How to Sew a Bed Skirt

Using a bed skirt offers several advantages. It dresses up the visible sides of a box spring, hiding any stains or tears. If you store items under your bed, a bed skirt will hide these items. Sewing a bed skirt is practical for antique beds that are higher off the ground than other beds. If you understand basic sewing techniques, sewing a bed skirt is easy.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Flat sheet to fit your bed Tape measure Tailor's chalk Material to coordinate with your comforter Thread to match the material Straight pins Scissors Lace trim (optional) Seam binding (optional)

Measuring and Cutting the Bed Skirt

1. Measure the length and width of the box spring. Subtract 2 inches from these two dimensions. These will be the dimensions of the top part of the bed skirt. For instance, if your box spring measures 65 by 48 inches, then the top of the bed skirt would be 63 by 46 inches.

2. Mark these dimensions on the flat sheet and connect these markings with straight lines. Cut along these lines.

3. Measure from the head of the box spring to the foot of the box spring. This will be the length of the bed skirt. Measure along the bottom of the box spring from side to side. This will form the width of the bed skirt along the foot of the bed. Measure from the top edge of the box spring to the floor. This will be the height of the bed skirt, from the box spring to the floor. If you are adding lace trim to the bottom of the bed skirt, subtract the width of the lace from the width of the bed skirt, so that the finished bed skirt almost touches the floor when it's on the box spring.

4. Mark the length and height dimensions of the bed skirt on two sections of coordinating material. Mark the width and length of the bed skirt on one section of coordinating material. Connect the markings on these three sections of material with straight lines and cut along the lines. You will have two pieces of material for the sides and one piece of material for the foot of the bed skirt.

5. Finish the edges on all the pieces of material and sheeting using a serger, sewing a small hem or attaching seam binding.

Sewing the Bed Skirt

6. Attach optional lace trim to the hem of the bed skirt. Pin the lace trim on top of the hem on all three pieces of material. Sew on top of the edge of the lace trim.

7. Lay one of the lengths of the bed skirt on top of the flat sheet, with right sides together. Pin together. Stitch a 1/2-inch seam from the edge. Repeat pinning and sewing the other length and the width (the foot) of the bed skirt.

8. Iron all the sewn seams and edges of the bed skirt flat.

Tips & Warnings

• Use lightweight cotton or cotton blends for a bed skirt. You can also use Battenberg lace or other delicate material to make a bed skirt.