March 25, 2010- Bed sheets are indispensable items for any home. There are mainly two categories of bed sheets flat sheets and fitted sheets. A flat bed sheet is a normal rectangular sheet of cloth whereas fitted bed sheet has four corners (sometimes, they even have two or four sides) fitted with elastic. Fitted bed sheets are generally used only as bottom sheets that do not slip off the mattress when the bed is in use. Although a flat sheet can also be used just like a fitted sheet by folding and tucking in a particular way known as "hospital corners," they do not look as neat and clean as the fitted bed sheets look.

Making Fitted Bed Sheet

Fitted bed sheets can be made in cotton, cotton-polyester mixtures, brushed cotton or even warm feeling flannel. In fact, flat bed sheets can also be used to make fitted sheet. Making fitted bed sheet is one of the most easy DIY projects. If you want to know how to make fitted bed sheets, here are the step by step instructions for your help.

Materials Required for Making Fitted Bed Sheets

This is the list of things you will need to make a fitted sheet for your bed

• Fabric
• Measuring Tape
• Chalk
• Pins
• Sewing machine or needle
• Matching thread
• Narrow elastic (1.5 meters)
• Scissors

Instructions for Making Fitted Bed Sheet

First of all, you will need to measure the mattress for which you are making the fitted sheet.

• With the help of the measuring tape, measure the length (L), width (W), and depth (D) of mattress.
• To this measurement, you have to add the amount of fabric for tuck in and also for hems. This has to be 8" or 20 cms. Keep this fact in view.
• Now cut the fabric taking the measured length and width.
• For cutting the length of the fabric, measure it equivalent to the length of the mattress and combine two times of its depth and two times of the tuck in allowance and hem (L+ 2D+ 16" or 40 cms)
• For cutting the width of the fabric, measure it equivalent to the width of the mattress and combine two times of its depth and two times of the tuck in allowance and hem (W+ 2D+ 16" or 40 cms)
• Now measure the depth and 8" at each corner. Measure equally at the right angle to form a square shape at each corner of the fabric. Mark these squares with the help of chalk.
• Leave a seam allowance of 0.5" and cut the marked squares.
• Now with the right sides together, pin and stitch all the cut edges together.
• Overlock the edges or use zigzag stitch to make the edges of the seam neat.
• With the wrong side up, turn up a ½ " hem all round the fabric sheet and pin it up.
• Measure 20 cms or 8" along all the sides from each corner and mark with chalk. Now stitch the hem leaving a gap of 1" at each of these marks.
• Put the elastic in through one gap at the corner and pull out through the next gap.
• Tightly pull the elastic to gather the corner.
• While securing the ends of the elastic, stitch the gaps in the hem. If you can see any remaining elastic, trim it off.

When using flat bed sheets to make fitted sheets, you may have to join lengths of fabric to get the fabric wide enough for the project. When doing this, add the fabric to each side in order to avoid having seams on the places where some one can be sleeping. You might also have to leave a small amount of fabric to tuck under (given the shortage of fabric). However, you must always keep it even on all the edges. When using flat bed sheets for making fitted sheets, remove hems from the existing flat sheets, if required.

Apart from bed sheets, many other bed linen are used to make the bedroom beautiful. One of such bed linen is the bedskirt. If by chance, you posses a king size bed, you must know the rules to select king bedskirts. For having some tips on the same, read How to Buy King Bedskirt