By Eva Whitney, Vacation Rental Home and Guest
I joined the military right out of high school, and I learned very quickly how to make a bed, military style with hospital corners. I am not a morning person, (getting up at 4:00 or so) so that I didn’t have to make the bed each morning I would sleep on top of it 🙂 However, once you get the hang of it, it’s not difficult.
When I started managing my first VR I was surprised how quickly it came back to me. I personally don’t care for the sheets tucked in, as it feels so tight, I like the George Costanza style….untucked 🙂
But we aren’t talking about George’s style or our own personal style, this is all about the first perception, the guest’s first glance into the bedroom, and you’ll want to create a beautifully made bed.
What you will need
- A set of linens with a high enough thread count that fits into your budget and creates a comforting experience for your guests. If you can have your linens laundered and pressed that would be ideal.
- Fitted/flat sheet
- Pillowcases
- Thin blanket
- Duvet and or comforter
- Pillow shams
- Decorative pillows
Below are a few tips on how to make up your bed: Here is a link on how to create “Hospital Corners” which also includes a video on making a military style bed with hospital corners.
How to Make a Bed
Fitted Sheet
- Place on the mattress
- Tighten and tuck to create a smooth look with no visable wrinkles
Top Sheet
- Place on the mattress upside down, when it’s folded over you want it will display the design or border to match the pillowcase or decorative pillows, etc
- Leave about 12 inches at the head of the bed to fold over
- The material that hangs over each side should be even
- Tuck the bottom of the sheet under the mattress, creating hospital corners at a 45 degree angle on each side of the bottom http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Hospital-Corner
- Tuck the rest of the sheet in all around the bed, leaving the top slightly loose to tuck over the blanket
- Continually smooth with your hand to eliminate any wrinkles
Blanket (if you use one)
- Add a blanket (thin) over the flat sheet, making sure the material is even on both sides
- Again tuck in at the bottom of the bed adding the hospital corners
- Fold it over at the head of the bed about twelve inches. Fold your top sheet over twelve inches on top of the blanket
- Tuck the blanket in tightly around the rest of the bed
- Continually smooth with your hand to eliminate any wrinkles
Duvets & Comforters
- Place the duvet or comforter over the sheets (or blanket)
- Buttons and tags at the bottom, so they aren’t in the guests face
- Smooth with your hand to eliminate wrinkles
- Lay flat with each side even or fold over half-way to display the beautifully made bed
- If you have a comforter (in addition to a duvet) you can display this neatly and fold evenly at the bottom of the bed (tucking the seams under so they aren’t shown)
- You can also get creative with the comforter and fold in half on top of the bed and then another fold over about 12 inches. (hiding the seams for a neat fold)
Pillows
- Fluff the pillows
- Smooth the cases with your hand to eliminate wrinkles, ironed is optional
- Place the pillows that match the linens in the back, against the headboard with the open edges folded over toward inside, and the closed edges on the outside for a neater look
- Next the pillows in the shams, that match your comforter or duvet
- Lastly the decorative pillows in the front
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