Bed Skirt Tutorial

Hi Everyone!  I hope you all had a good weekend.  Here in MN the weather has finally turned, so my windows are all open and the fresh air is blowing through the house.  We’ve had lots of heat this summer, with many days so humid that you can hardly breathe.  This is such a refreshing break from all that heat, and for that, we are all grateful.  I’m also grateful to have a few work deadlines behind me.  Mom and I finished up and turned in our ideas for a new fabric line.  In fact, that is the third line that I have painted up this summer.  Unfortunately, I can’t share any sneak-peaks just yet.

With all the fabric designing, I have taken a bit of a break from quilt designing.  Normally I would have my fall products all planned out by this time, but after the  craziness of the last couple years I decided to skip fall market this year.  Instead, I am taking some time for myself – to catch up on everything I have fallen behind on – to start new fun projects – and hopefully get back to enjoying the creative process.   Those fun new projects have included redecorating a couple bedrooms.  That whole process leads me to my post for today!  Part of redecorating bedrooms means sewing new bed skirts (or dust ruffles), pillows, curtains, etc.  When we came out with our “Shams with Style” book, I had lots of people ask me to come out with patterns for curtains and bed skirts.  To me, a bed skirt doesn’t make an interesting enough pattern to put out on the market.  However, I thought I would just do a quick tutorial for those who want to learn how I make their own.  I don’t particularly like making bed skirts (boring!), but knowing how to make them means that I can make them out of the fabric of my choice.  That can really help make the room!

To get started, let me just say that bed skirts are really easy to make.  It only took me about 3 hours to finish the whole thing.  The style of bed skirt that I like is really basic, with no frills or fuss, but very skilled use (NOT) of velcro and hot glue.   This technique is one that I learned from my Mom.  She used to make her bed skirts by sewing a ruffled fabric to a large rectangle of lining fabric that fit between the box spring and mattress.  The problem with that method is that everything always shifts around.  That’s when Mom started using the velcro method.  See the photo below?  It shows a line of velcro stuck to the edge of the box spring and another line of velcro along the top edge of the bed skirt.  This set-up eliminates that shifting problem.  To attach the velcro to the bed, you can either buy sticky velcro or use a hot glue gun.

After sticking the velcro to the bed, measure the three sides separately to get the length for your bed skirt.  As you can see in the photo above, I usually add an extra 1/2″ on each end so the two sides overlap slightly and you can’t see the box spring through the opening. 

 In the other bedroom that I am working on, the bed has side rails, so I just stuck the Velcro to the side rail instead of the box spring.  They pretty much have the same look.  (This bed has a foot board, so I only needed to make a skirt for the sides of the bed)

As you can see in these photos, the style of bed skirt that I like doesn’t involves ruffles like some do.  I prefer a flat bed skirt, with a little detail in the center that looks like a pleat.

I do the same thing on the long sides of the bed.

To figure out what size to cut the pieces, refer back to the measurements that you’ve already taken around the three sides of the bed.  Also measure the drop from the inside edge of the velcro on the box spring, down to the floor.  Let’s just say that’s 16″.

Let’s also say that the long sides of the bed measure 78″, then divide that number by 2 (because we are doing it in two pieces) = 39″.

Next, add for a 1″ double hem along three sides and a 1/2″ double hem along the top.

39″ + 2″ + 2″ = 43″  gives you the length (which should fit on one width of fabric)

16″ + 2″ + 1″ = 19″ for your drop.

So, cut two pieces for each side that are 43″ x 19″.  You with me so far? 

BTW, that was the hardest part of this whole process! 

Repeat this process to get two pieces to use along the foot of the bed.

Next, we are going to hem those pieces.  To get an accurate hem line, I always use a fabric pencil to mark my folding line.  Mark a line 1″ from the edge along 3 sides and 1/2″ from the top  (this is where the velcro will go)

Using a hot iron and some steam, fold the edge over and press, so your drawn line is right on the edge of the fold line. 

Repeat on all four sides.

Fold up the hems one more time, so the raw edge is hidden inside all the layers.  This is how you get a 1″ double hem or a 1/2″ double hem. 

(Sorry no picture here.  I forgot to take one of the hem folded up twice!)

Next, go the machine and hem as shown, using matching thread.  Only hem the three sides that won’t have velcro, as that side will get hemmed when we add the velcro.

This photo shows how to do those bulky corners, so everything is tacked neatly in place.

Next, lay out two pieces that will be connected to make a full length.   The hem that isn’t sewn yet is laying on the right side of this photo.  This will be easier to see when you are actually making it, because three of your sides will have a wider hem.  The bed skirt in the photo was the first one I made and I started out using the same size hem on all sides.  After seeing the completed bed skirt, I decided that having a small hem on the three sides that showed didn’t look very professional.  I then doubled the size of the hem, going from 1/2″ to 1″.

Cut a small piece of fabric to make the “fake pleat”.  I cut mine about 8-10″ wide, with a 19″ drop.  Hem on three sides as you did with the other pieces.  Lay the two long pieces right next to each other and center the “fake pleat” on top of where the two pieces meet.  Pin in place.

Next, add the velcro along the top side of the bed skirt (along the right side in the photo above).  Just be sure that you are using the side of the Velcro (fuzzy or rough) that corresponds to whatever you stuck on the bed.  It’s very important to pay attention to this throughout the process!!!

Stitch along the left edge of the velcro also.

That’s it!  You are ready to go attach it to the bed like this –

I hope you liked this method!  You can thank my Mom  – and by the way, she reads the comments!

Now, I am going to start machine quilting this quilt so I can show you a finished room.  Maybe two finished rooms . . . .