Tutorial: Ruffled Pleated Curtains

I'm so excited to finally get you this tutorial! Thank you so much for your comments and messages, I'm so glad you want to make them!

If you haven't seen these yet, they are drapes inspired by Anthropologie. Love their look, but couldn't quite swing spending over $400 a set! I made these for less than $50 and they were so simple.  Really, as long as you can stitch a strait line on your sewing machine, you can make these!

It took almost 10 yards of Osnaburg to make these beauties, lots and lots of thread. You could use any type of fabric you'd like. I washed and pressed my fabric first - Osnaburg is cotton and I didn't want it shrinking up later.

I wanted my panels to be 80 inches long by the width of the fabric, which was 45 inches.

To create each 80 inch panel, I measured and cut the fabric 90 inches - the extra 10 inches will be hems and casing for the curtain rod.

Take the rest of the fabric and cut it into 6" wide strips.  Set them aside.

Hem the bottom and 2 long sides of the panels.  Do this by pressing under 1/2",  then over and pressing 1/2" again and stitching.  This will give you clean, finished edges.

Press pleats into all of the long strips with a steam iron. Make the pleats in various sizes, mostly 1/2 inch, but they do not need to be perfect, you'll see why later.  Also, create your pleats so that they all face in one direction - down.

Here is a strip all pleated and pressed. Find the center and machine baste all the way down the centers to hold the folds in place.

Place 2 pleated strips on each panel. 
Your seam stitched down the center of the pleats should measure 12" from each side. 
Place the top edge of the pleated strip 6" from the top edge of the panel.
Pin in place. Keep checking your measurements as you work your way down pinning so that they are strait.
Stitch the pleats in place.

Make the casing. Fold the top edge over 6".  Your pleated strip should be right on the top edge now.  Press lightly.  Fold the raw edge under 1", press and stitch across 5" down from the top - leaving a 5" casing for your curtain rod.

Make those messy, frayed, gorgeous ruffles!  You'll need lots of steam, so fill your iron with water.
Just sort of steam, then scrunch with your hands, and press. 

Repeat all the way down until it looks like this.

Perfectly messy!

Try other fabrics, make your pleats with satin or prints, make them your own!

Most importantly, send me a picture because I'd love to see your versions!