How to Make a Children's Duvet Cover

A duvet is a relatively easy and inexpensive way to change the appearance of bedding in a room.

A duvet is a cover that can be put over an existing comforter, enabling you to change out decorating styles easily. Children's tastes can change frequently and having the skills to create this easy and decorative item can really come in handy.

Things You'll Need

• Child's comforter
• Fabric
• Measuring tape or yard stick
• 12 pieces of ribbon cut in seven inch lengths
• Scissors
• Pins
• Sewing Machine
• Thread

Instructions

1. Measure the existing comforter with the measuring tape or yardstick.

2. Calculate how large your pieces of fabric for the cover will be by adding 1 inch to three sides and 2 inches to the remaining side. The extra one inch on the three sides will be used as the seam allowance when sewing. The extra two inches at the end of the 4th side will have ribbons added to it, and then turned under to make a neat hem.

3. Cut your fabric according to the size you calculated.

4. Lay the fabric right sides facing on top of each other. Using straight pins, pin the three sides with the additional 1/2 inch added together for the seam allowance.

5. Sew these three pinned sides together using a 1/2 inch seam allowance.

6. Fold the remaining unsewn edges inward towards the wrong side of the fabric, 1/2 inch. Fold again another 1/2 inch and pin. These two sides will be the opening and these folds, when sewn, will be neat hems.

7. Before sewing the hemmed edges, take the measuring tape or yard stick and measure along the hem and mark it with straight pins at six equal intervals, starting and stopping at each corner.

8. Pin pieces of ribbon, six on each side where the intervals have been marked. Place the ribbons under the double folded hem with the tail of the ribbon stretched towards the bulk of the duvet. These ribbons will be tied together to the corresponding ribbon on the other side of the opening and close the duvet cover.

9. Sew the hem on both sides of the opening. This seam will keep the ribbons in place.

10. Placing your hand inside of the finished duvet, grasp the material and pull the inside to the outside, making sure to poke the corners out.

11. Put the comforter inside the finished duvet and smooth it out so that all corners meet up to the duvet corners.

12. Tie the ribbons to the coordinating ribbon on the other side of the opening.

13. Place duvet on the bed.

Tips & Warnings

• The fit of the cover will be snug but not to tight. By making it snug, the comforter inside will move around less and the overall look of the duvet will be smoother and more attractive.

• Always follow manufacturer's instructions when operating machinery, such as a sewing machine.

• Be careful and take precautions with scissors and pins. Avoid stitching over pins with your sewing machine, or you may damage your machine.

References

• "Singer Complete Photo Guide to Sewing - Revised + Expanded Edition: 1200 Full-Color How-To Photos"; Creative Publishing International; 2009
• "Oh Sew Easy Duvet Covers & Curtains: 15 Projects for Stylish Living"; Jean Wells and Valori Wells; 2006