How to make a bed in 5 simple and stylish steps
There’s nothing quite like climbing into a perfectly-made bed at the end of a long day. Making your bed each morning is a gift you give to your future self! Whether you’ll be sleeping in or savoring every precious moment of snoozing before the alarm bell rings, settling into a comfortable bed provides the foundation for solid rest.
Not sure how to make your bed the right way? We’re here to help with an easy step-by-step guide!
Protect your investment
It’s been said that prevention is the best medicine, and that rule certainly applies to mattress mishaps. Help keep your mattress clean and fresh by starting your bed-making with a mattress protector.
Consider this your base layer that will shield your mattress against dirt, sweat and spills. When it’s time to freshen your bedding, our machine washable mattress toppers and protectors are much easier to clean than a soiled mattress!
Find the right fit
With your protector firmly in place, add a fitted sheet directly over it. Fitted sheets have elastic at each corner that helps keep them securely on your bed as you move throughout the night.
After identifying the ‘long end’ and ‘short end’ of your fitted sheet, start with whichever corner you prefer. Some people find it’s easier to get the sheet to stay in place while they put it on by first securing diagonal corners, while others prefer getting two corners secured on the same side. Find what works best for you, or call on an assistant if they’re available!
To flat or not to flat
We couldn’t guide you through how to make your bed without acknowledging this important-to-some but optional-to-others step—putting on a flat sheet. Unlike its gathered-at-the-corners fitted sheet cousin, flat sheets are—you guessed it—completely flat.
When making the bed, flat sheets are tucked beneath the mattress for a crisp look. If you’ll be keeping the sheet pulled to the top of the bed, keep the finished side facing out as you put on the sheet. If you’ll be going for a more classic look and pulling it back a few inches or more, make the bed with the finished side facing the mattress. This way the more polished side will be visible in the ‘pulled back’ part.
Bring on the blankets
How many layers you’ll need at this stage of making the bed depends on a few factors, including the season and your ideal sleeping temperature. Options include bedspreads, comforters, duvets and throw blankets. How to make the bed that’s just right for you might include a combination of these bedding choices that is likely to change throughout the year.
In the summer months you might only want a blanket, while the fall might call for that same blanket with the addition of a lightweight comforter. In winter, you might swap the light comforter for a loftier warm comforter, adding a throw blanket at the foot of your bed for any drafts that creep in.
Add the pillows
Once you’ve secured each of your bed pillows in a pillow protector and pillow case, add them to the head of the bed. If you’re making a twin size bed, one pillow is the standard, though many twin bed sleepers prefer to have an extra. For full, queen and king size beds, two bed pillows is typical, again accounting for individual preferences.
Note that adding the bed pillows last is a matter of preference. After all, it’s not just about how to make a bed—it’s about how to make your bed! Many people prefer to keep their bed pillows beneath their bedspread or duvet, particularly if they’ll be adding decorative shams and/or throw pillows to complete the look.
And that’s the basics of how to dress a bed! Find all the bedding essentials to make a bed in any season in our ever-updating selection.
Don't sleep on comfort and style
Now that you know how to make a bed step-by-step, let's take a different step into seasonality, softness and style! Our bedding selection has everything you need to make your bed your own, with prices, designs, materials, warmth levels and colors to suit all sleepers and seasons. Browse our bedroom styles to see which catches your sleepy eye!
