by Linda Ann Nickerson

Created on: September 02, 2009

Make Your Own Easy Duvet Cover

A simple duvet cover can brighten an entire bedroom in a moment, adding spark and freshness to old bed linens. You can stitch up your own brand-new and original duvet cover in minutes.

What is a duvet?

A duvet is a soft quilt or comforter, which is filled with either down (feathers) or polyester fiberfill content. Often, linen and bedding stores sell plain duvets, which may be encased in the buyer's choice of duvet covers. In addition, clever consumers may choose to cover old duvets or comforters, making tired bedding seem new and useful once again.

Duvet covers can be pricey, if consumers purchase them ready-made from linen shops, department stores or other merchants. However, a duvet cover is quite simple to make, with very little sewing skill.

What materials will you need to make your own duvet cover?

Two flat bed sheets (Choose the same bed size as the duvet or comforter you wish to cover.)

Several large buttons

Tall straight sewing pins

Thread

Sewing machine

Steam iron

Follow these simple instructions to make your own duvet cover.

Choose two flat bed sheets in a solid or printed fabric that coordinates with your bedroom. (You might even choose to make up the bed in matching or coordinating sheets, or even stitch up simple window curtains to match your own duvet cover.)

Select sheets in the same standard bed size as the duvet or comforter you wish to cover. For example, if you are covering a queen-sized quilt for your queen-sized bed, then you will need two queen-sized flat sheets to make your duvet cover. Likewise, you will pick twin-sized sheets to cover a twin-sized duvet.

You can make your duvet cover reversible by using sheets of two different fabrics, if you wish.

Unfold the first flat bed sheet (right side down) on the floor in a wide open area. Unfold the second flat bed sheet (right side up) on top of the first sheet. Pin all four sides of the pair of sheets together.

Machine-stitch the two sheets (wrong sides together) in a long, straight seam, pivoting at the corners and leaving the top edge unsewn. Affix several buttons along the open top edge of one sheet. Machine-fashion buttonholes along the open top edge of the other sheet, matching up the spacing to meet with the buttons.

Place the duvet or comforter inside the duvet cover, just as you might place a sturdy note inside a large envelope. Fasten the buttons through the buttonholes.

Arrange the newly covered duvet on your bed. Add throw pillows, if you wish.

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