How to Make the Perfect Bed: Step by Step

Making the bed may be a lost art in many homes, but I think it’s still an important part of homemaking. In fact, I believe making your bed is the first place to start if you feel overwhelmed with your homemaking.

Whether or not you feel overwhelmed, knowing how to make the perfect bed is important! Today I’m sharing how to make a bed, step by step. Also, be sure to download my free printable step-by-step guide to making the bed at the end of the post!

Little known fact, my instructions for making a bed were published in a book for army recruits so they could make the perfect bed many years ago. 😉

Whenever someone asks me where to start with their homemaking, I always say begin by making your bed. If you do nothing else today, make your bed. And if you’re struggling with self-discipline and want to become a more disciplined homemaker, begin by making your bed.

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed at home and not know where to begin your homemaking efforts. I want to encourage you to begin by making your bed. Make this a daily habit. It only takes a couple of minutes and you’ll feel better.

Jesus tells us to be faithful in the little things! It’s the little habits we work on each day that lead to a neat and tidy home.

“One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much…” Luke 16:10

How to Make Your Bed: Step by Step

There’s nothing like climbing into a well-made bed. Here’s how to make the perfect bed:

How to make your bed daily.

1. Upon waking, turn the covers down to allow the sheets to air for an hour or two. Allowing the bed to air helps to retain a fresh smell of the linens and the bedroom.
2. After breakfast, continue making the bed.
3. Smooth fitted sheet of any wrinkles.
4. Pull flat sheet up and smooth wrinkles.
5. Pull up blanket and/or bedspread.
6. For bedspread, place the pillow at the head of the bed and pull spread over the pillow tucking the excess underneath the pillow.
7. For comforter, turn down the top of the comforter as well as the top of the flat sheet and place pillow at head of the bed.
8. Smooth any wrinkles.

How to make your bed weekly.

1. Place mattress cover on mattress if you are using one.
2. Take fitted sheet and stretch over mattress, pulling sides down and smoothing the sheet across the top with your hands.
3. Place flat sheet on top of fitted sheet making sure that the sides are even. When using a comforter, often the flat sheet is placed with the right side down so that when you turn it down at the top, the right side of the sheet is visible.
4. At the foot of the bed, tuck the flat sheet underneath the mattress tightly. The sheet should be smooth without rumples.
5. To correctly make a hospital corner at the foot of your bed, lift the side of the sheet and tightly tuck in the portion that is hanging down.
6. Now you may either leave the side of the sheet hanging down or tuck in the entire length of the side.
7. Place bedspread or comforter on top of flat sheet checking for even lengths on the sides.
8. Tuck the pillow into a zippered pillow cover and then into the pillow case.
9. If you have a bedspread, place the pillow at the head of the bed and pull spread over the pillow tucking the excess underneath the pillow.
10. If you are using a comforter, turn down the top of the comforter as well as the top of the flat sheet and place pillow at head of the bed.
11. Smooth any wrinkles.

How to Wash the Bed Linens

Your bed linens should be washed at least once a week. The sheets and pillow cases should be washed frequently to keep your bed fresh and cozy. In the summer months, you may find you need to change your sheets more often to keep them fresh.

How to wash the bed linens weekly.

1. Choose a day each week to wash the sheets.
2. On wash day, strip the bed and pillows of all linens, including mattress cover.
3. Place linens in washing machine following the manufacturer’s guidelines for your linens.
4. While the sheets are washing, allow mattress to air for a little while.
5. Rotate mattress if needed. Make the bed following the method above.

How to Make a Hotel Style Bed

I know there have been many times I’ve walked into a nice hotel and the bed looks so incredibly inviting. If you want to learn how to make the perfect bed, you’re in the right place. There are a few things you can do to make your bed feel on par with the nicest hotel bed.

What you need to make the perfect hotel style bed:

• crisp white sheets
• tight, hospital corner fold (see below)
• high thread count sheets
• down comforter and/or duvet
• quality pillows

In my house I switched to almost all white sheets about a year ago. Every bed in the house has white sheets. I enjoy the fact that they are easy to care for and stains can be bleached out.

Buying the best sheets you can afford for your bed will offer you and your family (and guests) a comfortable night’s rest each and every night. If you’ve never slept on good sheets, when you finally do, you’ll be amazed at much cozier you feel!

I also highly recommend flannel sheets in the winter. If you live in a climate that is cold in the winter, flannel sheets are so wonderful to slip between when you climb in bed!

How to Make Hospital Corners on Your Sheets

I still remember Mrs. Jackson teaching me to make tight hospital corners on my bed sheets when I was learning how to be a homemaker. I still make my beds the same way!

Formula for Bed Pillows

How many bed pillows should be on your bed? Having the right number of pillows on your bed really adds the right amount of comfort. However, if you have too many pillows on your bed, it’s a chore to make the bed in the morning.

I love how Sarah from She Holds Dearly has a bed pillow formula. She suggests the following number of pillows:

For a Twin:

• Two Sham Pillows
• Two or Four Standard Pillows
• One Lumbar Pillow

For a Full/Queen:

• Three Sham Pillows
• Four Standard or Queen Pillows
• One Lumbar Pillow

For a King:

• Four Sham Pillows
• Four King Pillows
• One Lumbar Pillow

Easy, right? I love for the beds in my home to look and feel welcoming and cozy. At the end of a long day there’s just nothing like climbing into a well made, beautiful, yet cozy bed. That’s the ultimate comfort.

Making your bed should bring you pleasure. Climbing into bed each evening should be a treat. I hope this step-by-step lesson on how to make a bed has inspired you to enjoy making your own bed each day!

Action Steps to Take Today

1. Pray. Always pray over your homemaking! Ask God to help you enjoy the act of making the beds in your home each day.
2. Remember, when you are faithful in the little things, God will make you master over bigger things!
3. Assess your bedding. Do you need to update any of your sheets or other bedding?
4. Make the beds. Follow my step-by-step instructions – you can print them below.

Free Printable Guide: How to Make the Bed