TikTok's Curtain Tying Tip Will Leave Your Pleats Neat And Tidy Every Time

Pleated curtains are an elegant choice that can provide a kind of anchor to a room. One reason people choose curtains with a defined pleat is so that when they're drawn closed across the window, they're not looking at flat sheets of fabric. Defined pleats add interest, texture, and a touch of formality to a room — you feel like you've arrived or you're about to do something important. So when they're not in use, the last thing you want is to tie them sloppily. To keep your curtains neat, gather pleats together from the hem at the bottom, not from the middle, to maintain tidy folds before tying them.

Your ability to use this tip does depend on the type of curtains you're dealing with. A Euro pleat is gathered at the top, but because of the way they are constructed, the folds soften and descend the curtain in a more relaxed way. It's meant to be a more casual look, and most of us would simply open those curtains to each side and let them hang. Another popular type of curtain is pinch pleats, a style that creates a more defined look. They often come with tiebacks, the material that allows you to tie up your curtains after you gather each panel to one side. Tiebacks help you control the amount of light coming in and can help keep your curtains the focus of your decor. Pinch pleats work with this hack, but relaxed Euro pleats won't.

For this hack, start by pulling both panels to their respective sides. You can sit on the floor to make this easier on your back. Gather each fabric handful at the bottom of the curtain by its defined fold and then pull the next one over. You're essentially stacking the folds, the part of the fabric that protrudes out toward you, on top of each other. Once it's completely gathered, hold both sides together with your feet, while you tie the curtain together, either with a removable fabric tie or an attached tieback. Pull up the tie after securing it, and voila! Your curtains are impeccable model citizens. By gathering them this way, you're keeping the integrity of the pleat intact.

If you've been tying the curtains without much thought before now, you may have found that some panels have become wrinkled from being gathered incorrectly. If dry cleaning is in the budget, go for it. But to restore the edges and definition at home, use a steam iron on the pleats, pulling the fabric taut on each pleat as you iron the fabric. If you do this, make sure your iron is clean so it doesn't spurt mineral deposits onto the fabric. Note what the curtain fabric is to make sure it can handle steam. If it's too delicate, like silk, just use the iron without steam.