DRAPING 101: What You Need To Know About Draping and Piping

by Precious Stevens on July 05, 2023

A Quick Intro to Draping and Piping

What’s good?! So, I want you to think for a second about the last wedding, baby shower, or big event that you went to. What did the decorations look like? You can be honest. Did the setup look cute? Was it a hot mess? Did it look ehh but have potential? I know…it’s a lot to remember. Especially since we’re in COVID times, and it’s hard to get out these days. Let me be more specific. What did the drapery at the event look like? I know some of y’all are like…what? What do you mean “the drapery”? Is that even a thing little? Let me introduce you to the art of draping and piping or as I’d like to call it, Draping 101. Forget what you think you know. Draping is not just about putting up some cute curtains here and there and calling it a day. Nooo, sweetheart. It’s a lot deeper than that. In fact, knowing about draping can make or break the entire aesthetic of an event. You hear me? Your whole event will be ruined if you don’t know how to properly incorporate pipe and drape. What does that mean? Simply put: if you want to really get into this premium draping world, you gotta understand the basics. This is the secret behind a beautifully decorated event. Let’s get into it.

What is draping and piping?

Draping can be described as the process of adding fabric to a particular setting in order to create a unique look. It’s the secret to how event planners can take a boring space and transform it into something luxe, upscale, intimate, or even cozy. If I’m keeping it real with you, once you get really good at it, you can even achieve all of that at the same time! That sounds like the good life, right? But let me pump my own brakes. You need to know about what keeps the drapes in place: tthe draping system or hardware. Like the name suggests, piping is the combination of steel bases and aluminum pipes that we will need to stabilize our designs. In other words, these pieces are used to maintain the shape and structure of the drapes. As you get deeper into pipe and drape, you’ll use a mixture of vertical uprights and horizontal support rods to do your work. You might be thinking, “Precious, I understand the basics. But why is any of this important for my event decorating business?” You know you came to the right place for that answer, right? Draping and piping is important for three reasons.

Reason #1: Draping and piping is a simple yet highly effective way to make an event more memorable.

As I hinted earlier, drapery is at nearly every event we go to. Whether it’s a wedding, conference, or even a birthday, draping and piping can and will be the perfect backdrop.

Reason #2: Draping and piping can almost instantly upgrade any room.

Think about all the times you got bored in your own room in your house. Sure, you can paint the room, but that’s a lot of work. Yeah, you can buy new furniture, but again, that’s a lot! Why do something permanent that’s expensive when you can do something as simple and equally effective as changing up the curtains or the bedspread? Listen, that same way of thinking transfers to the event planning world as well. Why buy these elaborate pieces that cost an arm and a leg to dress up a space when you can put up a draping and piping setup and call it a day? With draping and piping, you can get that exact same upgrade without having something that’s permanent. How? Simple: draping and piping is a portable system that gives you the ability to transform any space. Portable=easy to move. Period.

Reason #3: Draping and piping is a visually appealing way to separate large spaces.

QSD Inc. Okay, I’m gonna make you think again. The trade shows you go to. Have you ever noticed the drapery used to partition each of the different booths? If you didn’t notice them, then chances are the draping was done effectively. It’s only when they’re NOT used that you realize that they’re needed. I said what I said. As a wrap-up, draping and piping is an intricate decorating technique used by event decorating professionals to transform a plain space into something that is eye-catching, organized, and memorable. I hope that you got a good idea of the basics. You’ll need them moving forward in your draping and piping journey. While we’re getting back to the basics, you want to be sure your pricing is set up right. I can help you with that in my Draping Plan 2 Profit 2-Day Master Seminar. Make sure you sign up today to secure your spot. What else do you want to know about basic draping and piping? Let me know in the comments.

Tag: Category_Blog

SHOPPING CART

title