How to Put on a Bed Skirt (Step-by-Step)
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A bed skirt will make your bedroom look more polished, and putting one on is relatively easy. But what is a bed skirt? It is a decorative piece of fabric that is placed in between your mattress and bed frame or box spring. It gives a more finished appearance while hiding what’s underneath your bed. How do I put on a bed skirt?
- Measure your mattress and frame
- Use the right bed skirt size
- Wash and iron your bed skirt
- Take out the mattress
- Position the bed skirt in place
- Put on a bed skirt without removing a mattress
- Put a bed skirt on a bed with slats
- Keep bed skirt in place
- Style it
Fastening a bed skirt is quite easy. Just be sure to prepare a measuring tape and have an extra pair of hands to help you. These are also the same steps you can follow on how to put a bed skirt on a bed with a frame. So, here is how you can do it.
How to Put on a Bed Skirt
1. Measure Your Mattress and Frame or Box Spring
The first step is to get your tape measure and determine the size of your mattress and box spring or frame. This includes its length, width, and height.
To measure the height of your box spring or frame, start from the floor to the top surface of your box spring. You should also make sure to add an extra inch or two so that the skirt covers everything entirely no matter what type of bed you have.
2. Use the Right Bed Skirt Size
There are many different bed skirts for you to choose from. You can go for a clean, chic look and buy a bed skirt without pleats (view on Amazon). For a more romantic feel, you can go for one with a gathered ruffle. Either way, you will need to get the dimensions right.
The table below shows the typical bed skirt dimensions to use for the size of the bed that you have.
| Type | Bed skirt Measurements |
| California King | 72 in. wide x 84 in. long |
| King | 78 in. wide x 80 in. long |
| Queen | 60 in. wide x 80 in. long |
| Full | 54 in. wide x 79 in. long |
| Twin | 39 in. wide x 75 in. long |
| Daybed | 75 in. wide x 39 in. long |
Note that the height of your bed is usually 15 to 16 inches. So be sure to take that into account while adding a few more inches for you to tuck the bed skirt in securely. Additionally, if your bed is a super king or queen, bed skirts like this (view on Amazon) with the dimensions of a king or queen-sized bed can still fit them.
3. Wash and Iron Your Bed Skirt
Now that you have picked your bed skirt, it is time to wash and iron it. Don’t forget to follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Washing softens the fabric, which will make it easier for you to handle.
Furthermore, depending on the material, you might only need to do this step to remove the wrinkles. However, you can always iron the bed skirt to achieve a crisp and clean look. Make sure to properly iron the pleats if it has any.
You should also remember that throwing your bed skirt into the dryer can add more wrinkles to the material, especially the material used in this bed skirt (view on Amazon). So it may be necessary to iron it out. Additionally, what you can do to keep your bed skirt clean longer is to vacuum it frequently.
4. Take out the Mattress
You may skip this one if you don’t want to take out the mattress. Lifting a mattress out of bed can be quite exhausting and quite tricky if you do it alone. So for this step, you might need an extra pair of hands to help you lift the mattress out of the frame. But, if you’re confident that you can do it yourself, here is a quick hack that you can do.
- Cover it
For this step, cover your mattress, either with a piece of plastic or even your old bedsheet. Besides keeping the mattress clean and protecting it, this will allow you to have something else that’s easier to hold on to while trying to lift the mattress out of the frame or box spring. - Attach a rope
Tie a bungee cord or rope at both ends of the mattress and tie at the front, then repeat at the back. Tie them horizontally like makeshift handles for the mattress. Make sure that it is tight enough that the mattress does not slip when you attempt to pull it. - Slowly lift the mattress using the ropes that are tied horizontally to the mattress and slowly slide it down the floor.
Remember that if you have a full foam or memory mattress, it is floppier than a spring mattress. Add stiff cardboard to help stabilize it before tying the ropes in. You can also choose to fold it to reduce the length and make it easier for you to move around.
5. Position the Bed Skirt in Place
If you have a full-style bed skirt, place it on the frame like a bed cover. Use the seams as a guideline and try to align it to the corners of the frame or box spring.
If you have a detachable headboard, remove it so that it will be easier for you to position the bed skirt.
The same goes for a bed with a footboard. This is how to put a bed skirt on a bed with a footboard.
- If the footboard is detachable, remove it.
- If it does not allow you to do so, then you might need to split the side of the bed skirt that goes to the bottom or find one that is already split into two.
- Find the central brace of your footboard, and measure it.
- Mark the area of the bed skirt where it should be cut into two.
- Cut it and sew. Adding ruffles can hide the split in the middle.
6. How to Put on a Bed Skirt Without Removing a Mattress
If you choose not to lift the mattress out, this is what you should do to put the bed skirt in place. One key thing you should remember is to do it one corner at a time. Slowly slide in the bed skirt and, if you have a wooden bed frame, secure it with tacks.
However, if you have a box spring, using safety pins will do the trick. Lift the corner or side of the mattress that you would like to start with. Make sure to check that each part of the bed skirt is nice and tight. This will ensure that it won’t pop out or be removed when you pull the other side.
7. Putting on Bed Skirt on a Bed With Slats
This is how you put a bed skirt on a bed with a frame and slats. Simply lay the bed skirt just like a bed cover directly on the slats. Make sure that the side hangs at the same length. You can also use hooks to keep the skirt in place. You should also remember that you might need a 2 to 3-inch extra length for your skirt since you have to take into account the rails on the sides of the bed, which are about an inch in thickness.
8. How to Keep Bed Skirt in Place
Having a neat bed makes your bedroom look complete. That is why it is essential to keep everything in order, and this includes the bed skirt.
This is how to make a bed skirt secure.
- Use pins
If you are using a full bed skirt, using safety pins or tacks will easily keep it in place. Other types of bed skirts usually have headless pins that you screw to the box spring. You can also add a few more pins to make sure it doesn’t easily move. - Velcro to the rescue
Sew or tape the velcro to the corners of your bed skirts in the shape of the letter V. Doing this will keep the corners in place and prevent the whole from moving. This is especially effective for full bed skirts.
9. Style It
Place the mattress back on the bed. Make sure to slowly lift down rather than sliding it, because doing so would prevent the bed skirt from moving, thus keeping it in place. If you have someone else assisting you, ask them to hold the bed skirt for you while you are putting the mattress back. You can also make use of clips to keep it secure temporarily.
When you finish, check for anything else that should be adjusted. For bed skirts with ruffles, fluff them out to make them look fuller. For pleated skirts, smooth out the pleats and place your linens and pillows back to complete the look.
Conclusion – How to Put on a Bed Skirt
Hiding the storage boxes and other things underneath your bed can make a massive difference to your room’s total look. So make your bedroom look polished and neat with a bed skirt. Follow these simple steps and quick hacks on how to put on a bed skirt. You will undoubtedly find it easier to attach bed skirts in no time.
