The curtain heading — sometimes overlooked — plays a vital role in how your curtains look, move, and even fit your space. Choose the right curtain heading, and your curtains will glide beautifully, hold their shape, and enhance every window. Choose the wrong heading, and you may find curtains that take up too much room when open, look limp, or block light.
What a Curtain Heading Does
Your curtain heading anchors the fabric to a pole or track and determines:
How smoothly the curtain will open and close
How the curtain fabric falls (pleats, waves, folds)
How much space (stack-back) the open curtains will occupy
Pencil Pleat
A classic and versatile choice of curtain heading. With three cords in the header tape, you can adjust how tight or loose the pleats are — but beware: most 3″ heading tapes require at least twice fullness. Use less, and you risk uneven gathers and flat patches. Works well with both poles and tracks.
Pros: flexible, good fullness, cost-effective make-up
Cons: less formal than pinch pleats, requires more fabric
Cottage Pleat
Cottage pleat curtains have a soft ruffle at the top of the heading, lending themselves perfectly to traditional cottage interiors. Like pencil pleats, they need at least twice fullness to ensure the gathers stay even over time.
At Tinsmiths, Cottage Pleats are created using a 2.5 cm tape set down 6 cm, with just one hook position — meaning no adjustment to length. This heading is not suitable for large or heavy curtains.
Pros: soft, informal look, cost-effective make-up
Cons: not suitable for long curtains or heavyweight fabrics
Triple Pleat / Pinch Pleat / French Pleat
Tailored and formal, this heading uses buckram to stiffen the top of the curtain. Each pleat is hand-formed and stitched into place, giving a structured, symmetrical appearance. Popular for dining and living rooms.
Pros: elegant, neat stack-back, ideal for heavier fabrics
Cons: fixed pleats, requires more fabric
Double Pleat
Similar to the triple pleat but with two folds instead of three, offering a slightly lighter look. The result is elegant and structured without excessive bulk.
Pros: elegant, neat stack-back, reduced fullness, less fabric required
Cons: fixed pleats
Cartridge Pleat
A Tinsmiths speciality. This structured, handmade curtain heading creates a clean, contemporary look and is excellent for showing off bold, large-scale prints.
Cartridge Pleats use only 1.3–1.5x fullness, so they hang flatter and neater than other headings. This not only reduces fabric use but also produces a sleeker appearance and less bulk when curtains are open. Best used on poles (rather than tracks), with the curtains hanging below the pole.
Pros: neat stack-back, reduced fullness, less fabric required, contemporary look
Cons: fixed pleats
Conclusion
Choosing the right curtain heading is about balancing function and style. For formal rooms, pinch pleats bring elegance. For relaxed cottage charm, the cottage pleat is ideal. And for a smart, contemporary finish, our cartridge pleat is hard to beat.
At Tinsmiths, we help you select the perfect heading for your windows — if you are unsure of what heading style will work best for you then you can contact our team with an image of your window. With the most suitable heading style for your window your curtains will provide you with the look that you want as well as all the practicalities that make for successful curtains. 👉 See our Measuring & Fitting guide here
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