How to Put a Quilt on a Bed

Making Your Bed Neatly

Stretch the fitted sheet over the 4 corners of your mattress. If your bed is up against a wall or side table, start at that corner first because the last corner is always the hardest to get on. Make sure it fits snug so it’s nice and smooth on top. If your fitted sheet has any wrinkles or excess fabric, go down a size so you'll get the smoothest fit.

Place the flat sheet onto your bed and tuck in the excess. Spread the top sheet flat over the bed with the decorative side facing down so the top design will show once you’ve folded it back over the quilt. Arrange it so that the sheet reaches the top edge of the mattress where your head lies. Make sure it's centered so you can tuck it into the sides evenly. If you're not sure which side of the flat sheet is the decorative side, look at the stitching along the sides. The side with the smoothest edges that doesn’t show where the sheet was folded over and sewn is the decorative side.

Spread the quilt on top of the top sheet with the decorative side facing up. Look at both sides of the quilt to see which one is more vibrantly colored—that’s the side that should be facing up. Take a walk around the bed to make sure it's centered and that it drapes evenly along the sides and foot of the bed. Make sure the quilt is large enough so that it covers the mattress. If not, you’ll need a larger quilt. If your quilt is a little too small, you can still use it as an accessory on top of your bed.

Fold the top sheet back over the quilt to make a horizontal band. Move to one corner at the head of the bed and grab the top sheet. Fold it back towards the foot of the bed so that it envelops the quilt. Pull it back enough so the folded band is at least 12 inches (30 cm) wide. Do this on the other side of the bed as well. Make sure to pull it back enough so that your pillows don’t cover the decorative fold. You may need to pull it back even further if you plan to add a lot of decorative pillows on top.

Smooth out the folded section of the sheet with your hands. Lean over the bed to straighten out any creases or bunching you see in the fold. Use your palms to smooth it down from the center of the fold and outward. Do this on both sides until it's nice and straight. You should be able to see the decorative part of your top sheet now.

Tuck the overhang of the quilt and top sheets into the sides of the mattress. Move to one side of the bed and tuck the extra fabric under the mattress. Flatten your hands and tuck with the outer sides to make it easier. Do this all around the bed so it's nice and smooth. If you want a more tidy look, go for a hospital tuck at the bottom corners. You can leave the excess hanging out for a more relaxed, cozy style. That way, it’ll be easier to hop straight under the covers when you're ready to snooze!

Add your pillows and any decorative touches you like. Place the pillows you sleep on at the head of the bed, propping them up so that you can still see the decorative fold. Put any decorative pillows or throw pillows on top or in front of those. Make sure the openings of the pillowcases face toward the center of the mattress so you can’t see extra fabric hanging out from the sides.

Doing a Hospital Tuck

Tuck the quilt under the mattress along the foot of the bed, not the sides. Make sure the quilt is centered so it drapes evenly down the sides and foot of the bed. Flatten your hands to tuck the quilt into the gap between the mattress and the base or box frame. If you have a thick bed frame at the foot of your bed, you’ll need to lift the mattress up a few inches so that you can properly tuck the quilt in.Tip: The hospital tuck looks great with a platform bed!

Lift the corner of the quilt at one of the bottom corners of the bed upward. Grab the edge of the quilt near the corner of the bed at the longest point and fold it upward. Hold it in place with your hand and smooth out the outer fold so it’s straight. You should now have a triangle-shaped fold on top of the bed.

Stuff any excess fabric hanging down as you hold up the corner. With 1 hand still holding the quilt on top of the bed, use your other hand to tuck in any part of the quilt that's dangling down past the mattress. This will make the fold at the bottom corners look nice and crisp. If your quilt is a little small, you may not have any excess fabric dangling down. That’s perfectly okay and your hospital tuck will look just as neat!

Flip the triangular fold downward and tuck it in. Lift the edge of the quilt that you just folded upward onto the bed and bring it straight down. Straighten it with your hands so that there's a nice vertical fold right at the corner of the mattress. Tuck in the extra fabric until it’s smooth and tidy. Repeat this for the other bottom corner of the bed.

Move along each side of the bed and tuck the excess quilt under the mattress. Once you have the corners done, move from the foot to the head of the bed and tuck in any sections of the quilt that are hanging down. If your quilt is thick, you may need to lift the mattress up a few inches around the edge to stuff it in. Keep in mind that the farther and tighter you tuck the quilt in, the more you’ll have to wiggle around in the bed to loosen it up.

Styling Your Bed with a Quilt

Drape a folded quilt horizontally across the foot of the bed. Fold the sheet in half or thirds and lay it horizontally across the foot of the bed, aligning the edge of the quilt with the edge of the mattress. The half-fold is easy to do if both sides of your quilt are meant to show—just make the bed as usual and fold it straight down. Make sure the color of the quilt matches the color of at least 1 or 2 of the throw pillows so it looks put together. Lay a bed runner on top of the folded quilt for a touch of luxury. Feel free to drape 2 different quilts across the bed to add a cozy vibe—just make sure the colors and patterns don’t clash.Tip: Look at the other colors in your bedroom like on the curtains, rugs, euro shams, and bed skirt to help you choose a quilt that will complement the color scheme. However, there’s no right way to do it so feel free to choose contrasting colors and styles for a funky look if you like!

Fold the quilt into thirds and lay it diagonally across the foot of the bed. Lay the quilt out onto a large folding area with the decorative side facing down. Grab the 2 bottom corners with your hands and fold them a third of the way up. Grab the top corners and fold them to the bottom edge created by your last fold. Carefully pick it up, flip it over, and drape it at a 45-degree angle from your headboard. A 45-degree angle will make sure the quilt stays on the bed if someone were to sit on it and shuffle around a bit. However, feel free to experiment with different angles according to your taste! For a playful, layered look, drape a quilt onto the bed first and place the folded one on top at an angle. Just choose patterns and color schemes that look well together (e.g., 2 pastel colored quilts or 1 patterned and 1 solid-colored quilt). For an ultra-relaxed vibe, skip the folding part and drape the quilt lengthwise at an angle. EXPERT TIP Karen Parziale Karen Parziale Home Stager & Interior Designer Karen Parziale is a Home Stager, Home Organizer, and the Founder of The Real Estate Staging Studio based in Hoboken, New Jersey. Karen has over 15 years of home staging and decorating experience and has staged over 5,000 homes. She specializes in project management, space planning, material selections, and builder, architect, and client relationships. Karen Parziale Karen Parziale Home Stager & Interior Designer Adding a colorful quilt over a duller or more neutral comforter can spruce up a room significantly and gives your bed a more polished look.

Layer multiple colors of quilts for a cozy, modern look. Choose a colorful patterned quilt and a monochromatic quilt. Spread 1 onto the bed like a bedspread and drape the other across the foot of the bed. For instance, you might pair a blue and green paisley quilt with a solid royal-blue quilt. For a more adventurous look, spread a checkered quilt onto the bed and place a folded striped or chevron-patterned quilt at the foot of the bed. This is a great way to spruce up a monochromatic room and make that comfy bed look extra inviting!

Put a fluffy comforter over a patterned quilt to keep you warm in the winter. Spread the quilt out onto the bed as you usually would and then top it with a monochromatic comforter. Fold the comforter back so it only covers the bottom third of the bed. The quilt will peek out from under the comforter, giving your bedroom a pop of color and a plush, cozy look. Make sure one of the accent colors on the quilt closely matches the color of the comforter. If your comforter is white, choose a quilt with several different colors on it to really make it pop! For summertime, simply fold the comforter all the way down to the foot of the bed so you don’t get too hot.