Ask three curtain makers which buckram to put in a heading and you will get three answers, usually because each is thinking of a different heading. That is the point: buckram is not one product. The stiffener that gives an eyelet curtain a crisp, square top is not the one that lets a triple pinch pleat snap back into shape after it has been drawn a thousand times, and neither is the one you reach for when the cloth is interlined wool and the drop is four metres.
This guide sets out what each type in our buckram range is built to do, how to pick the width, and the mistakes that show up in a finished curtain long after it has left the workroom.
At a glance: three buckrams, three jobs
Eyelet buckram
Dense and firm so a pressed ring bites and the hole stays round. 4″, 5″ and 6″ on 100m rolls. Shop eyelet buckram
Pinch pleat buckram
Creases sharply and springs back flat, for double, triple and goblet pleats. 4″ to 8″ on 100m rolls. Shop pinch pleat buckram
Double stiffened
Twice the stiffness of a standard roll, for interlined, heavy or very tall curtains. 5″ width. Shop double stiffened
What buckram does in a curtain heading
A heading has three jobs, and fabric alone cannot do any of them; even a heavy chenille will slump at the top within a season. Buckram is the stiff interfacing that sits between the face fabric and the lining, giving the heading a spine.
Hold a shape
A fold, a pleat or a hole has to keep its form from the first day the curtain is hung.
Remember it
After the curtain is opened and closed a thousand times, the heading still has to fall back into place.
Spread the weight
The drop hangs from hooks or a pole, so the load has to be shared evenly across the full width.
Get the type and width right and the curtain hangs as if it were cut from card. Get it wrong and the top ripples, the pleats splay, or the eyelets tear.
Eyelet buckram: built to take a press
An eyelet heading asks the most of its stiffener. A two-part metal ring is pressed through the fabric, the buckram and the lining in one go, and from then on the whole weight of the curtain hangs on the rim of each hole. Eyelet buckram is a firm, dense weave made so that the hole cut by the die stays clean and round and the ring bites into something that will not stretch. Ours comes on 100m rolls in 4″ (98mm), 5″ (127mm) and 6″ (150mm) widths, and it is a non-fusible, sew-in type, which matters for reasons we will come to.
Width is decided by the eyelet. The buckram needs to extend well past the outer edge of the ring on both sides, or the heading will crease along the top of the hole. These are the pairings we recommend across our curtain eyelets range:
| Eyelet size (inner) | Typical pole | Buckram width |
|---|---|---|
| 25mm | Up to 16mm | 4″ (98mm) |
| 40mm | Up to 28mm | 4″ or 5″ |
| 50mm | Up to 35mm | 5″ or 6″ |
| 66mm | Up to 50mm | 6″ (150mm) |
The larger brass eyelets at 50mm and 66mm are where under-sized buckram fails most often.
Fit the buckram first, then the rings
A 66mm ring on a 4″ strip leaves barely 15mm of buckram above the hole, and the heading folds over the pole like a page. Go up to 6″ and the top of the curtain stands square. Whatever the width, the buckram is fitted before the ring is set with an eyelet machine, never after.
Pinch pleat buckram: built to hold a fold
A pleated heading works the other way round. Nothing cuts through the buckram; instead it is folded into double, triple or goblet pleats and stitched at the base, and the stiffener has to hold that fold crisply yet spring back flat each time the curtain is stacked and drawn. Pinch pleat buckram is woven for exactly that balance: firm enough that the pleat stands proud of the heading, supple enough to crease without cracking. It is sold on 100m rolls in 4″, 5″, 6″ and 8″ (203mm) widths.
Here the width sets the height of the pleat, which is a design decision as much as a technical one:
The buckram is usually paired with a plain or pocketed heading tape rather than replacing it; our curtain heading tape guide covers which tape belongs with which pleat.
Double stiffened buckram: when ordinary firmness is not enough
Some headings outgrow a standard buckram. Interlined wool, a heavy velvet, a cartridge or goblet pleat that has to stay fully open, a pelmet-style top on a very deep heading: in all of these a single layer of buckram either bends under the cloth or lets the pleat collapse into a soft tube.
Our 5″ double stiffened non-fusible buckram holds a fold or a hole as though the heading were built on board, without the bulk of a second layer. Use it sparingly on lightweight fabric, where it can look rigid, and freely on anything with real weight.
Fusible or sew-in?
Buckram is sold either fusible, with a heat-activated adhesive on one face, or non-fusible, which is sewn or caught into the heading. Fusible is quick for a one-off domestic pair. In a workroom it causes more trouble than it saves.
Fusible buckram
Quick, but risky in a workroom
– Bubbles if the iron is too hot or moves too slowly
– Can mark or shine a pale face fabric
– Bonds unevenly across pile or textured cloth
– Cannot be unpicked to re-pleat
Sew-in buckram
What we stock
✓ Goes in flat and stays flat
✓ No heat marks on the face fabric
✓ Works on any weave or pile
✓ Heading can be unpicked and remade
Everything in our buckram range is non-fusible for that reason, and the eyelet and pinch pleat rolls can each be used with either plastic or metal eyelets if a job calls for it.
Side by side
| Eyelet buckram | Pinch pleat buckram | Double stiffened | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Built for | Pressed eyelet headings | Pinch, double, triple and goblet pleats | Heavy or interlined fabric, deep pleats, very tall drops |
| Key property | Dense weave so the hole stays clean under load | Creases sharply, springs back flat | Twice the stiffness of a standard roll |
| Widths | 4″, 5″, 6″ | 4″, 5″, 6″, 8″ | 5″ |
| Roll length | 100m | 100m | Single roll |
| Fusing | Non-fusible, sew-in | Non-fusible, sew-in | Non-fusible, sew-in |
| Pairs with | Curtain eyelets and an eyelet machine | Heading tape, hooks and pleat hooks | Either heading, where the cloth demands it |
Five mistakes that ruin a heading
Under-specifying the weight
A standard roll behind interlined cloth will bow between the hooks within weeks. If the fabric is heavy, the buckram has to be heavier too.
Choosing the width by habit
A 4″ strip is not wrong, it is just wrong for a 50mm eyelet or a four-metre drop. Decide from the ring size or pleat height.
Fusing in a hurry
Bubbling, shine on the face fabric and a heading that peels at the edges all trace back to a fusible buckram ironed too hot.
Stopping short of the edge
The stiffener should run the full width of the heading, including the returns, or the curtain edges curl where the support stops.
Pressing through uneven layers
Keep the buckram continuous under every eyelet and stagger fabric seams away from the holes, or the ring may not lock.
Pairing buckram with the rest of the heading
Buckram is one part of a system. For an eyelet curtain, the ring and the stiffener are chosen together: a 40mm steel eyelet on 4″ or 5″ buckram for most domestic work, a 50mm or 66mm brass ring on 6″ for heavy or contract curtains. The choice between the two metals is covered in our brass vs steel eyelets guide.
For a pleated curtain, the buckram sets the pleat and a 3″ tape or pocket tape carries the hooks. Get the pairing right at the cutting table and the curtain will still hang square when the next decorator comes to take it down.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use pinch pleat buckram for an eyelet curtain?
You can press an eyelet through it, but the weave is designed to crease rather than to hold a cut edge under load, so the holes tend to stretch into ovals over time, especially on heavier fabric. Eyelet buckram is denser for that reason and is the better choice wherever a metal ring is involved.
What width of buckram do I need for 40mm eyelets?
4″ (98mm) is the minimum and 5″ (127mm) gives a more generous, squarer heading. Move up to 5″ or 6″ for 50mm rings and 6″ for 66mm, so that the buckram extends well past the top and bottom of each hole.
Is fusible buckram suitable for professional curtains?
It can be, on a simple domestic pair in a plain, smooth fabric. For workroom use the sew-in type is more reliable: no bubbling, no shine on the face fabric, and the heading can be unpicked and remade. All three buckrams we stock are non-fusible.
How much buckram is on a roll, and how far does it go?
Our eyelet and pinch pleat buckrams come on 100m rolls. A pair of two-width curtains in 137cm fabric uses around 5.5m to 6m of buckram including returns, so one roll covers roughly 16 to 18 pairs.
Shop buckram for your next heading
Eyelet buckram, pinch pleat buckram and double stiffened buckram are all in stock in Stockport, with trade pricing on bulk orders and next day delivery on anything ordered before 12pm. Weighing up a heading for a contract job? Get in touch or call 0161 429 6929 and we will talk it through with you.