How to Make a Gathered Bedskirt

A gathered bedskirt is a large piece of plain fabric that is placed on top of the box spring of a bed. A border of gathered decorator fabric is sewn to the plain fabric. This decorator fabric hangs down to the floor around the sides and bottom edge of the bed. Not only can a gathered bedskirt be a lovely addition to any bedroom ensemble, it is also very useful for concealing any items that you may store under the bed. Learn how to make a gathered bedskirt and then save yourself some money by making your own bedskirt instead of purchasing a ready-made one.

Things You'll Need

• Large piece of muslin fabric
• Several yards of decorator fabric (amount of fabric depends on bed size)
• Sewing machine
• Sewing notions (matching thread, scissors, pins)
• Tape measure
• Iron

Instructions

1. Take the mattress off the bed and measure the length and width of the box spring. Add 1 inch to each dimension. This is the dimension the muslin piece of fabric will need to be.

2. Multiply the box spring length measurement by two and the box spring width measurement by two. Add 1-inch to each measurement. You will be making two strips of decorator fabric to the multiplied length measurement and one strip of decorator fabric to the multiplied width measurement.

3. Measure from the top of the box spring to the floor and add 1.5 inches to this number. This will be the width of the strips of decorator fabric figured in step 2.

4. Piece together pieces of muslin to achieve the necessary dimensions for the base portion of the bedskirt or purchase extra-wide muslin from a fabric store and cut it down to the dimensions you need.

5. Select the fabric for the skirting portion of the bedskirt.

6. Cut the skirting fabric into strips of fabric that are as wide as the measurement figured in step 3. Sew the fabric strips to make two lengths of fabric that are the length measurement figured in step 2 and one length of fabric that is the width measurement figured in step 2.

7. Fold under the raw edge of a long side of a skirting piece 1-inch. Press this fold and stitch a hem along the folded edge of the skirting piece. Repeat with the other two skirting pieces.

8. Fold under the raw edges of both short sides of a skirting piece 1/2-inch. Press these folds and stitch a hem along the folded edges of the skirting piece. Repeat with the other two skirting pieces.

9. Sew a gathering stitch along the other long edges of the skirting pieces 1/4-inch away from the raw edge. Do not pull the gathered stitches yet.

10. Gather each of the three skirting pieces of fabric by holding the gathering thread tails on one end of the fabric and carefully sliding the fabric along the sewn stitches. As the fabric gathers, slide it down until the entire length of the fabric is gathered. Hold the skirting pieces up to the sides and the bottom of the box spring to make sure that you are gathering the fabric pieces to be the correct lengths to fit the box spring. Pin the gathered threads to secure them when the fabric is the correct length and then even out the gathers.

11. Pin the three gathered skirting pieces to the muslin. Match the raw edges together and place the right sides together.

12. Sew the pinned skirting sections to the muslin with a 1/2-inch seam allowance.

13. Place the finished bedskirt onto the box spring and place the mattress on top of the bedskirt.

Resources

• Extra Wide Muslin