Right before LeeLee was born, my darling hero husband spent 240 hours making a dream bedroom for me out of our two room, non-practical master.
At the same time we bought an equally dreamy king size bed that we had saved all year for. Life changing.
However, since that time (a good 15 months) my beautiful bed has been sans skirt. And toys, dust bunnies and lost bras have been visible to anyone who walked by; most irritatingly they have been visible to me! The legs of the bed frame and the collection in the aforementioned list drove me crazy on a constant basis.
I like to make my own curtains, pillows, etcetera and I had made the gorgeous satin bed skirt that was on our queen. There just has not been the money to find the perfect satin to re-create that look for the big bed but I could not take one more day of seeing under my bed every time I walked into the room!
Out thriftin’ with Mom a few weeks back I scoured the racks of all three stores we went to for anything that resembled one of the many shades of teal that can be found a ma chambre. Finally at the last HOLE we went to (ya know, the ones that have that funky, Salvation Army smell to them) I found a king size, cotton sheet in the perfect shade. It was almost identical to my ceiling! For $2.20.
No, wait, it gets better. It was 1/2 off. I had found my temporary bed skirt material for $1.10. If you are more of a visual person I tried to scribble down the directions too. You could double click on the photo or save it to your desk top and print it if this project inspires you. I hope things are not lost in translation from my brain to the keyboard.
Here goes:
Can you spot the Dust Bunnies???
I started with an old queen size sheet that we no longer needed. This would serve as the material to lay in between the mattress and the box spring.
1. I measured around the two sides of my king size and then end of it. I was really slappin’ this thing together so I was not concerned about it being exact. But I came up with about 263 inches when I added all three sides together. This number when doubled was the length that my material for my skirt would need to be.
2. I then measure the distance from in between the mattress and the bed skirt to the floor and I added a couple inches because I wanted my skirt to be a little sloppy. I came up without about 17 inches. This is how wide I made my strips..stay with me here.
3. I spread my teal sheet out and made indications with chalk according to the measurements I mentioned above. In other words, I marked off 5 lines to guide me as I cut me sheet into 5 strips of material that were 17 inches wide. I then starched and iron each strip.
4. In comes the tedious pinning. I attached each strip of material to the next with pins and stitched them together making a very long runner.
A photo of the stitching attaching the strips together. I could have done a nicer job with cleaner edges but who is going to see this?
5. Next with my handy giant can of starch (I really need to start making my own) I double folded along one edge and pinned the material in place. This is where I did a nicer job since I am not the best straight stitcher and I wanted this to look nice as it would be seen against my floors. (I made my folds about a 1/2 inch each and I hat allotted for this when I measure the length I wanted my skirt to be from the mattress line to the floor.)
Quite possibly my straightest stitch ever!
6. Then I stitched my giant straight line, removing the pins as I went.
A peak, I am holding up the Bedskirt here for you to see how it is attached to the queen size sheet and placed in between the mattress and the box frame.
7. Almost done. With right sides together I pinned the ragged edge of my long strip to the edge of my queen size sheet. I did not have the exact amount of fabric to truly double the 263 inches as mentioned above but about every five or six inches I folded the material back on itself about an inch or so thus giving a series of giant pleats to my project. For lots of lovely pleats, I should have at least doubled the 263 inches.
8. After everything was pinned (and amazingly I had just enough material) I sewed it together. Just curving my material around the corners of the support sheet.
Et VOILA! A $1.10 bed skirt!!! (I already had the thread in house.)
There is no excuse to not be surrounded my loveliness these days besides as Berlin Deluxxe says, “time and money” but if you can find a little time, and hold out until just the right bargain you can at the very least, hide your dust bunnies!!!
I will someday have my flouncy, ultra Marie Antoinette bedskirt like my old one but for now I am very pleased!
If you are, intrigued and thinking, “Hey, I want to see the rest of that bedroom!” Stay tuned to learn how I decorated a 324 square foot bedroom with less than $300 spent on furniture!!!
A bientot!
And here is a little teaser for the upcoming post on the entire room . Can you stand it?
LOVELY! I love it that you’re resourceful and you wait until you get something at YOUR price! I love your room and the colors you chose, it’s gorgeous. And dust ruffles are just a lot of work, not too complicated so thanks for the encouragement to all of us out here. My dust ruffle is getting worn out and I need to think about this soon!
HAPPY MONDAY!
XOXO
Joni
my underneath even houses a collapsed ironing board.
the skirt looks tres chic!!!!!!!
The bedskirt looks amazing and professional. Is that is a picture of your bed in the last shot? I cannot wait to see the whole room. That is stunning! I beg you to give instructions on how to make that headboard/wall of curtains you have behind the bed. That is soooo pretty!
-Stephanie
Magnifique!!!!!
I LOVE YOUR BEDROOM!!!!!
Wow lady, I’m going to fly you down sometime so you can teach me your sewing skills. The best part of it all is that it’s unique made by you 🙂
Oh and what did I do in the jungle? lol
My father used to go hunting with his German friend every Christmas and we’d get to stay in his friends house right smack in the middle of the jungle, surrounded by poor caged jaguars, monkeys and birds. I had a very Jumanji like childhood 🙂
Seriously, I love your bedroom!
Absolutely Gorgeous! and the deal of the century too! You are so creative and the bed looks amazing in every way! I can’t wait to see the whole room!!
Hugs, Cynthia
Wow great idea! It looks great too!
All the best,
Allison
Oui, Oui, Oui! (Don’t you love my limited French?) Would you really keep an eye out for those dishes? I’d so appreciate it!
The only thing that worries me about refinishing the dining set is not choosing the right colors or finish. What do you suggest?
Grazie bella, Ciao <3
Wow wow wow! You have such a great talent for putting bits and pieces together to make a masterpiece. Will be checking back so see the rest of this special room. Please hurry…
I could totally see you strewn across a grand piano singing your song with your little chicks gazing up at you in amazement. I almost forgot I love your bedskirt too. I want to make a duvet cover, but haven’t quite gotten there yet. Have a great week.
If we make it across the lake this weekend, I will have to get to your upstairs. I think the last time I was up there was when you 1st moved in! Can’t wait to see it all in person.
Gorgeous bedroom-I, too, am a farmgirl and fellow thrifter!! Job well done!! Please post more makeover pics-they’re great and inspirational! I think I’ll stop at Goodwill on the way home!
Wow – that is crazy creative! And I absolutely love the sneak peek of your room. I cannot wait to see the whole thing! Please hurry!
xo
Kari
OH MY – that is amazing! Now i need to get my sewing machine out of the box…the one I bought two years ago. 🙂
oh my
sorry- my jaw just dropped
that’s it – you beat me….times a million
can you seriously sing that low?
sorry- I was so amazed at your post I had to read it again- and take notes this time (lol)
can’t wait to go shopping with you-
you better start savin!!
Wow! Is there any domestic task you can’t do with panache? I am, as always, just so impressed with your talents.
Your bedroom looks amazing. Can’t wait to read how you did it for cheap!
Looks great and I love that you only spent $1.10!!
I love it. It is so gorgeous and what a bargain. How do you have such patience? I need to get some lessons, please! Can not wait to see your next post on your bedroom and Nina Simone ~ one of my Sunday favorites to mellow the evening out.
I saw you finished watching 24… haven’t watched any but the first episode this season (shame on me, I miss Jack!).
xo~Tracie
Well aren’t you something! Like you, I’ve done most of the sewing for our homes and “on the cheap”, too! That way, when I grow tired of it, I don’t feel so bad moving on to something new! 🙂
Cannot wait to see the post on the entire room, girlie!! 🙂
Ruth
Hi Parisienne!! How ya been? I am planning to call your wonderful mom. Thank you for sending me the name of the guy with the miniatures! Do you know that I have seen his comments on other blogs!!!! How weird is that. I will visit him right now! Girl, your talents are great! Your bedskirt and the who arrangement is drop dead gorgeous. Tu m’a coupé le souffle! Anita
C’est Magnifique! I love it all!Beautiful work!
I love that you actually admit what you have under your bed! You are terrific!
As for bedskirts…….yours is Bea.U.ti. Ful. What great instructions too.
((hugs)) for a wonderful day.
Quelle chambre tu as! I love the bed and that settee in front of the bed looks sumptuous! I can’t wait to see more of your bedroom. The bedskirt looks beautiful- I really appreciate people’s ability to make something beautiful from talent/resourcefulness more than people’s ability to “create” from forking out large sums of money.
Oh, and I like the dialogue between the dust bunnies in your bed skirt sketch- tres drole!
Ce bedskirt est si joli!! (I had to use a translator to get the proper tenses…its’ been ages since french class..and I despise conjugation!)
Just a thought: if your queen size satin bedskirt coordinates with your current colors/bedding, you should layer it over top of the teal one. I do that for a fun look. It only has a small reveal but is a fun detail.
I love reading your blog, Angela, because not only do I love your decor style, we share political ideologies as well.