Sew Your Own: Duvet Cover

If you're moving or redecorating on a budget, you've probably noticed that lots of home decorating supplies are pretty expensive. 100% cotton duvet covers with a good thread count are often between fifty and a hundred dollars, even at discount stores like Target. Luckily, even a beginning sewer can make their own duvet cover for about twenty dollars. Here is the list of materials needed:

-Two flat sheets (make sure they are large enough to cover your comforter with a 1/2" to spare all the way around for a seam allowance)

-6-8 buttons (it doesn't really matter if they match because you won't see them but a similar size makes button-hole sewing easier)

-ribbon or bias tape

-coordinating thread

Let's get started!

1. Measure your comforter. Lay out your sheets (that you have already washed and dried). Pin the sheets together right sides together. Your sheets may already be the correct size as your comforter. In my case, I used king sheets and a queen comforter so I transferred the dimensions of my comforter onto my sheets, leaving room for that 1/2" seam allowance. You can iron in your sewing line or draw it on with a fabric pencil. If you have extra space on your sheets, it doesn't hurt to leave an extra inch or so for comforter wiggle room.

2. Now that the sheets are pinned all the way around, it's time to sew. Most sheets have a finished edge at the top. We are going to use that finished edge:

You are going to leave a large opening along the seam of the two finished edges. You'll use the finished edges to put the comforter in and as a closure. To do this, start sewing sew just along the bottom of the finished edge seam for about a foot from the edge. Make sure to backstitch at the beginning. From there sew all the way around and about one foot into the finished seam on opposite side. Trim seams if necessary.

3. Now you have the basic comforter cover. Most comforters have loops on all four corners so that you can tie the corners to the comforter to keep it from slipping inside the comforter. To put these little ties on for comforter, you can use any type of ribbon or bias tape:

Don't worry about aesthetics putting these ties on. Pin them to the seam allowance and sew over it a few times.

4. The last thing it to decide on a closure. I used buttons, but you could use snaps or even Velcro. Because you left the opening at the finished edge of the sheets, when you turn the cover right-side-out, you'll be able to effectively button the seam allowance together which hides the closure.

5. Measure the length of your opening and mark a dot, evenly spaced, every 8 to 10 inches on one side of the opening finished seam. Sew in a button hole at each dot that is large enough for your buttons. If you don't know how to sew a button hole with your machine, now is a good time to try it. Even if it doesn't look great it will be hidden and it is SO much easier than doing it by hand:

6. To sew on the button, hold the two finished seams together, the button-holed side up (the comforter should still be inside out at this point). Mark a dot through each button hole onto the other side of the seam. Sew a button at each dot. You can use you machine for this too by using a zig zag stitch.

7. Turn your comforter right-side out. Here's a shot of how the button and button holes will line up:

8. Put the comforter inside the cover. My strategy here is to tie the two corners away from the opening to the edges of the comforter first. Hold these corners, shake the cover down over the comforter. Then tie on the two two edges and button up the edge. You're turning in the buttons and button holes, so you should not see them when it's closed. Here's the finished product!