Easy To Sew Custom Bedskirt Tutorial

After making this bedskirt, I decided to do a turorial about it because it really was so easy and can be done with very little sewing skills.  So you can have the look of custom but not at the high price.

Before I start I'll say that  this is a three piece bedskirt. (I didn't skirt the head of the bed at the wall) That way it's easier to handel to wash it.

I had a little over 2 yards of fabric.  I cut mine length wise, because the print could go either way.  If you have a one way pattern, you'll have to cut across the fabric. (I needed a length of 13 and1/2" plus the pleated ruffle) Your bed may be higher. You can adjust this by making a wider ruffle or starting with more fabric.

Most decorator fabric is 54".  Sometimes 60". 

I folded mine in half; the length of the fabric; and cut all the way down.  Then I folded each of those pieces the length and cut again.  So four long pieces each 13 and 1/2 inches wide.  I measured the length of the bed/box springs, and the width at the foot of the bed.  I only skirted 3 sides.  I also cut another fabric the measured length of the three sides of the bed too.  I used some extra dropcloth I had. You'll see this later.

Above is how I cut the pleated ruffle.  I cut the width 3 and 3/4"  and folded it in half.  This ususlly takes about 2-3 strips longer than the finished length of what you're adding it to.

Once I cut up the fabric a little ways, I fold it up to use as a guide for the rest of the strip.

You'll have lots of these long strips. Like I said...for my three sides of the bed I cut 5 strips. You can always cut more if you run out.  You can keep sewing pieces together if you don't have a piece long enough. This is a linen blend fabric.

Fold it in half and iron it.  You can iron it in pieces if you want, instead of 1 hundred mile long piece!!

Here's where you can see the 1ft. wide piece of dropcloth I cut the same length as the box springs adding for the turned in finished ends. And you can see where I sewed  2 of the yellow fabric lengths together. (I only worked in 2 lengths at a time) Just keep sewing more lengths together as you need to add fabric.

I made these little 1/2 inch pleats about every 6 inches so the finished skirt would look a little ruffled. I pinned each one, then stitched them secure all the way down.  I worked with one bedskirt piece at a time.

 I turned under and finished off one end. Then I pinned the pleated fabric to the dropcloth.

Then when I got to the other end, I cut it enough to turn under and finish off the other end.

I used my serger to sew these two pieces together, but you can use a regular machine for this too.

 Here's what you'll have when this part is done. You can see where I needed more than 1 length of fabric. (I used what I had) The seams sort of disapear into the ruffling of the skirt. 

 I just kept going from there with the next section of yellow.  Now to sew the ruffle on to the bottom of the skirt.

I start by turning under about an inch at the end. Then fold it where you ironed it in half.

 With the right side of the fabric up, lay the raw edges together, make that first little pleat and start sewing.

Mine are about 1" pleats. I just turn under about 1/2" and then move down 1" that saves fabric that way.

   See how my folds aren't touching eachother?  Sometimes I make about 3 pleats, hold them down with my hand and fingers, and sew across. Then make 3 more and sew...

 ...and we're sewing more pleats.

 ...and we're STILL sewing MORE pleats...

OK. Finally the end!  See how I stopped a little way from the end, but sort of figured how many more would fit? Here's where I pick it up and turn under this end and then sew the rest of the pleats down to meet the edge of the fabric.

I then take mine to the serger and finish off the edges. You don't have to because they'll never be seen. This is a good shot of how my folds don't touch. Like I said, this really saves fabric and time. It looks the same in the end.

Now take the piece to the bed and stuff it between the mattress and box springs.

This is how two of the pieces meet at the corner.

Adjust the corners with a little overlap until they look nice. And that's it!  This is perfect for the

 "Memory Foam" mattress's because they are soooooo heavy to lift.  You just stuff it in there.  You can use any kind of fabric for the stuffing part.  I just thought the dropcloth would be kinda stiff.

I hope I didn't confuse anyone with my directions.  These are hard to write!

Hope you like it!

Kelly