Treatment Styles
Pleated Tops/Shaped Bottom
Any of the pleated tops can be made with bottom shaping to make an interesting valance style. To get an idea of what they would look like, imagine the valances pictured on the left with their bottom shapes upside down.
Soft Tops/Straight Bottoms
Some of the soft top styles create their own hemline shaping simply due to the fabric drape while hanging. Because the fabric is shortened to a valance length, this droop will affect the length, creating a long and short point even though the valance is actually manufactured straight across the bottom. Depending on the spacing of the pleats and rings, a gap will be created between the rod and top of the valance as well. Often this drooping effect at the top of the valance will cause the lining to be somewhat visible. To avoid this, add a self-facing on the back of the heading or use a contrast fabric to create a unique design effect.
Tab Tops
Tab styles can have scalloped spacing with plain or fancy tabs. Unlike a soft top style, in these examples, the scallops are created from a cut scalloped pattern. Scallops or droops manufactured in this way make it easier to control the amount of gap between the rod and the valance, and also long and short points are more manageable. These styles tend to be more tailored than the soft tops.
Unusual Headings and Special Set Ups
Drapery valances can be made with all sorts of unusual headings in addition to the ones mentioned above, through the use of add-on items such as sewn-on rings, grommets, shirring tapes, petticoats, and so on. Generally speaking, any constructed heading that is used as a drapery style can also be made as a drapery valance. These headings can then be combined with various bottom features for unique and unusual effects.