How to Make a Dust Ruffle for a Baby Bed
According to Mad Aspen Home, "Bed skirts are used to cover the box spring, bed frame and under-bed space as well as decoratively to complete the bed." Making a dust ruffle for a baby bed isn't as daunting as it may seem. You will need to remove the mattress from the crib and measure and sew. The skirt takes a lot of fabric, but inexpensive sources are flat bedsheets, which yield lots of yardage for less money.
Things You'll Need
- Paper
- Pencil
- Tape measure
- Fabric--yardage depends on crib measurements
- Sewing machine
- Needle & thread
- Straight pins
Instructions
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How to Make a Dust Ruffle for a Baby Bed
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1
Remove the mattress from the bed.
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2
Measure the length of your crib mattress springs/frame (metal frame under mattress) with your tape measure. Write it down, then double this measurement. Write down this measurement.
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3
Measure the width of your crib mattress springs with your tape measure. Write it down, then double this measurement. Write down this measurement.
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4
Measure the "drop" of your crib. This is the height from the floor to the second to the top crib mattress level of your crib. Add two inches to this measurement. Write down this measurement.
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5
Cut one rectangle to the measurements of the top of your crib mattress springs (length x width).
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6
Cut two rectangles to the measurements of the drop measurement x double length of crib mattress (sides of crib dust ruffle).
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7
Cut one rectangle to the measurement of the drop measurement x double width of crib mattress springs (end of the crib dust ruffle).
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8
Hem the three rectangles using a one-inch seam allowance. If you want to add lace, sew it on now.
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9
On the shortest rectangle, the end of the dust ruffle, hem both short ends. You will have one exposed raw edge at the top.
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10
On the two longer rectangles, the dust ruffle sides, hem both ends of both rectangles. You will have one exposed raw edge at each top.
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11
Gather the raw edges of the three rectangles (the sides and end of the dust ruffle; the head of the crib won't have a ruffle unless you choose to add another short rectangle) to the actual measurements of your crib mattress springs length x both sides width.
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12
Zigzag your gathering to reinforce.
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13
Place the large rectangle on top of the crib mattress springs.
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14
Place the ruffle, right side of the fabric touching the right side of the rectangle and pin the gathered edge to the edge of the rectangle following the three sides. Right now the ruffle looks "inside out". Your ruffle will be all over the top of the rectangle on top of the crib mattress springs/frame while you're pinning. Don't worry. When you sew it and put it on the bed, the ruffle will then fall to the floor. The ruffles should fit on the crib mattress springs, leaving slots at the two corners at the end of the crib to fit around the crib springs attachments.
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15
Sew the gathered edges to the rectangle.
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16
Place on crib mattress springs; replace mattress. Make bed as desired.
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1
Tips & Warnings
If using flat sheets for fabric: One twin flat sheet typically yields 5¼ yards of fabric, one full sheet yields 6½ yards.
