How to Sew Pleats (Easy Fork Hack)

---

A quick and easy way to sew neat and even pleats is to use everyday cooking utensils you likely have in your house - a _fork_ and _serving spoon!_ This _hack_ simplifies what can be a tedious and time-consuming process.

Steps:

1. Press fabric, then mark pleats. Press your fabric flat and press a crease along the hemline if there isn’t one already. Then, mark where you want the pleats and how deep you want them to be. This can be done with a measuring tape and marking chalk or fabric pen.

2. Place fabric right side up on a flat surface. Put a serving spoon under the top edge of the fabric, centered on one of your pleat marks. Slide a fork over the spoon and fabric so the fork tines are facing up and spaced evenly according to the width you want your pleats.

3. Fold the fabric over the tines of the fork. Using the fork tines as a guide, fold the fabric up and back on itself, creating a pleat. Pull the fabric to make the pleat as deep as desired, then use your fingers to flatten the pleat along the fork.

4. Repeat steps. Continue with one pleat at a time until you have made all of the pleats.

5. Baste pleats. Once all the pleats are folded, baste them in place with a needle and thread. This will help to hold the pleats in place while you sew them.

6. Sew pleats in place. Once the pleats are basted, you can sew them in place using your sewing machine. Use a straight stitch and sew along the edge of the pleats. Stitch from top to bottom of the pleated section.

Tips:

* To make knife-sharp pleats, use a narrow-tined fork. Wider-tined forks create fuller, softer pleats.

* For deeper pleats, use more spoons stacked one after another under the fabric as you fold the pleats.

* For crisp pleats, starch your fabric before you begin.