by Carrie Schutrick

Created on: February 12, 2009

The great thing about a duvet cover is that it's essentially just a big bag. This makes it a great sewing project for a beginner, and a quick job for the more experienced.

All you really need for a duvet cover is two pieces of fabric, each of which is about a foot (30 cm) wider and longer than the duvet you need to cover. You can buy fabric at the store and seam pieces together till they're wide enough (about the max width you'll find is 60 inches, perhaps a meter and a half, which is not wide enough for even a twin duvet); if you can buy sheets premade in colors and patterns you like, you'll be able to skip a few steps in the process. If you want your cover to zip closed, you'll also need a long zipper, at least a yard or meter long and preferably as long as one of the edges of your cover.

Once you have your fabric, finish the edges-this is a step you can skip if you bought sheets, since the edges will be conveniently finished for you. You can do a full-blown hem, or just run a zigzag around; either way it won't show, but you'll be cutting down on the amount of unraveling the fabric will do in use and washing. If you decide to zigzag, do so on three sides of each piece of fabric and put a hem on the fourth.

Now put your pieces together, right sides touching and with the hemmed edges (if there's only one per piece) lined up. You can pin them for stability if you need to. Run a sturdy seam around three edges, leaving the hemmed edge or one short edge open. (Unless you have a zipper that's shorter than the length of an edge; if so, extend the seam along the edge till the opening is an inch/2cm or so longer than the zipper.) Remember your seam doesn't have to be at normal seam allowance width; if your fabric is significantly larger that your duvet, put the seam in so the "bag" part will only be about a foot (30 cm) wider and longer, as above. If that means the bits outside the seam line are more than 2 inches (5cm) wide or so, you may want to clip the corners by taking a square piece out of each; it'll make the duvet cover fit a little better.

Now turn the cover right side out. If you're going to install a zipper, this is the time to do so; if you'd rather just have the open end lap over, fold the two corners like wrapping paper on a package and sew them down by hand.

Once you're done with that step, the duvet cover is finished; put the duvet in it and enjoy your new decor!

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