Pencil pleat curtains

The most familiar curtain heading

Pencil pleat curtains are a familiar favourite and can suit lots of different homes. We'd love to show you how the gathers affect the finished look and help you match them with the right track or pole.

Pencil pleat curtains have a strip of stiff tape sewn across the top with cords running through it. Pull the cords and the fabric gathers into narrow, upright pleats, a bit like a row of pencils standing side by side, which is where the name comes from. The pleats are then held in place and the curtain is hung with hooks. It is a traditional, structured look that suits many styles of home.

Tape, cords and hooks

The tape has pockets at different heights. You choose which pocket to put each hook in, and that sets the height of the curtain, and how far it stands below the pole or track. The cords are pulled to the width you want and knotted off, not cut, so you can let the curtain out again for washing or if you move house. That adjustability is a lovely feature compared with fixed headings such as eyelets.

Track or pole, your choice

Pencil pleat is flexible. The hooks go into the runners of a track, or into rings on a pole. Which you pick is mostly about looks and the window. A track gives a clean line and is easier on a bay or a long, wide opening. A pole is more visible and can look good with a fuller, heavier curtain. Our guide to curtain tracks and poles goes through how to choose.

How full should the curtain be?

Pencil pleat looks its best with generous fullness. The fabric is gathered, so the flat width of the curtain is more than the width of the track or pole it covers, and the more it is gathered, the fuller and more formal it looks. With a tighter width the pleats stand stiffly and the curtain can look thin when it is closed. We will give you the width that matches the fabric and the style you want, and it can be more than you might expect.

Fabric choices

• Medium and heavy fabrics give the classic full look and hang well, especially lined.
• Interlined curtains are heavy and thick, and can help hold in warmth and block light, depending on the fabric, though the weight needs a strong track or pole.
• Light fabrics work but can look sparse unless they are quite full.
• Patterned fabrics look good gathered, but match the pattern across pairs.

Length, drop and how they sit

Because hooks sit within the tape, the heading is a little taller than the track, and that hides the track or pole fixing from view when hung on a track. Length options are the same as for any curtain: to the sill, just below it, or to the floor. It helps to decide before the track or pole goes up, because it fixes where the curtain starts.

What to consider before choosing it

Pencil pleat suits formal living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms and traditional properties. It is less modern than wave curtains, and heavy pencil pleat curtains stack back wide when open, which can cover part of the glass. If you want the curtain to clear the window completely, extend the track or pole beyond the frame so the stack sits on the wall. If you want a relaxed look instead, compare eyelet curtains.

Pairing with blinds

A curtain with a pencil pleat heading often pairs well with a Roman blind or roller blind at the glass. Our article curtain or Roman blind helps decide whether you need both.

Care

Check the label before washing, since lined and interlined curtains often need dry cleaning. Draw them using the leading edge, and let the pleats fall into shape when open. Curtains are a secondary range for Boro, so we will happily tell you what we can arrange for you and confirm it first. See curtains for the overview.

Want a second pair of eyes on your window? Book a free measure and we will confirm what suits before you commit to anything.