How To Make A Cozy, Comfy Bed.

My grandma, mom and aunt have always had the nicest cozy, comfy beds when we've stayed at their homes. I try to make my beds this way too. My daughter also has nice comfy beds.

If I'm having guest I try to make my guest beds as comfortable as I can. Always very clean and fresh. I hang the sheets outside if I get the chance and it's not winter.

First of all clean is the most important thing. First wash your bedding. I use Tide because my family has always used it, but use whatever you have. All clothes soaps smell good now, no fabric softener. I think fabric softner leaves a feeling on sheets and covers up the crispness. Dry in the dryer, but if you have a clothes line it's better to hang outside. Your sheets will have that fresh crisp smell to them. Nothing like that lovely smell.

I iron my pillowcases not the sheets, but the pillowcases for that crispy feel.

Any kind of sheet will do as long as they don’t have any peeling on them. I hate sheets that feel like sand in the bed, drives me crazy. Pure cotton always feels the best. Sheets with the higher thread count are also the great, 800 count sheets feel so good and they seem to be warmer than other sheets. They just have that comfy, cozy feel. They usually run about $100.00 for queen size, if you use your coupons and all discounts you might get them much cheaper.

Hint: No iron or permanent bed linens should always be washed before putting on bed. They are often treated with formaldehyde. Many people have problems with this and get fatigue, headaches, running nose, and watery eyes,

Covers for mattress and box springs: (optional)

Bed skirt: Lots of pretty bed skirts to buy use them if needed.

Matters pad: A mattress pad is necessary I believe for protection of mattress,(a pad that fit’s the bed and not lose and bumpy).

Sheets: First the fitted sheet then the top flat sheet. Sheets come in these fabrics~jersey, egyptian, pima cotton, percale, sateen, and flannel.

When you make your bed make it up neat use military or hospital corners on your flat sheet and blanket.

The top flat sheet I place upside down so that when you fold it back the pretty upper border will show.

It should be folded back over the blanket once the blanket is on. The top of a flat sheet is the end with the wide border.

A nice warm blanket: I like cotton or fleece blankets. Homemade quilts will work. Their great and if their aged it’s even better they will be soft, but you don't want to use thick quilt for a blanket, like those puffy things we see in the stores. Their fine for a top quilt but not as a blanket.

My mother would put a thin flannel sheet on top of the the regular sheet and then add the blanket, (not sure if you can buy those thin flannel sheets anymore). I think their called sheet blankets. Once the blanket is on, fold it back just below where the bottom of the pillows will be then fold the sheet over the blanket.

Pillows: No special kind whatever you like. I always put a zipper cover over my pillows before I put on the pillow case. Then, your ironed pillow case. I keep four pillows on the bed most of time two with pillow shams and than the regular pillows with the pillowcases. You don't have to do this, two pillows are fine.

Top Cover: Quilt or bedspread.

Throw pillows: (Optional)

Throw: for foot of bed (Optional)

Sheets, blanket, and fluffy comforters or quilts in different weights and textures create a great look and ultimate comfort.

You can also put a cover over your box springs and your mattress if you want, either in cotton or plastic. We use to do this because we had a child with asthma.

My grandmother always had a feather cover (duvet) on her bed. It was snugly and warm. We never use them now because of allergies. You can buy a synthetic mattress cover that would go under the fitted sheet, this cover feels like a feather bed cover. You can buy pillows that also feel like feather pillows. Nothing has to be expensive. I love vintage pillowcases I think they just feel crisper and more comfortable. Maybe because most are 100% cotton.

Bed skirts are easy to make if you sew and they don't have to be anything fancy.

When I have guest I put four pillows on the bed. Some people sleep with more than one pillow. I also always lay an extra quilt at the foot of the bed in case they get cold. Vintage quilts look great but it can be anything even fleece blanket you have made yourself or just a nice looking throw. Do this just in case they get cold there will be something extra to pull up.

Keep a basket in your guest bedroom so guest can throw extra pillows and throw pillows in the basket.

You can also buy a duvet cover to go over a down quilt or just to cover an old quilt or blanket. When you need to wash all you have to wash is the duvet, or pull apart and wash both. Duvets are not cheap some are as high priced as buying a quilt or bedspread. They come in all colors and designs.

They can be made with actually just two sheets. Find a pretty white lace sheet or a design you like for top on duvet and cheap sheet for bottom. Sew on three sides and leave open at the top end and ad either ribbons or buttons to close the open end. Cover your quilt with the duvet it. I have made them in the past and they are not hard to make. I made them to cover up old worn out quilts that just didn't look good anymore.

Duvet (also known as a doona) and duvet cover. JamaGenee reminded me of the duvet cover I had forgot about them .

Whiten linens on the stove top. Fill a pot with water and some slices of lemon bring to a boil. Turn off heat and add linens, socks, t-shirts or white uniforms. Anything you have that is white and needs to be whitened place in lemon water and soak for at least an hour. After they have socked spread them out in the sun for more whitening and to dry. In the winter and just dry them on a line or in the dryer.

You can spot clean whites with Hydrogen Peroxide and Ivory Liquid Dish Soap. Make a 50/50 paste and let it sit on the spot. Throw in washer and wash.

Now we live in a very cold climate and we need all the blankets but if you live in Florida you may not need all the blankets and quilts. Just go lighter with everything. We even have to take blankets off when summer comes and I also lighten everything up then.

It's also a good idea to fold your bedspread or top quilt back at night when you crawl into bed to keep it clean so you don't have to wash it everytime.

I wash my sheets and pillow cases once a week. Mattress pad you can also do but it doesn't have to be done that often. If I had a maid I would have them done every three days but I don't have one and never will. .

Can't fold a fitted sheet here's a vido on how you do it. They are not easy to fold and never look good in the closet.

My grandma didn't use a fitted sheet. She said when she got old they were just to hard to handle. She lived to be 100.

Night, Night snuggle up in your nice cozy,comfy bed and have sweet dreams. "DON'T LET THE BED BUGS BITE"

How To Make A Cozy, Comfy Bed