Can You Use Pencil Pleat Curtains on a Bay Window
Pencil pleat curtains are one of the most flexible curtain styles to use with a bay window curtain track.
Because the gather can be adjusted, pencil pleat curtains often give you the best chance of reusing curtains you already own, especially when fitting a new made-to-measure bay window track.
This guide explains how pencil pleat curtains work, why they suit bay windows so well, and what to check before deciding whether your existing curtains are suitable.
What Are Pencil Pleat Curtains?
Pencil pleat curtains have a heading tape sewn across the back of the curtain. The tape usually has three pull cords, which are used to gather the curtain fabric into small, neat pleats along the top edge.
Before pulling the cords, one end should be tied securely so the cords do not pull out of the tape. The cords are then pulled from the other end to create the gathered pencil pleat effect.
Curtain hooks are placed into the pockets on the heading tape, allowing the curtains to hang from either a curtain track or a curtain pole with rings.
Why Pencil Pleat Curtains Work Well on Bay Windows
Pencil pleat curtains are a very practical choice for bay windows because they are designed to work with curtain tracks and the amount of gather can be adjusted.
This makes them much more forgiving than curtain headings with a fixed finished width, such as many pinch pleat curtains. If the curtains are a little wider or narrower than ideal, you often have some room to adjust the gather so they still hang well.
They also work well on curved and angled bay window tracks because each curtain hook moves along the track using individual gliders.
Lee’s Advice
If somebody asks me which curtain heading gives the greatest flexibility on a bay window, my answer is usually pencil pleat. The adjustable gather means existing curtains often work when other curtain heading styles would be much harder to reuse.
Can I Use Existing Pencil Pleat Curtains on a Bay Window Track?
In many cases, yes. Pencil pleat curtains are often the easiest existing curtains to reuse on a new bay window curtain track.
The main thing to check is whether the curtains contain enough fabric width for the total length of the track. Bay windows are often wider than standard windows, so curtains that worked well elsewhere in the house may look flatter when moved to a bay.
You should also check the curtain drop, especially if the new track will be fitted higher, lower, further forward, or further back than your previous fixing position.
How Wide Should Pencil Pleat Curtains Be for a Bay Window?
As a simple guide, each ungathered curtain ideally wants to be roughly the same width as the total bay window curtain track.
For example, if your bay track is around 300cm long, each flat curtain would ideally be around 300cm wide. When gathered, each curtain would then reduce down to around half the track width, with a few extra centimetres to help the curtains meet comfortably in the middle.
Simple Width Guide
Total bay track width: 300cm
Ideal curtain width before gathering: approximately 300cm per curtain
Gathered curtain width: approximately 150cm per curtain, plus a little extra overlap
If Your Curtains Are a Little Wider or Narrower
If your curtains are only a little wider or narrower than the ideal size, they will often still work well. Pencil pleat heading tape gives you a useful amount of adjustment because you can gather the curtains more or less as needed.
If Your Curtains Are Much Too Narrow
If your curtains are a lot narrower than the overall bay track width, you will not be able to add much gather to the heading tape.
This means the top of the curtain may not form those neat, regimented pencil pleats. The curtains may also look flatter when closed because there is not enough fabric to create fullness across the bay.
If Your Curtains Are Wider Than Ideal
In most bay windows, curtains being too wide is less common than curtains being too narrow. Bay windows are often the widest windows in the house, so wider curtains can usually be gathered more to suit the track.
Very full curtains may stack back more heavily at the sides, but this is usually easier to manage than curtains that do not have enough width.
Video Guide: How to Gather and Hang Pencil Pleat Curtains
The video below shows how to prepare a pair of pencil pleat curtains, including tying the cords, gathering the heading tape, adding curtain hooks and hanging the curtains.
Video placeholder: Add pencil pleat curtain preparation and hanging video here.
How Do Pencil Pleat Curtains Compare with Other Curtain Headings?
Pencil pleat curtains are not the only option for bay windows, but they are usually one of the most flexible.
Pencil pleat curtains
The most flexible option for many bay window tracks because the gathered width can be adjusted.
Pinch pleat curtains
Can work well, but the finished width is often fixed, so measuring and curtain width are more critical.
Eyelet curtains
Designed for curtain poles rather than tracks, but some can be altered by adding curtain heading tape.
Wave curtains
A modern curtain heading that uses a specific wave glider system and needs planning before ordering curtains.
Can Pencil Pleat Curtains Be Altered?
Pencil pleat curtains are often one of the easier curtain styles to adjust because the gathered width can be changed using the heading tape.
However, if the curtains are much too narrow for the bay window, altering the heading alone will not create extra fabric. In some cases, you may need to use two pairs of curtains or consider replacing the curtains.
If you are trying to reuse existing curtains, it is worth checking the overall curtain width before arranging alterations.
FAQs About Pencil Pleat Curtains for Bay Windows
Yes. Pencil pleat curtains are one of the most suitable heading styles for bay windows because they work well with curtain tracks and the gather can be adjusted.
In many cases, yes. The main things to check are the curtain width, the drop and whether the curtains still suit the new track position.
As a simple guide, each ungathered curtain ideally wants to be roughly the same width as the total track. This usually gives enough fabric to create a good gathered appearance.
If the curtains are much too narrow, there may not be enough fabric to create proper gather. The curtains may still close, but they are likely to look flatter and less full.
Yes. Pencil pleat curtains work well on curved bay window tracks because the hooks attach to individual gliders, allowing the curtain to move around the bends.
Not always, but they are usually more flexible. Pinch pleat curtains can look very smart, but their finished width is often fixed. Pencil pleat curtains allow more adjustment.
Ready to Choose a Bay Window Curtain Track?
If you already have pencil pleat curtains, there is a good chance they will work with one of our made-to-measure bay window curtain tracks.
The next step is choosing the right track style and fixing position for your bay window.
Our Track Finder can help point you towards the most suitable option based on your bay shape, fixing type and curtain style.