Can You Use A Fitted Sheet As A Valance Or Bed Skirt?

Finding the perfect bed skirt or valance for your bed isn’t always an easy task, and you might be looking for a simple alternative that doesn’t break the bank. Maybe you have wondered if you can just slip a fitted sheet over your box spring or bed base and call it day? Well, if you’re considering this as a solution but aren’t sure it will be practical or aesthetically pleasing, wonder no more. We have researched this very idea, and we have all of the answers you are looking for!

Yes, you can use a fitted sheet as a valance or a bed skirt. Since the goal of valances and bed skirts is to cover the box spring and the more unattractive bottom portion of your bed, using a fitted sheet is an easy and inexpensive way to achieve a stylish look. 

The perfect style for your bedroom doesn’t have to come with a hefty price tag and can be as easy as using a fitted sheet that’s just lying around your house. If this sounds good to you, then keep reading for the best ways to create a valance or bed skirt out of a fitted sheet. 

 

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How To Use a Fitted Sheet As A Valance Or Bed Skirt

In order to understand how to use a fitted sheet in place of a bed skirt or valance, it’s essential to understand what each one is.

What Is A Bed Skirt?

A bed skirt is a piece of fabric that goes underneath your mattress and on top of the box spring. It hangs down to the floor and covers not only the box spring but also the bed frame.

A bed skirt can add sophistication to your bedroom because it hides the unattractive portions of the bed like the frame and box spring, making everything look a little sleeker. If you use the space under your bed for storage, a bed skirt will also keep things hidden. 

What Is A Valance?

There are actually two types of bed valances. The first one is called a sheet valance. This valance is like a fitted sheet that goes over your mattress and hangs down to the floor so that it covers the base of the bed.

The second type of valance is a base valance. This type of valance goes underneath the mattress and over the platform part of a divan bed. Like a bed skirt, a base valance covers the bottom of the bed to the floor.

What Is A Dust Ruffle?

A dust ruffle is another term you might hear when discussing bed coverings. A dust ruffle is basically the same thing as a bed skirt, and the two terms are often used interchangeably. 

However, many people only use “dust ruffle” to describe a bed skirt that is ruffled at the bottom.

Using A Fitted Sheet

Around The Box Spring

The first and easiest way to use a fitted sheet is by simply putting it around your box spring. This works well as long as you don’t mind the bed frame or the base of the bed showing. 

If you have a bed with rails, using a fitted sheet on your box spring will look fantastic and won’t hide the design style of the bed.

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Cover The Base

The second way to use a fitted sheet as a bed skirt is to put the fitted sheet over the box spring and pull it down over the bed frame or the base.

Doing this will create the same effect that you would achieve with a bed wrap.  This is generally only something you would want to do if you have a divan bed with a base.

Sew On A Ruffle

Still another option is to put the fitted sheet over the box spring and sew a ruffle on it that hangs over the bed frame. Although this requires some sewing, it’s still a relatively simple way to create a bed skirt from a fitted sheet.

What Can I Use In Place Of A Bed Skirt?

If you don’t want to buy an actual bed skirt, there are a few things you can use in place of one.

Fitted Sheet

The first is obviously a fitted sheet which we have already discussed. You can place the fitted sheet over the box spring, sew a ruffle on it, or wrap it over the base of the bed.

Flat Sheet

A flat sheet can easily be made into a bed skirt without even sewing. All you need is a sheet, and if you want a tailored look, you can use pins to keep the sheet in place.

Bed Wraps

If you don’t like either of those ideas, there are also bed wraps. A bed wrap is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a piece of fabric that wraps entirely around the base of the bed or around the bed frame without going over the box spring or under the mattress. 

Click here to see this bed wrap on Amazon.

Large Comforter

An oversized comforter might also be an option. If you buy a comforter a size or two larger than your bed, it will hang closer to the floor and will cover the base or bed frame. 

What Is The Difference Between A Fitted Sheet And A Valance Sheet?

A woman putting a fitted sheet in a room

There are two different types of valances. There are sheet valances and base valances.

Sheet valances are placed over the mattress, and they hang down and cover the lower portion of the bed so that the base is hidden. A sheet valance actually takes the place of a fitted sheet on your mattress.

A base valance goes under the mattress and over a divan bed. It’s more like a bed skirt than a sheet because of its placement under the mattress.

A fitted sheet is a sheet with elastic on the corners that goes on top of your mattress. You will typically use a flat sheet over it and then either a comforter or duvet over the flat sheet. Many people sleep under the flat sheet so that they are actually lying directly on the fitted sheet.  

How Do You Make A Flat Sheet Into A Bed Skirt?

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Although this may sound like a complicated process, making a bed skirt out of a flat sheet is fairly simple.

First, start with a flat bedsheet in your preferred color. You will want to make sure that it is long enough to cover the box spring and the bed frame. Then, drape the sheet over the box spring.  You can use upholstery pins to keep the sheet in place.

If you want a tailored appearance on the corners of the bed, take the excess sheet at the corners and pull it across the side of the bed. Then, you will want to place pins to hold the sheet at the corners. The excess sheet will then be able to drape over the pinned fabric.

Click here to see this flat sheet on Amazon.

How To Make A Bed Valance

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In addition to using a fitted sheet as described earlier, you can also use a flat sheet to make a valance. Follow the same steps previously outlined as if you were making a bed skirt, but use a longer sheet so that it will cover the mattress and still reach the floor.

Another interesting idea to create a bed valance is with a window valance. Make sure you have enough panels to cover the sides and foot of your bed, and then pin the panels in place to the box spring. You’ll be surprised at the result!

Click here to see this stylish window valance on Amazon.

Should A Bed Skirt Match Sheets Or The Comforter?

Interior of a mansard bedroom with wooden ceilings and sidings

When you are deciding on linens for your bed, there is no hard and fast rule that says your bed skirt must match your sheets or comforter. Of course, you can match everything if you like that look, but if not, you have several options when choosing a bed skirt.

You can avoid any premise of matching and opt for a complementary color to your sheets or comforter. You can also choose a bed skirt that is the same color as your pillows, drapes, or some other accent in your bedroom.

If you don’t want the room to be too matchy but you like the idea of the same colors, you can always choose a lighter or darker shade bed skirt in the same color as your sheets or comforter. 

Click here to see this bed skirt on Amazon.

Final Thoughts

If you need a bed skirt or a valance in a pinch, just follow the simple instructions we have outlined in this article.

Whether you use a fitted sheet or a flat sheet, you should feel free to experiment with the colors and patterns you prefer, and you can be sure that you will create something stylish and attractive for the base of your bed. 

If you want more helpful tips for covering your box spring or the base of your bed, check out these other links below!

How To Hide A Box Spring – Even Without A Bed Skirt!

How To Cover The Bed Base? [6 Practical Solutions]

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