euro pleat. A French pleat is tacked at the bottom. It is purely a design choice and does not affect fullness or function.

Drapery Pleat Choices beyond Euro and French

There are a lot of pleat choices that go beyond the typical Euro and French. You can see some of these in the image above.

Butterfly: A pleat can be tacked in the middle.

Cartridge (not pictured above): A pleat that is not folded or tacked.

Box (not pictured above): A pleat where the fullness of the pleat goes toward the back of the drapery and the stitched line in visible in the front.

Goblet: A pleat that is made and tacked like a three finger french pleat, but it is then opened at the top and stuffed so it has a rounded shape at the top, resembling a goblet.

Pleat Style FAQ

Q. What is a finger when talking about pleats? A. It is just the number of folds in the pleat.

Q. What is the difference between a Euro and a French pleat? A. Where the pleat is tacked. Euro: tacked at the top. French: tacked at the bottom.

Q. What style of pleat should I choose? A. Most often people pick either two or three finger french or euro pleats. The choice is completely a design decision; there is no best answer.

When you are ready to get drapery made, reach out. We are here to help fill out the work order and make sure that the pleat you are envisioning is what is made on the drapery.

Until next time,