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Last Updated: June 1, 2018 By

Easy DIY: How to Make a Pleated Bed Skirt From a Flat Sheet

In this post: Make your own pleated bed skirt using a flat bed sheet by following this super simple how-to DIY tutorial! It looks amazing and will be a perfect fit!

While I love to DIY, you may have noticed that my DIY projects rarely involve a sewing machine. That would be because my sewing abilities are limited to sewing a simple stitch in a kinda straight line. So when I couldn’t find a bedskirt that I liked for my daughter’s newly redone room, sewing one was definitely not plan A. But after striking out on finding one I liked, needing to get the room done ASAP for the One Room Challenge, and realizing that the cute polka dot sheet set I just bought from HomeGoods (with no thought of a bedskirt at the time) looked better than I expected with my daughter’s new duvet, plan B (aka turning my polka dot flat sheet into a bedskirt) was born. 

Turn a flat sheet into a bedskirt - such a simple DIY and looks awesome!What convinced me to take the plunge is realizing that the finished edges around the flat sheet would work perfectly for the bottom edge of a bedskirt so there actually wasn’t going to be that much sewing involved. I’ve seen some great DIY sewn bedskirts but when push comes to shove, I get too intimidated when too much sewing is involved. Also, using a flat sheet was cheap and I loved that I would be able to throw it in the wash when needed.

It turned out to be a much simpler project than I ever would have expected and I LOVE that the bedskirt fits the bed perfectly and looks custom-made (because, well…it is!). (post includes affiliate links – see my full disclosure statement {here})

Make your own bedskirt from a flat sheet! Here’s the how-to on this simple DIY:

1. If your sheet is new, wash it first. {A huge perk of the flat sheet-turned-bedskirt is that if something gets on one of the bedskirt panels, you can just spot treat it and throw it in the washer BUT since the fabric might shrink the first time it’s washed, wash & shrink it before making it into your bedskirt.}

2. Figure out a few measurements (the size of your flat sheet and the size of your box spring) and get your math on to figure out how you’re going to cut the panel sizes that you need out of your sheet. I was able to use an oversized full sheet to make a bedskirt for my full bed but sheets are not consistently sized so check your measurements before buying your sheet to make sure you don’t have to go up a sheet size. You will need the following (these are finished sizes):

  • Two side panels that each measure the length of the box spring (from the head to the foot of the bed) minus 3 1/2″ (because it will stop 3 1/2″ from the bottom corner of the bed), plus 5″ for the pleat, plus any additional inches that you want the side panel to extend beyond the top end of the boxspring. I extended my bed skirt about 3 1/2″ beyond the top end of the boxspring so my final, finished panel length was simply the length of the box spring +5″ . If you cut yours out in the same way that I did below, you’ll have one unfinished end that will need to be sewn or taped so add about 1/2″ or so to that measurement when cutting out your piece.
  • One end panel that measures the width of the box spring minus 7″ (because it will stop 3 1/2″ from each side) plus 5″ for the pleat. In other words, your final, finished length will be the width of the box spring minus 2″. Again, if you cut yours out like I did, you’ll have one unfinished end that will need to be sewn or taped so add about 1/2″ or so to that measurement when cutting.
  • Two corner panels that are each about 16″ in length. 
  • If you have a standard height bed, make each of your panels about 16-18″ tall. For taller beds, make the panels a few inches taller (the height doesn’t need to be exact).  

    Here’s the plan that I went with for cutting out the panels for my bedskirt:

How to cut up a flat sheet to make your own bedskirtWhen you’re planning the cutting of your panels, keep in mind that most flat sheets have a wider folded edge at the top of the sheet. If you want to avoid using the wider folded edge as as one of the pre-finished edges on your two side panels, take that into account. I used the wider folded edge as the edge of each side panel that is closest to the head of the bed and actually like the look of it:  Close up of top of bedskirt made out of flat sheet

So that you have the least amount of sewing to do, plan the cutting of your panels in a way that most of the edges that will show are pre-finished edges. With my layout, all I ended up having to sew was a few short stitches to make each of the three pleats (more on that in a minute) and three short straight lines (in pink). All of the other cuts (in green) won’t show on the finished bedskirt so can remain unfinished:

Edges to sew to make bedskirt from a flat sheet 3. It’s time to get the sewing machine out and sew the few edges that need sewing (or you can cheat and use Stitch Witchery available {here} – I won’t tell!) along with a box pleat in the center of each of the two side panels and the end panel. Did I just lose you there with the mention of box pleats? No worries – I used my friend Jennifer’s tutorial of how to make them {here} and it was super easy! Each pleat will end up looking like this:

Finished bedskirt pleat

4. Once all of your panels are sewn or Stitch Witched up, give them a quick iron before putting them on the bed.

5. Put the two corner pieces on the bed first, centering them on the corner, wrapping them around both sides, and then pinning them in place at the top of the box spring. I used simple straight pins with large heads to do my pinning but you can buy bedskirt pins available {here} if you want to hold the panels on even more securely. After your corner pieces are pinned in place, you can pin your foot and side panels in place, overlapping the corner piece. 

Corner of bedskirt with panels pinned to stay in place

No one will ever know if the edges of those corner pieces are left all ratty since they’ll be covered up:

Unfinished edges are hidden by other panelsAnd….we’re done! The whole project was finished in less than two hours (with a big chunk of that time spent on the measuring, layout, and ironing). I seriously don’t think I’ll ever buy a pre-made bedskirt again.

Love the look of this bedskirt (and it's an easy DIY using a flat sheet!)

 It’s one of the many little DIY tricks that helped me to get my daughter’s room makeover done in just a few weeks. If you want to see the entire bedroom reveal complete with “before” and “after” pictures, you can find it {here}! If you love this DIY and would like to get more DIY and decorating inspiration delivered to your inbox, I’d love for you to subscribe by email – it’s only 1-2 posts per week and you can unsubscribe at any time!

Thanks for stopping by!

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Comments

  13. Unknown says

    August 28, 2014 at 9:45 am

    I use T-pins for this type of finishing. They are strong and reliable. Your project is very nice! I love the dots – I wonder how many finished edges have the dots lined up perfectly?

    Reply

    • Kris @ Driven by Décor says

      August 28, 2014 at 3:50 pm

      Thanks for the tip on the T-pins – I haven’t used those before. The dots were lined up fairly well along the edges of my sheet but definitely not perfectly. I also didn’t align the dots as well as I probably should have when making the pleats but I don’t think it’s noticeable unless you’re really studying it.

      Reply

    • Kris @ Driven by Décor says

      August 30, 2014 at 12:20 am

      It would probably work just fine if you were willing to cut a piece or two from the center of the sheet (which would mean having to sew a few more unfinished edges than what I had to do) but I don’t think you’ll be able to lay it out the same way that I did (maximizing the refinished edges) and make it work for a queen bed. My full sized flat sheet (which was a few inches bigger than most) was just barely big enough for my full bed.

      Reply

    • Kris @ Driven by Décor says

      August 30, 2014 at 10:03 pm

      King flat sheets come in various sizes and most of them will be big enough to work to make a king bedskirt but if you do the math (see step 2) you’ll know for sure if the specific size sheet that you have will work. Hope it goes well!

      Reply

  19. Kletta G says

    November 7, 2014 at 7:56 pm

    I can’t sew either so will have to use the stitch wichery. I’m getting rid of box springs and using my mattress on a steel frame. So can someone give me ideas on how to use this idea on it.

    Thank you.

    Reply

  20. Alice says

    February 3, 2015 at 9:12 pm

    I never buy a bed skirt anymore-too expensive and they never fit or look neat. I use upholstery or some other heavier fabric and I sew flat panels! Never thought of using a sheet-great idea. I’ve used quilter’s safety pins, which are curved, to attach the skirt to the box spring of my kid’s beds. On my bed I’ve stapled. Just vacuum regularly to keep clean, and by the time it needs washing, I’m ready to redecorate anyway.

    Reply

    • Kris @ Driven by Decor says

      February 4, 2015 at 4:04 pm

      I’m with you Alice – after making my own for this project I don’t know that I’ll ever buy one again. Love your tips for the quilter’s safety pins – thanks!

      Reply

    • Linda Koonts says

      October 20, 2015 at 2:52 pm

      Thank you for giving me some ideas! I was worried that the stick pins would not be strong enough to withstand daily bed making etc.

      Reply

  21. Lisa B. says

    June 14, 2015 at 10:03 am

    I once had a shaker style bed that I could not find a bed skirt for. The footboard and height of the bed made it seemingly impossible. I ended up buying valances that matched my window treatments and pinned them on the box spring like you did, even folded, ironed and pined in a box pleat. It was more expensive than a sheet, but I just loved how it looked when I was done. Also loved the weight of the drapery fabric.

    Reply

  22. Lauri hallock says

    June 24, 2015 at 1:56 pm

    thanks so much for this inspiration! Just completed making a beautiful bed skirt with a coverlet that I have never liked the looks of on the bed. The heavier quilted fabric makes it hang beautifully. Pinned in a box pleat on the end and pressed it while in place with a flat iron. It looks gorgeous!

    Reply

  23. sherry says

    July 7, 2015 at 11:26 pm

    Is there a way to attach that doesnt use pins, maybe sewing to the fitted sheet? I am afraid of damaging an expensive matress set since the top mattress shifts sometimes.

    Reply

    • Kris Jarrett says

      July 14, 2015 at 11:03 pm

      Hi Sherry,
      Honestly I don’t see why you couldn’t just use easily removable painter’s tape to tape it to the box spring since it wouldn’t show! I don’t know if it would keep it in place as well as pins but it would be worth a shot!

      Reply

  24. Gilly Maddison says

    September 15, 2015 at 2:19 am

    Really love what you did with this. Looks easy but I am sure it wouldn’t end up looking like that if I tried it! Beautiful fresh looking design to your blog by the way. Saw this because a fellow blogger added you to one of my Pinterest boards. Lovely to have something from a different blogging niche on there. Beautiful!

    Reply

  25. Mary Jo says

    March 5, 2016 at 11:16 am

    Love this idea. We have a pillowtop mattress with a boxspring that is not as high as standard boxspring. It was recommended to buy shorter boxspring because the pillow top is higher. Sounded great, but the bedskirts are too long. Next mattress purchase will be standard size boxspring. Like using sheets idea and pinning instead of trying to manuever it under the mattress. Will look for interesting flat sheets and try it soon. Great idea!

    Reply

  26. Becky says

    October 23, 2016 at 3:31 pm

    I can’t wait to do this as soon as I find the right sheet! I will also use the extra fabric to match some throw pillows for the bed to tie it all in. I am not concerned with the sewing, but anytime I can save time I will! Definitely a time saver using the pre finished edges on the sheet. I used to wash mine and reuse but this makes it so affordable I can change them out!

    Reply

  27. Joyce says

    March 19, 2017 at 9:02 am

    Would attaching the skirt to a fitted sheet work? I worry about
    shifting every time the bed sheets are changed

    Reply

    • Kris Jarrett says

      March 20, 2017 at 9:08 am

      I’m sure you could do it that way Joyce! I’ve actually found that it shifts around a lot less attached to the box spring with upholstery pins than my regular bed skirts do!

      Reply

  28. MomTom says

    March 21, 2017 at 5:37 pm

    This was awesome. I made one this afternoon for my daughter’s canopy bed. Very simple however I did my box pleat on the right side so didn’t get my inverted pleat like I wanted but it still looks cute and my daughter loves the way it looks. Thanks!

    Reply

  29. Jina says

    April 25, 2017 at 10:46 pm

    Hi Kris, so glad to see your idea. I recently found a piece of material and made the same thing even with the pleats in the center. However I didn’t even think to make it come over the top of the boxspring. I thought attaching it to the sides with Velcro was a grand idea. Unfortunately the material on the boxspring is satin and it won’t hold the Velcro well. I have to reattach occasionally or use safety pins. Your idea would have solved the problem by making it wide enough to come up between the mattress and boxspring. Did you really just leave the pins in? Do you get poked when changing the sheets? I think I’ll get a sheet and add it to the top so it will stay better like you did! Brilliant!

    Reply

  30. Bernadette says

    July 27, 2017 at 4:06 pm

    It is just wonderful !! I love the colour of your bedroom, everything is so nice. Thank you !! I will try !!

    Reply

  31. Linda parker says

    September 20, 2017 at 4:09 am

    Great idea . Looked for so long for a bed skirt.We have a King sleep number with hard plastic instead of box springs Going to use tape. Little concerned how I am going to do corners because we have a foot board .any suggestions?

    Reply

  33. Grace says

    January 13, 2018 at 12:07 pm

    You can always use the center part that isn’t used for the bed skirt to make one or two matching throw pillows or pillow shams for the bed.

    Reply

  36. Myrna says

    January 16, 2018 at 1:13 pm

    This is beautiful! I have a box spring that needs covering. You make it look so easy. I’m not sure I’ll find it easy! Did you remove the mattress to put this on?

    Reply

  38. Adelle Aaberg says

    January 16, 2018 at 5:48 pm

    Love this idea. Have a question about the measurement of the foot of the bed. I understand adding 5″ to the side measurement to accommodate the pleat, but do not get the minus 2″ for the foot. Don’t you need to add for the pleat here, too? Seems like it will be too short. How many inches do the pleats take up? Thanks in advance.

    Reply

    • Kris Jarrett says

      January 17, 2018 at 4:05 pm

      Hi Adelle,
      I added a few more details about how I arrived at those measurements in my post so if you re-read it now, hopefully it will make sense where I got those numbers from 🙂

      Reply

  39. Myrna says

    January 16, 2018 at 7:54 pm

    I want to purchase a headboard but I have a box spring and mattress. Looks like you have this in your daughter’s room. Question: it looks like it is possible to have a sizable headboard without a platform bed. Is this correct? I think this is how your daughter’s bed is. Hope to hear from you.

    Reply

  41. Dr T says

    February 19, 2018 at 1:10 pm

    I must really be brainless bc I have read these instructions several times and theres one thing I don’t get.

    “plus 5″ for the pleat, plus any additional inches that you want the side panel to extend beyond the top end of the boxspring.”

    can you please explain what you mean by this? What is extending beyond the TOP end mean?

    Reply

    • Kris Jarrett says

      February 21, 2018 at 12:00 am

      What I mean by extending beyond the top end is extending closer to wall than where the boxspring ends. If you look at your bed, typically there’s several inches between where the boxspring ends and the wall. It’s how many inches you want it to extend beyond the boxspring.

      Reply

  45. Sistersoe says

    August 10, 2019 at 7:12 am

    Now I see the hem is already there I wouldn’t waste all the expensive 100% cotton thread. In your pin about reusing bed sheets, sewing the sides to a recycled sheet (it wouldn’t be seen) would leave plenty of fabric for pillows, scarf for table, recover lamp shade, cut up in strips and make a small rug. A king size sheet you could go buck wild and sew up everything on your sewing board. I like your ideas.

    Reply