No-sew bed skirt tutorial {prepare to have your mind blown!}
Last Updated on March 3, 2022
Learn how to make a no-sew bed skirt with this easy tutorial! You won't believe how simple it is and how perfect the finished product is.
I mean it when I say PREPARE FOR YOUR MIND TO BE BLOWN. I am about to teach you how to make a no-sew bed skirt without cutting or sewing. Take a moment to process that. No need to thank me….I AM A GIVER :)
Now, let me put this in context for you. Joe and I had been working on our twin girls’ room for about 8 weekends {during naps and in the evenings}, and countless week nights. I was tired people. And, in all candor, I get sick of room makeovers after working on them for that long. Long story short, I was over it. Really, really over it.
The LAST thing I had to do before we revealed the room to our girls on their 3rd birthday was to make the bed skirts. The thought of it made me want to BURST into tears because I hate sewing {as you have probably gathered by now}. I had planned to make their bed skirts by using twin bed sheets that I used on the reverse side of their duvet covers as the fabric. In an effort to sew as little as possible, I planned to preserve the hemmed edges and I thought I would just have to cut the edges out and sew those raw edges to a rectangle of fabric that would be hidden under the mattress. It wouldn't even have to be pretty. BUT even that amount of sewing filled me with dread, especially since I had already sewed duvet covers and some pillows for their room.
After putting the girls to bed one night, I decided to “put my big girl panties on and deal with it.” I entered their room with purpose and put the box springs on their metal bed frames so that I could measure the drop from the top of the box springs to the floor. To do that, I draped the twin sheet I would be using over the box spring. IT WAS THEN THAT I HAD A STROKE OF GENIUS {if I do say so myself}. People, it occurred to me that I did not NEED to cut or sew anything. After my wedding day and the birth of my girls, it may have actually been the happiest moment of my life. Yes, I hate sewing THAT much. I could make a no-sew bed skirt. Rejoice!!!!
So, now let me share with you the secret to making a no-sew bed skirt in a twin size without cutting or sewing a thing. This might work for other size beds, but since I have only done it with a twin size bed and sheet, I make no representations about the outcome for other sizes.
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No-Sew Bed Skirt Tutorial
If you would like a free printable for this project, just fill out the form below!:)
Materials Needed for 1 no-sew bed skirt (twin size):
- Twin bed sheet
- Upholstery Pins
- Iron
Steps to make a no-sew bed skirt:
1) In retrospect, I SHOULD have ironed the sheets first. For you, that should be step 1. Steaming them after the fact was not ideal.
2) Next, drape the twin sheet over your box spring. If you can put a table cloth on a table, you can do this. Every twin sheet and bed height will vary some, but my twin sheet was an inch or two too long on each side and a couple of inches too long at the foot of the bed. Note that I chose not to drape any over the head of the bed because I did not feel it was necessary, but if you have enough length, you certainly could do that. I just figured since most store-bought bed skirts do not overhang the head of the bed, mine shouldn't either. When you drape it, make it as even as possible on both sides.
3) The third step is to fold the excess bed sheet up to the correct height and use your upholstery pins and use them to secure the sheet to your box springs. Do not fold the bottom of the sheet, as you would for a hem. Instead, create your fold in the portion of sheet that is on top of the box spring. I created my fold about 1 inch in from the edge so that the pins would not show under the mattress. I placed one pin every 10 to 12 inches or so.
4) The fourth and final step {yep, only 4 steps–mind blowing!} is to “tailor” the corners of your bed skirt. This is a little difficult to explain through photos, but I have done my best. First, pull the fabric out so that it is taut. It will kind of look like a triangle.
Next, pull the fabric to the opposite side, so that it looks like this.
Then, use your hand to hold it in place while you fold the top portion back down.
After you the corner is folded nicely, use your upholstery pins to pin it in place underneath the fold so that the pins are hidden.
There you have it! A perfectly tailored, no-sew bed skirt in no time at all. And because you will have been smarter than me by ironing your sheet ahead of time, you will not have to steam it afterwards!
Can you believe it? I made a tailored, no-sew bed skirt without picking up a pair of scissors or setting up/cursing my sewing machine. SUCCESS!!!!
Time and cost:
Each no-sew bed skirt took me about 15 minutes to “make,” including the time I spent steaming the after the fact. The sheets cost me $9.00 each and the upholstery pins were $7.00 for a box. I used 1 box. A tailored bed skirt from Pottery Barn Kids costs $59 to $79 for a single bed skirt. Ha! I spent $12.50 per no-sew bed skirt.
What do you think? Are you going to make a no-sew bed skirt yourself? Had the thought ever occurred to you to try it this way? It certainly hadn't occurred to me until I started working on the project! So glad it did!
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This is f#*+-ing genius! All I can say is “Why didn’t I think of that!”
Oh thank you!
This is exciting for I do not sew either.
Thank you so much!!
My pleasure!
Making one for my room this helps a lot .thannk you
Oh yay! I hope it turns out well, Julie!
I had never seen this post! GENIUS you are!
This is so genius!! I have been looking for a reasonable lavender full bed skit for my daughter’s room!! Now I can just use the flat sheet that came with her comforter, since I bought different sheets to go on the bed!! This is so awesome!!! Thanks for sharing!!!
So glad you found the tutorial! Good luck and thanks for reading :)
Oh my goodness! This is just what I’ve been looking for. WHY are bed skirts so expensive???? I’ll be making this for a queen size soon. Thank you so much for sharing this!
Awesome! Good luck and thanks for reading!
Great hack!! I have been struggling with bed skirts for so long. Between the kids and the dog, the skirts I keep buying (you know the ones with that paper like material that is supposed to cover the top of box spring) gets stepped on a lot and would tear. I am going to give your way a try. Thank you! Thank you!
Awesome! Hope this works better! Thanks for reading.
This is brilliant! A win for the new sew sisterhood!
Yes! It was lifesaving that day. Thanks for reading!
You’re a Genius, girlfriend! I dislike sewing and cutting too!
Yes! It was lifesaving that day. Thanks for reading!
I made this tonight for a queen size bed on risers. Standard bed skirts wouldn’t work due to the added heighth. I started by measuring the length from the top of the box spring to the floor (21 inches). Then I measured the length and width of the box spring and added 21 twice to the width and once to the length. By measurements I knew I needed a king size flat sheet. It turned out great and the upholstery pins were simple to use. Thank you for the idea!
Awesome! Thanks so much for sharing LV!
PERFECT! This was exactly what I was looking for! Brilliant!?
Yay! So glad to hear that Susan!
Hello.
Thank you for your bed skirt idea. I did something similar years ago and am going to do your better version now on a new daybed. Might you also have any ideas on how to do some no sew kitchen seat cushion covers?
Thanx.
Pamela
Ah! I might try this with a drop cloth for a little more body in my bed skirt. Great idea! Thanks
Yes, Kim that will also do. I’m happy that you like this post. Thank you!
Love this idea! However, I don’t have a box spring, just a high metal frame. Any idea how I can make this work?
Hmmmm, no idea Carolyn–sorry!
Use buttons to fasten around the bars of the frame.
YOU are BRILLIANT! Wow This is on my keeper list ? thank you for sharing. …and I love to sew How easy this would be to change out on whim !
Thanks so much, Sallie! I love that it’s easy to change out, too!
I actually love to sew, but this would be soooooo much easier. (And leave more time for fun sewing!) Thanks for sharing your brilliance. I think I will use safety pins on the corner fold though.
My pleasure, Laurie! Thanks for reading my blog!
Hi! I was wondering if this would work for a college dorm bed? A twin xl bed?
Would you recommend using thumbtacks (the flat kind) instead of the upholstery pins? Or would thumbtacks be too short/not secure enough?
Hi Mary! Unfortunately, I don’t think thumbtacks would stay in. Hope that helps!
LOVE this idea. I too HATE sewing. I CAN do it, I KNOW how to do it, but for the sake of my sanity I CHOOSE not to do it! Thanks for this tutorial.
My pleasure, Margaret!
oh WOW!! I just ran across this on Pinterest and I am SO HAPPY I did!! I “lost” my bed skirt in the process of moving and have been fretting over buying a new one! Thank you so much for sharing!!!
YAY! So happy it’s helpful to you, Danielle!
So I don’t need bed skirts (as I’ve already spent HUNDREDS on buying them, urgh!), but could you try a no-sew upholstered chair do-over with fabric and upholstery pins and blog about it?
LOL! That’s actually a good idea! I’ll see what I can do :)
great idea to use the pins up under the mattress. My concern would be the girls pulling up the skirt to get things from under bed etc. and dislodging pins in the fold. There are so many great no sew fabric adhesives out there that would work wonderfully. I’d sure hate for a little one to step on a pin or swallow one.
So I don’t have calm girls. I have “high energy” boys. Will the pins hold in place when they are jumping on the bed ?? I love the look !
LOL, Debi! I don’t think jumping on the bed would disturb the pins, unless the mattresses shift a lot. I hope that helps!
I actually googled “how to make a twin bedskirt” and you popped up! I was planning on chopping up some of my sons old sage twin sheets that haven’t been used in a few years. I thought I could make a skirt to match my daughters hello kitty bedding (that has sage colored gumballs.) I figured if I messed up too bad it wasn’t a big deal. But holy cow! You are the absolute best! I’m already making a trip to Joann’s today so I’ll be grabbing some pins as well! Thank you sooo incredibly much for sharing this cheat with the world! It’s saving me so much time and money!
Yay! So happy to hear it Alysha! I hope it went well for you!
Aren’t the corners just hospital corners which haven’t been tucked under the mattress? Correct me if I am wrong :)
Hi Reanna! That is possible. I just don’t know how to create a hospital corner, LOL! If that is what I am doing, I didn’t know it :)
Hi Tasha,
I just stumbled upon your post and LOVE it! Designer looks on a suburban budget for an anti-sewing sahm… TRIPLE SCORE! You’ve made my week. So excited to get started!! Yahooooo!!!! Enjoy your holidays… :)
Yay, Daphne! So glad you are excited about the no-sew bed skirt! Happy holidays to you, too!
I found this tutorial through pinterest and I did it for a full size bed and it worked great, I didnt even have to worry about the over hang part. I love the way you do the corners, I’ve been trying to figure put how to do the corners all day till I found this! Now I just need the pins, or something similar. I’ve been wanted a bed skirt for the longest time because I store a lot of ugly stuff under our bed and I hate seeing the box spring. Thanks for this great tutorial!
Hi Ami! So glad my tutorial helped you figure out the corners–it was kind of hard to explain :) And so happy to hear it works for full size beds, too!
Just what I was looking for when I googled how to use a sheet for a bedskirt! I got that part of the idea myself, but using the upholstery pins is genius! Thank you! I am so excited to have this knowledge and be able to make any bedskirt I want from now on. I have sewed them in the past and it isn’t fun. This is an example to me of how we can get back to using our brains like our forefathers did out of necessity. Instead of buying every specific thing, we can make things out of other things. And don’t you feel great when you find an easy way, too? Wonderful!
Hi Laurie! So glad this will work for you. Yes, when I had this thought, I honestly couldn’t believe I hadn’t thought of it before–it was so simple! Good luck!
Aaaaaahhhh! Thank you for this! I have been searching everywhere for a king bed skirt with an 18 in drop that isn’t a gazillion dollars and have had no luck. I am so excited to try this tomorrow!
My pleasure, Tori! I hope you find a sheet that you love for your bed skirt.
Terrific idea, thought about going to TJMAXX and buying designer flat sheets :) There is a wonderful new web site designed for the whole family, I think you’ll especially appreciate the downloads for the kiddies. They will gain tools to help them clean their rooms; treat each other lovingly and other very beneficial things….take a look!
Thanks for the tip, Carol! And I hope your bed skirt turns out well!
AWESOMENESS. I have been looking for well over a year for a king size low profile bed skirt without success. Can’t thank you enough for posting this. Now off to find that bed skirt flat sheet for the skirt!!! Brahhhhhaaaa
Yay, Dawn! So happy you found my post useful!
Thank you so much for posting this! I’ve been looking for a ‘turquoise” bed skirt for weeks with no success (unless I wanted to spend $80 and up). I am definitely going to try this!!
thanks again!
My pleasure, Lori! Good luck!
This is wonderful. We just got a king-sized bed set that we horse-traded to get. The box it sits in a handmade and awesome, but seriously ugly. No matter how I try I can’t hide it, this is it! Now I just have to talk my husband into moving the mattress…one.more.time.
LOL! I hope he will move it for your one more time and that this works for you!
I guess I wasn’t as smart as you. I also wanted a bed skirt so I used fitted sheets and put on the box springs and just let it be. I am going to tighten it with the upholstery pins like you used. I am happy with it just the way it is but it will look neater with the pins.
Hi Carla! If I hadn’t draped the sheet over the box springs to measure, I don’t think I ever would have thought of it! I hope the upholstery pins help get your tighter!
The second I read that you put the sheet on the box springs, I knew what you were going to do. Great idea. I love to sew, but not bedskirts. They alway end up to long or to short. Never fit right. I am redecorating my two guest room and will be using this method. Thanks
Hi Jane! Let me know how yours turn out!
Holy schnikes this is awesome! I am pinning this for future reference. Easiest bedskirt ever! Thanks for sharing!
LOL! Is really is so easy! You are welcome!
Thank you for linking up at Thursday STYLE! This is so smart! I absolutely hate sewing too…and I’m so, so terrible at it. I’ll have to let you know about sizes other than twins b/c I’m going to try this shortcut on all of our beds once we move. Have a great weekend :)
Hi Angela! So glad to hear you plan to try this out with other sizes. I can’t wait to hear if it works!
This is genius. Seriously! I will have to try this in my daughter’s bedroom. Right now she doesn’t have a bed skirt so I just drape her comforter down to the floor and it looks kinda strange. Thanks for the solution!
Thanks so much, Carrie! So glad this will work for your daughter’s bed. It’s so, so easy! Have fun picking the perfect flat sheet!
This is genius. Seriously! I will have to try this in my daughter’s bedroom. Right now she doesn’t have a bed skirt so I just drape her comforter down to the floor and it looks kinda strange. Thanks for the solution!
Genius! I have sew-phobia and will avoid it at all costs, I actually just did a no sew crib skirt that was a little more involved than this. My older daughter’s bed does not have a skirt and I just can’t find one I like, this is the perfect solution, thank you so much!
LOL, Sarah! I am glad I am not the only one who avoids sewing! I can sew, but I DREAD it. So glad you think this is a good solution for your older daughter’s bed! I would love to see how yours turns out!
Pure genius!!! I’m having such difficulty finding a queen bedskirt to match the guest room bedding so I’m going to measure & see if I can get a queen flat sheet to work! A huge thank-you!!! Blessings!
Thank you, Kathy! Fingers crossed that it works on your queen size bed. Let me know how it turns out!
What a brilliant idea! Great money-saver! Just wanted to let you know that I will be linking to this post from my website today if you don’t mind.
Thank you, Alyssa! I am so flattered you shared this on your website!
Love how this is no sew, no cut, AND no ironing. Totally hate ironing. Very cute finish!
Thanks, Audra! I actually do recommend ironing the sheet before getting started {steaming it after the fact was kind of a pain}, but still, it’s minimal ironing and no sewing or cutting :)
What a great idea. I think every bed needs a skirt. I never thought of using a flat sheet. This will certainly be a money saver when you want to change your bedding.
Hi Patti! You are right. It will be a money saver when we change their bedding. I hadn’t even thought of that :)
Holy Moly Cow! That is an awesome trick! Wonder if it would work on a king sized bed with a king sized sheet? Mmm….
I think it probably would, Ashley! It’s definitely worth a shot!
Wow! What a great idea! I will be trying this the next time I need a bed skirt!
-Karli
ww.somethingsplendidblog.com
You should, Karli! It’s SO easy! Thanks for stopping by!
Very glad to have found this today. I have a new box & mattress but the box is a low profile one and I chose to just use and hem a store bought bed skirt. I’m not thrilled with the plain white one I hemmed and would love to have a patterned one like you’ve made. Thanks so much for the tutorial!
Hi Diane! I am glad you think this will work for you. Good luck!
Oh Tasha, you are so clever! Thank you so much for sharing this! My daughter’s bed seems to sit much higher than most twin bed so her bed skirt never reaches the floor like it should. Your tutorial is perfect!
Thanks so much, Brandi! I hope it works well for your daughter’s bed!
I love this! I’m going to be implementing this trick for our nursery. Thanks! I’ll also be featuring this over at Someday Crafts tomorrow. Come on over if you get a minute :)
Thanks so much, Miranda! I appreciate the feature and am so glad you found the tutorial useful!
My mind is blown! Bed skirts are the Bain of my existence. I can’t stand how they move around when I make my boys’ beds, but I didn’t want to permanently attach one to their box springs either. This is the perfect solution! Plus, now I can customize them!
LOL, Katie! I am glad that your mind was blown–I was hoping it would be mind blowing to other people, too! Can’t wait to see how yours turn out!
Such a great idea! I got to the same I-can’t-face-making-a-bedskirt place with my son’s room…..I wound up just putting a fitted sheet over his boxsprings and calling a “streamlined look” ;)
Thanks, Gretchen! If I didn’t have my girls’ mattresses on metal bed frames, I may have taken your streamlined approach :)
Genius. Also, when you place the mattress on the box spring, or have to flip the mattress in the future, the bed skirt will not move around. I know EXACTLY how you feel about sewing. I start to dread it long before I have to do it.
Thanks so much, Maureen! I am always happy to hear that I am not the only one who dreads sewing. I WISH I enjoyed it, but I just don’t! Thanks so much for reading my blog!