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Turn your bed into an eye-catching piece of decor in your bedroom and an inviting place to curl up for the night. Our guide, How to Make a Bed, will provide tips to help you prepare, layer and create the perfect sleeping spot.
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Bed Making Tips
- Adjust the feel of your mattress with a firm bed board or giving pillow top.
- Consider adding a waterproof mattress pad to protect against spills.
- Cover the mattress with a fitted or flat bottom sheet.
- Center the top sheet, print side down, on the mattress.
- Lay the desired number of blankets on top of the sheet.
- Tuck and fold the blankets and sheet under the mattress to secure them.
- Choose a bedspread or comforter that coordinates with the room colors and decor.
- Top the bed with throw pillows or throw blankets as a decorative touch.
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Introduction
- If your idea of a making a bed is piling your blankets on top of it in the morning, aim to make the focal point of your bedroom as comfortable as it is appealing.Chicago Tribune: Make Your Bed the Star of the Room (September 7, 2008)
- Use a few easy layering and folding techniques to simplify this part of your morning routine so your bed is warm and welcoming when you're ready to retire at night.
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Step 1: Prepare a Comfortable Foundation
- A bed that's too lumpy, too hard or too soft can interfere with a sound night's sleep. If you don't want to purchase a new mattress, use additional bedding elements to adjust your old one to the proper comfort level.
The Mattress
- Increase the firmness of your bed by adding a bed board beneath the mattress.Drugs.com: How to Use a Bed Board
- Make the bed softer by placing a piece of memory foam or a pillow top on top of the mattress.A1 Mattress: What is Memory Foam? NexTag: Pillow Top Mattress Pads
- Cover the mattress with a washable, waterproof pad for added longevity.wiseGEEK: Waterproof Pad Buying Tips
The Bottom Sheet
- Add the bottom sheet in a thread count and fabric that you'll find most comfortable.Better Homes and Gardens: Selecting Bed Sheets You have two choices for a bottom sheet: a fitted sheet or a flat sheet.
- Hook the corners of a fitted sheet on the mattress one at a time, pulling it taut.YouTube: How to Put on a Fitted Sheet (Time: 1:09)
- -If the elastic loosens after washing, consider using straps to keep the sheet tight.The Home Marketplace: Snug Straps
- If you don't have a fitted sheet, center a flat sheet over the mattress, then tuck the edges beneath it securely.Amazon.com: Flat Sheets
- -Consider the military method of folding to create hospital corners for a crisp look.YouTube: How to Fold Hospital Corners (Time: 1:48)
- YouTube: Hospital Corners Time: 1:48
Step 3: Cover and Decorate
- Determine the overall look of your bed with the bedspread or comforter you choose to top it. Take it a step further with accents like pillows and throw blankets as a decorative touch.
Finish Making the Bed
- Place pillows across the top of the bed--one standard size for a twin-sized mattress or two standard or queen/king size pillows for larger beds.The Bedding Site: Pillow Sizes
- Spread the cover of your choice right side up across the center of the bed:
- Bedspread. Select a style that coordinates with your wall color or room decor in a material like chenille, rayon, satin or polyester and cotton.Home Decorating Ideas: Coordinating Bedding and Decor
- - Fold the top portion of the bedspread down so you'll have enough fabric to tuck over the pillow.
- - Position the pillows so they're slightly overlapping the fold in the bedspread.
- - Pull the bedspread up so it covers the pillows completely.Tutorials.com: Learn to Make a Bed
- Comforter. Choose one covered with materials in solid colors, geometric designs, florals or animal prints and filled with materials like polyester or goose down feathers.Mom's Comforter Sets: Different Types of Comforters
- - Center it over the bed so both sides hang evenly, then smooth out any wrinkles or lumps.
- - Consider purchasing a duvet cover that you can slip over your down comforter like a pillow case for a different look and easy laundering.Plumeria Bay: What is a Duvet Cover?
- - Since the box spring and bed frame will most likely be visible when using a comforter, drape a bed ruffle over the box spring to conceal them.Expert Village: How to Fix a Bed Ruffle (Time: 1:44)
- Bedspread. Select a style that coordinates with your wall color or room decor in a material like chenille, rayon, satin or polyester and cotton.Home Decorating Ideas: Coordinating Bedding and Decor
Step 2: Add Layers of Warmth
- Choose an assortment of blankets to keep you warm at night. The number and thickness you choose may vary from season to season.
- Add the top flat sheet:
- -Position the side with the wide fabric band across the top of the bed.
- -Center the sheet on the mattress with the design face down.
- Lay the desired number of blankets over the flat sheet about six inches from the top of the sheet.Textile Furnishings: Types of Blankets
- Fold the sheet down so it covers the top edges of the blankets.Expert Village: How to Put a Blanket on the Bed (Time: 1:11)
- Tuck the sheet and blankets beneath the foot of the mattress.
- -Tuck the sides in, if you like the covers extra snug.
Add Decorative Touches
- Place decorative pillow shams or throw pillows in coordinating colors across the top.wiseGEEK: Pillow Sham Tips
- Add warmth with decorative throw blankets.
- -They're also a great way to add warmth to just one side of the bed if your bedmate prefers it warmer or cooler at night.
- Make your room look like a showplace from a model home by topping the bed with a bed tray that holds candles, flowers or your favorite book.MSN.com: Chic Must Haves
Conclusion
- Making the bed each morning won't seem like such a chore once you realize how convenient it is to hop back into the relaxing spot each night.Real Simple: How to Make the Perfect Bed
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