If your fitted sheets are creeping and your top sheets just won’t stay tucked, try these tips for a properly made bed.
Use a quality sheet set. Cotton is the favorite textile for bed linens. It gets softer with each wash and is best at wicking away moisture from your body. Remember, a higher thread count doesn’t necessarily mean softer sheets. It means a tight, durable weave. For softness, shop for Egyptian or pima cotton or check the label for the words sateen or percale, which indicate quality fibers.
Dress it right. With your mattress pad and fitted sheet tucked in tightly, you’re ready to drape the top sheet over your bed. Align the top edge with the top of your mattress. Before you tuck in the top sheet, add a blanket aligned with the flat sheet. For hotel-quality corners, first hold the long edges of the sheet and blanket away from the bed and then fold them back over it. Lift the foot of the mattress, and use your hand to slide the draping bottom edges of the bed linens beneath it. Now tuck in the side edges so that the corner forms a crisp crease. Turn down the sheet and the blanket tops about the width of a pillow. Then tuck the long edges under the mattress along the sides.
Top it off. Whether you go with a cozy quilt, a puffy comforter or a downy duvet, spread it over the bed and center it so that it hangs evenly. Leave the folded-down sheet and blanket exposed at the top, but cover their bottom edges completely.
Layer the pillows. Start with the pillows you’ll sleep on, plumped and propped against the headboard. If you’re using 26- to 32-inch European pillows, add those next. Then come standard-size shams and, finally, throw and bolster pillows (three are usually plenty).
Add a coverlet or throw. Depending on the look you’re after, you can fold it into a neat strip or toss it casually over the foot of the bed.
