How to make a box pleat
Mark, fold, pin, press.
Step by step
- On the wrong side, mark fold lines dotted and the placement line solid.
- Hand-baste along the lines so they show on the right side.
- On the right side, match each fold line to the placement line.
- Pin plenty, then press, removing pins except one at each end.
- Hem before pressing pleats. Topstitch or edgestitch to hold the form if you like.
Watch
How to Sew Pleats | Box Pleat, Knife Pleat, Inverted Box Pleat (4:26)
By Treasurie · Open on YouTube
Chosen from its title and channel: a 4-minute video from Treasurie on the same topic as this guide. Embedded from YouTube with credit; we don't host it. It only loads when you press play.
All guides ›Shaping: darts, gathers and pleats
Sources
All checked 1 November 2026. We read these; we did not test the products ourselves.