DIY Adjustable Bedskirts for Bed with Footballs and Tall Mattresses

Need bed skirts for your beds with footboards? Can I ever relate! I found a great way to spruce up any bedroom by making a homemade bed skirt from sheets. It’s an inexpensive and easy DIY project that will leave your room looking amazing!

Two Kinds of DIY Bed Skirts

The beds in our house all have headboards and each one has a different type of footboard. They also have very high box springs which I really like, but they don’t look right uncovered, there is always a gap between the top comforter and the mattress rail where the uncovered box spring shows. Even with an extra large comforter the box spring still shows. When you go through the effort and cost of buying pretty bed linen its so disappointing when the ugly box spring shows. These diy bed skirts are my solution.

Are Bed Skirts Outdated?

The review are mixed both yes and no. Definitely yes, if you like farmhouse, traditional, or cottage decor. If you don’t want a bed skirt you need a bedcovering that extends to the floor, so you don’t see the box spring. A bed skirt is one alternative and so many styles, you will find a modern one that suits your decorating style.

Our new bed coil and mattress are exceptionally high. Luxurious to sleep in but the box spring shows. Nah Nah never, not in my house, this drove me crazy. I just wasn’t able to enjoy my new bed and bedding. Silly I know.

Before the Bed Skirt

And After

Our beds are getting homemade bed skirts as I am unable to purchase them to fit for two reasons, as I said the deep mattress and boxspring make our bed high, and footboards doesn’t allow the bed skirt to slide on.  ‘

Beginning with the guest room I made a very inexpensive custom bed skirt that works around both the boxspring height and the footboard.

Keeping the Cost Down

We set off to Ikea to find some inexpensive fabric or curtains that I could convert into a bed skirt.   While wandering we came across a huge stack of Ikea Dvala sheets on sale for $2.99. You could use flannel sheets, patterned sheets, curtains or fabric, I just chose white sheets because they were so inexpensive.  For the price, they were worth the try and I love how it turned out.  Best part no measuring is required.

While purchasing the sheets we both looked closely to find flat sheets, but when I opened them, they were all fitted.  So frustrating both Hubs and I thought they were flats.  To make the fitted sheets usable, remove the corner seams and the elastic.  Cut the ends so the edges of the fabric are straight.  Using fitted sheets took a little more work, but they work just fine.

Bed Skirts for Beds with Footboards DIY

Three Sided Bed Skirt Tutorial

Material

To make a double sized bed skirt that needs a skirt on the footboard you will need four single sized bed sheets. This first bed skirt is for the guest room, so I bought 11 metres of lace (optional), to make it more special.

Before we start the tutorial, I was really happy with how easy this is to do.  Most of the work is ironing.

First Sheet

Layout the first sheet on your bed to anchor the skirt portions.  You will attach all the other sheets to this one.

Create the Sides

Fold a sheet in half lengthwise,  mark center and cut the sheet down the middle.  I actually made a little snip and tore mine down the middle.

Place the two halves facing good side together and sew along the short seam.  This will create one long strip.  The top of your strip should be prefinished with the commercial hemming.

Hem the two ends by folding over half an inch, press and fold over again.  I can’t give you an exact measurement it depends on the height and drop of your frame. (that’s why the right size is hard to find). Sew in place.

To finish the long unfinished side create a hem by turning the material over half an inch and then three inches.  Press really well.

Sew along the edge of the hem.

Place the lace so that it hangs half an inch from the bottom of the hem.  Sew along the top of the ribbon attaching it.

Repeat this process for the second long side.

For the Footboard

The footboard end of this bed has a central brace to hold the mattress.  This central part prohibits me from having a solid bed skirt. To work around it instead of sewing the bed skirt in one long strip, make the bed skirt end in two halves, so there is a gap in the middle to fit around the central brace.   Hem the edges and attach the lace exactly like the long pieces.  Here is a photo of it finished, the arrow shows where the split it.  It’s not pinned together in the picture.
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Make the Ruffles

Once you have all four strips sewn, you need to gather the material to make the ruffles.  To do this thread a string in the top of the strip and gather the material.  Place the fabric and fit it to the bed.

Attach to the Flat Sheet

Start at the center of the foot end and spread to the fabric so that your foot strip curls around the corner.

Pin spreading out the gathers so that they are even and pin into place very very well. (Regular sewing pins slipped out, I suggest using safety pins instead)

Repeat for the other half of the foot end.

Next, pin the long sides into place.  Take the long strip and fit it to the edge of the flat sheet.  Curl the end of the strip around the top and bottom corners to ensure the corners are well covered.

Once your corners are secure gather and spread out the gathering until you like the way ruffles look.  Once you are comfortable with how your ruffles look, pin everything very securely into place.  Do the same for the other long side.

Once you have the diy bed skirt pinned well sew it along the top edge of the sheet.  Then remove the gathering thread by pulling it out.

Replace it on to the bed add the mattress and make the bed as usual.

Two-Sided Bed Skirt

This bed has a solid footboard so a diy bed skirt is only required on the two long sides.

Material

You will need 3 sheets and matching thread.  This diy bed skirt has no lace.

This bed skirt cost $6.00 to make as I used a flat sheet left over from an old set where the fitted sheet was worn out.

Sewing

Make the two long sides exactly like you did for the three-sided bed skirt.  Wrap the ends of the long sides around the corners the same way as before.

The bed in our third room has a headboard two side rails and a low footboard.  I likely could purchase a bed skirt for it, but I will likely make a different style of bed skirt for that room but for now, I have two finished.   The sheets work very well for my decor as they are light, easily washable and will match the majority of my seasonal decor.

Stay toasty its cold out there!

Leanna

I hope you found these bed skirts for bed with footboards helpful. I hope I convinced you it isn’t as hard as you thought. Let me know if you have any questions. Leanna

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