The Toothpick Hack That Instantly Upgrades IKEA Curtains

IKEA is known for its affordable yet stylish home decor items, letting shoppers spruce up their homes with everything from trendy hanging planters like the CHILISTRÅN to coveted light fixtures like the orb-like FADO. While there is a lot to choose from, TikTok in particular is obsessed with the store's curtain selection. Not only do they come in various colors, lengths, and materials, but they're also very affordable compared to other big box stores. And even better, they are easily upgradeable. There are tons of IKEA curtain hacks that will snag you a luxurious look for less. With a little bit of finessing, you can make the curtains look bespoke and designer rather than budget-conscious. And one such way you can do that is by using a toothpick to figure out your pleat spacing. 

Rather than just putting your curtains on a rod and calling it a day, you can make them look high end if you add pleats. To custom pinch-pleat your set of loose curtains, you will need to buy pleat hooks to force the folds at the top of the window treatment. However, the spacing can get confusing. You want each pleat to be equally spaced apart and equally thick, or else it will look sloppy. A toothpick can help you figure out that spacing. Here's how.

When working with IKEA curtains, you will notice that most don't have eyelets to put a curtain rod through. Instead, they have a heading tape, which consists of a band with small slots stitched across it, where you add the pleat hooks. This allows the buyer to customize the curtain in whatever way they see fit, creating pinch pleats, inverted pleats, ripple folds, and so on. However, if you want to create crisp pinch pleats, then all you will need is a toothpick and some pleat hooks to complete the task. 

Flip the curtain so the backing is facing you, and with a stack of toothpicks on hand, create your first pleat. Space two toothpicks five sections apart from each other. Do this with four toothpicks. Once done, take your pleat hook (such as this one from Amazon, which costs $6 for 12) and insert each prong into a slot with a toothpick. There are typically four prongs in each hook, so you will use four toothpicks to create one pleat. Once the prongs are securely in, remove your toothpick placeholders. Repeat this across the entire panel.

To make your pleats extra crisp, iron them where they fold. To secure them in place, you can either sew the pleat together or use Heat & Bond (around $2 on Amazon) to glue it together. If you choose the latter, add a small piece of tape to the bottom of the crease and secure it by running your iron over that spot. The tape will melt, pinching the pleats together. However, be careful where you place the piece of tape. If you make the strip too long and it sticks out from underneath the crease, the fabric will darken where the adhesive melts, creating an unsightly stain. 

If you're unsure about which panel to choose to try this ingenious hack, consider starting with some of the best-selling curtains at IKEA. This includes the VILBORG room darkening curtains, which retail for $55 for two panels. These opaque curtains are one of their thicker options, adding weight to the space. If you're looking for blackout curtains for your bedroom, you can't go wrong with the MAJGULL panels, which retail for $40 for two panels. Both options are made out of 100% polyester. While the material might not be luxurious, you can make it look designer-made with this hack.