Drapery Header Styles

Traditional pinch pleats take three folds of fabric sewn together for a pleat that fans out on the top and bottom. This drape gets extra interest from a sewn-in valance header with tassel fringe.

Tiny pleats are caught with a stitch about four inches down from the top of the drape, creating a cup-shaped fabric poof that can be left empty or filled with tissue or batting.

This look is tailored and feminine. Pencil-pleating tapes are sewn to the back with strings that cinch up the fabric into elongated pleats. Use this treatment for stationary panels only.

Box pleats are another beautifully tailored treatment for stationary panels. Here the pleats have been detailed with a fabric-covered button.

These pencil-pleated panels have been draped with a swag of fabric edged with silky tassels.

One width of fabric can be hemmed and hung from any type of hook or peg. It's an inexpensive look that doesn't require complicated pleating.

Flat panels can also be lined with a coordinating lining fabric that is exposed when folded over at the top edges between drapery rings. Notice too the short "return" of fabric that spans the area between the rod and the wall.

Add interest to flat-panel drapes by attaching a contrasting fabric folded into three tailored pleats. This type of detail could also be used to update traditional pinch-pleat draperies.

Country interiors are the usual place to find tab-top drapery panels. These plain white drapes have been embellished with stripes of brown ribbon and brown buttons to hold the tabs in place.

Update pinch-pleated draperies by hanging them from small metal rings strung into a narrow iron rod. The floor-to-ceiling placement is another contemporary look, with the hem just breaking onto the floor.

The top edge of these drapes has been decorated with a stripe of checked fabric that forms a cuff over the pleats.

Like slide #1, these drapes got a bit of added personality from a sewn-in valance treatment on the top.

Any type of pole can be covered with rod-pocket panels. These are easy to make at home and can be detailed with ribbon or fabric borders, tassels, or tiebacks. This window shows two pairs of rod-pocket panels -- floral and striped -- on two separate rods.