How to Make a Queen Size Dust Ruffle

Dress up your queen bed with a dust ruffle.

A dust ruffle, also known as a bed skirt, covers the box spring and adds flair to any bedroom decor. You can make a queen size dust ruffle with an elasticized top to slip on and off your bed. The elastic holds the wraparound ruffle in place but you can remove it easily for laundering without taking the mattress off the bed. Choose a cotton-polyester blend fabric for a wrinkle-free dust ruffle that needs no ironing.

Things You'll Need

• Fabric
• Measuring tape
• Scissors
• Pins
• Iron
• Ironing board
• Sewing machine
• Thread
• 1-inch wide elastic
• Large safety pin
• Bed skirt pins (optional)

Instructions

1. Measure the distance from the top of the box spring to the floor to determine the finished depth of the dust ruffle. Add 4 inches to the dust ruffle depth to determine the width to cut the fabric strips.

2. Measure the box spring from the top right corner, around the foot of the bed, to the top left corner. Multiply this measurement by two to get the total length needed for the dust ruffle. For instance, a standard queen size bed is 60 inches by 80 inches, so the total length needed for the dust ruffle is 80 plus 60 plus 80 multiplied by two, which equals 440 inches or about 37 feet.

3. Cut strips of fabric the width of the depth measurement and sew them end to end until you have a single strip as long as the length measurement. Place the end of one fabric strip atop the end of another, right sides together, with the edges even. Pin the pieces to hold them in place, and sew the strips together with a 1/2-inch seam.

4. Sew additional strips to the end of each subsequent strip until you have a single piece at least twice the measurement around three sides of the box spring. Iron the seam allowances all toward the left side of the seam.

5. Fold over 1 inch of fabric to the back at each end of the dust ruffle, and iron a crease at the fold. Fold the raw edge under to meet the pressed crease and press again. Sew through all three layers 3/8 inch from the edge on both ends.

6. Fold over 2 inches of fabric to the back along the bottom of the dust ruffle, and iron a crease at the fold. Fold the raw edge under to meet the pressed crease and press again. Sew through all three layers 7/8 inch from the edge to make a hem along the length of the dust ruffle.

7. Fold over 1/2 inch of fabric to the back along the top of the dust ruffle, and iron a crease at the fold. Fold over another 1 1/2 inches of fabric to the back, and press a crease at the fold. Pin along the inner fold to hold the layers in place.

8. Sew the length of the dust ruffle 1 3/8 inch from the top edge to form a casing for the elastic. Sew in reverse a few stitches at each end to secure the stitches.

9. Cut a piece of elastic 20 feet long. Poke the point of the safety pin through one end of the elastic and close the pin.

10. Thread the elastic through the dust ruffle casing, using the safety pin to push it through. Gather the fabric onto the elastic, making sure the loose end does not slip inside the casing.

11. Wrap the elastic and dust ruffle around the box spring, making sure the elastic lays flat inside the casing. Pull the elastic taut across the box spring at the head of the bed so the dust ruffle stays in place around the top edge of box spring. Overlap the elastic ends and pin them together with the safety pin.

12. Remove the dust ruffle and sew across the elastic where it overlaps. Trim away the excess elastic.

13. Put the dust ruffle back around the top of the box spring. Adjust the fullness of the fabric evenly on both sides and across the foot of the bed. Secure the ruffle in place with bed skirt pins, if desired.

Tips & Warnings

• Use heavy string or cord instead of elastic and tie the ends securely to hold the dust ruffle in place.

Resources

• Apartment Therapy: Bed Skirt Pins
• Martha Stewart: New Bed Skirt
• Alternative Windows: Bed Valance Instructions
• Home and Garden Ideas: Sew Your Own Bed Skirt