Designer bedding embellished with lace, monograms, appliques, and other types of fancy trim are generally very expensive. Not everyone is willing to pay designer prices for stylish bed sheets and pillowcases, but not everyone has to. If you’re capable of using an iron or sewing stitches by hand, you can create the beautiful designer bed sheets and pillowcases you’ve always wanted.

Appliques

There are sew-on and iron-on fabric appliques in almost every design and color, and they can turn ordinary sheets and pillowcases into extraordinary designer bedding. Why pay upwards of $100 for a set of monogrammed or appliqued designer bedding when you can easily add professional looking embellishments?

Consider choosing monograms, small flowers, ribbons, butterflies, or any other pattern to match your bedding and your style. Appliques look lovely when applied along the top edge of a flat sheet or pillowcase, or centered along hems. Use your creativity and sense of style, and design a beautiful set of sheets you’ll be proud to display.

Attach appliques by hand, using matching thread. Sew the edges to the material using a simple whipstitch. Change thread colors when necessary, and attach the appliques securely using very close stitches.

Iron-on appliques are also very easy to add, and they can be applied in a matter of minutes. If you can use an iron, you can add appliques to create beautiful bed sheets that look exceptionally rich and stunningly stylish.

Begin by preheating your iron to the highest setting, and turn off the steam option. Place a thin cotton cloth over the applique, and press it firmly for approximately 30 seconds. Don’t move the iron back and forth while pressing. Turn the sheet over, and repeat the process on the other side. The applique should be firmly attached.

Lace

If you’ve always wanted frilly sheets and pillowcases for your bed, consider adding lace. Lace is very easy to attach to the edges or along the hems of bed sheets and pillowcases, and there are numerous colors, patterns, and styles to choose from.

A sewing machine isn’t required to attach lace to the edges and hems of bed sheets. Lace can be easily attached by hand stitching. Choose thread that closely matches the color of the lace, and double it for added strength. Attach the lace using short stitches for a designer look without the designer price.

Looped Ruffles

Ruffles are simple to sew-on by hand, but you don’t have to buy ready-made ruffles. Ruffles are easy to create using seam binding, and they will add a touch of creativity, color, and style to ordinary bed sheets.

Begin by choosing color-coordinating rayon seam binding along with matching thread. If the sheets are light in color, consider choosing darker seam binding or a complimentary color. For example, light green sheets would look lovely trimmed with deep green or rose-colored ruffles. Use your individual sense of style as well as your imagination. When designing and embellishing sheets, the possibilities are truly endless!

Create ruffles from seam binding by looping and stitching it securely to the edges of sheets. Make evenly spaced loops approximately one or two inches apart, all the way across. Your sheets will look amazing, and no one will ever guess that you added the ruffles by hand.

Button Flowers

Add a little color and whimsy to your bedding by attaching flowers created from buttons. Choose small yellow or orange buttons to represent the centers, and larger flat buttons for the petals, along with matching thread. Select green embroidery floss or heavy green thread to create stems and leaves.

Along the hem, securely attach the small yellow or orange centers using crisscross button stitches. Sew larger buttons around the centers to bring the flowers to life. Complete the flowers by sewing long, single green stitches to represent stems, and on either side of the stems, stitch the outlines of leaves. Your finished flowers will add color, interest, and unique style to otherwise ordinary bed sheets.

By Kim Ray
www.doityourself.com