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MarilynW
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We are about to get our second set of bunkbeds. Any ideas for an easy way to keep the bedding on these neat? My guys make their own beds each day - but I make them when I change sheets - and boy do I struggle with the top bunk. I would love to know if anyone has discovered "easy bedding for bunkbeds"
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Marilyn
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cheesehead mom
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Marilyn--I just use a fitted sheet and comforter. The boys never use the top sheet it seems and they can keep it neater if they just have to make the comforter. No other suggestions!
Laura
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Molly Smith
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Our bunks are against the wall, and I make them up so the top bunk sheets are off-center, longer side on the not-wall-side, and then tuck that long side in tight. So it always looks neat when you enter the room and the kid just have to sort of make up that wall side of the bed. Works great for my 6yo dd. My 9yo ds tosses and turns a little more, but it's still better than anything else we've found. The bottom bunks are just the opposite--longer side against the wall and tucked in tight.
It is hard to make the bunks, though, especially with a six-month belly in the way! I can't wait until those top bunk kids can change their own sheets!
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MarilynW
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cheesehead mom wrote:
Marilyn--I just use a fitted sheet and comforter. The boys never use the top sheet it seems and they can keep it neater if they just have to make the comforter. No other suggestions!
Laura |
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But then don't you have to wash the comforter constantly - or do you use a comforter cover?
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Marilyn
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MarilynW
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Molly Smith wrote:
Our bunks are against the wall, and I make them up so the top bunk sheets are off-center, longer side on the not-wall-side, and then tuck that long side in tight. So it always looks neat when you enter the room and the kid just have to sort of make up that wall side of the bed. Works great for my 6yo dd. My 9yo ds tosses and turns a little more, but it's still better than anything else we've found. The bottom bunks are just the opposite--longer side against the wall and tucked in tight.
It is hard to make the bunks, though, especially with a six-month belly in the way! I can't wait until those top bunk kids can change their own sheets! |
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Molly - both our sets of bunks are against the wall too - I like the sheet idea. but don't you use a comforter or blankets?
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Marilyn
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MarilynW
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We now have 2 sets of bunks in one room - looks like a ship! Kind of cozy. I will post pics tonight on my blog. I am trying to do a major reorg of the boys'room - still need bookcases and storage.
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Lori
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We don't use top sheets, either...and we have used both a comforter cover and just washed the comforters as often as the sheets.
Our mattresses aren't deep enough for most of the sheets these days, and so they often look messy/come off the corners & sides easily. I've tried the sheet clips, and they don't seem to work really well, either, plus the kids can't work them when changing their bedding.
There aren't many places to get inexpensive bunk bedding (like the fitted bedspreads, etc) and I don't sew, so I can't make my own...would love other ideas on how to make it easier and neater all around!
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Rachel May
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Hmmm, I have the kids change their own bunks, and we close the door so no one sees the messy beds.
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SuzanneG
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We have 2 sets of bunks in one room too.....they are butted up against each other in an "L" shape......it DEF. looks like a naval ship! 
We use a fitted sheet and no top sheet. Just a blanket or two that is easy to wash....and then the kids wear several layers in the winter....easier to wash clothing and smaller blankets than changing those crazy bunk sheets. They are also not very big blankets, so in the morning, they either just straighten the blanket, or fold the blanket in half and place it on the top of the bed, obviously the fitted sheet shows.
And, during pregnancies, when dh is traveling a lot, here is what we do:
1. plastic mattress protector on very bottom
2. fitted sheet on bottom,
3. then, a large flannel-backed-waterproof-pad (fabric store) big enuf to cover the area where they sleep. (Maybe 2.5 ft x 4 feet)
4. then, a sheet cut up to cover the area they sleep on...we call it a "mini-sheet"
Then, I just change the mini-sheet and waterproof pad (if needed). The fitted sheet never comes off...it's just there for "looks" to cover the sides of the bed. There is NO WAY I'm getting in there to change those crazy fitted sheets when I'm sick or pregnant.
In the morning, they straighten the pad, straighten the mini-sheet, and fold blanket.
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marihalojen
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Lori wrote:
| Our mattresses aren't deep enough for most of the sheets these days, and so they often look messy/come off the corners & sides easily. I've tried the sheet clips, and they don't seem to work really well, either, plus the kids can't work them when changing their bedding. |
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Lori, I definitely have the oddest shaped beds here (trapezoid anyone?) though no bunks and I'm the one on a ship! My secret to keeping sheets on tight is to use a pair of suspenders under the mattress rather than those silly little sheet clips. They work alot better and are easier to handle rather than that button/slide thing on the sheet clips.
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Molly Smith
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MarilynW wrote:
Molly - both our sets of bunks are against the wall too - I like the sheet idea. but don't you use a comforter or blankets? |
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Yep, fitted, flat and comforter. The flat sheet and comforter both get laid down off-center with the long side tucked in tight. It's worth the little muscle it takes to get the comforter tucked in to have a semi-neat looking bed most of the time.
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KackyK
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I don't have these, but I knew I had seen special bedding and comforters for bunkbeds. I found some here. I didn't check pricing, but it's an option.
I hate making the bunkbeds. I do what Rachel does...the kids do their own. I retried recently to make their beds with all the "fixins", a fitted, a flat, a blanket and a comforter. Four out of the six, within a day, had jammed their sheet and blanket to the bottom of the bed...so they are back to just the comforter. Luckily, the two that kept their sheets and blankets are on the bottom, so it's not as annyoing to help them make it up.
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CrunchyMom
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I don't have bunkbeds yet (though, we get requests often, lol), but I remembered this tutorial for toddle sheets that sounds like it could be modified to work well with bunk beds. Toddler Sheets that don't come untucked
Also, I would think that fold over elastic (readily available from diaper making supply places) could pretty easily be added to a blanket to fit the foot of the bed. A fleece blanket could even be trimmed to the exact size without extra hemming!
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a foam mattress for the top is lovely.. it's very lightweight.. I can pull the whole mattress down to change the fitted sheet.
But most of the time if I want a nice looking made bed.. I just push it away from the wall so I can reach both sides. But we have wood floors so it's not that big a deal to give it a good push and get bahind it.
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MarilynW
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JodieLyn wrote:
a foam mattress for the top is lovely.. it's very lightweight.. I can pull the whole mattress down to change the fitted sheet.
But most of the time if I want a nice looking made bed.. I just push it away from the wall so I can reach both sides. But we have wood floors so it's not that big a deal to give it a good push and get bahind it. |
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Great idea Jodie - we have yet to buy the top mattress for the second bunk. Where do you get foam mattresses from?
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KackyK wrote:
I don't have these, but I knew I had seen special bedding and comforters for bunkbeds. I found some here. I didn't check pricing, but it's an option.
I hate making the bunkbeds. I do what Rachel does...the kids do their own. I retried recently to make their beds with all the "fixins", a fitted, a flat, a blanket and a comforter. Four out of the six, within a day, had jammed their sheet and blanket to the bottom of the bed...so they are back to just the comforter. Luckily, the two that kept their sheets and blankets are on the bottom, so it's not as annyoing to help them make it up.
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I had looked at these a few years ago - they seemed quite pricey and I was not convinced. I will take another look at them
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I posted pictures here
ahoy matey
Still need to sort out one mattress and bedding. I am thinking red comforters and stripey sheets (nautical theme bedding is just too expensive)
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JodieLyn
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Marilyn, I just got one from the local furniture store. I would think any place that sells a variety fo mattresses would be able to get one for you. The thickness you need depends on the weight of the person using the bed. A small child doesn't need it to be thick to have the same comfort level an adult would have on a thick mattrees. They can only sink in so far anyway
Lori - if you can get the sheets with the elastic all the way around.. they'll stay on a thinner mattress reasonably well without extra devices.
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I don't know if this will help you out at all, Marilyn...I haven't had a chance to go look at your post and I've been meaning to take pics of the boy's beds for you since you started this thread. The boy's beds bunk, but we haven't bunked them yet...perhaps if there is another little Mack?  They were constantly flinging sheets and covers off at night and they were completely mystified by "bed making" in general. So...here's what I did...
I sewed pockets on the end of their quilts and flat sheets to keep them in place. This way, they just have to pull up straight to make their beds. I can't tell you how much nicer this has made things. S. even asked if I would sew pockets on her quilt. What a help! If this were a Martha Stewart column this would definitely be a "good thing"!!!!!
Anyhoo...this project takes very little sewing skill and you could easily do this with fitted sheets and quilts as I have done.
I turned the quilt inside out (I highlighted the straight hem with a dashed line so you could see it - but it's just one straight line of stitching) so you could see that I just took a corner, pinned it to make a square corner and then turned it right side out...
Here's the finished quilt bottom.
I don't know if this helps at all...but it sure was fun to load these pictures up here. It didn't take long to sew the quilts and flat sheets, but boy does it help when it comes to making the bed...takes all the thought out of it...just pull up straight, smooth wrinkles, done.
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Lori
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Jennifer...that is EXACTLY what I am looking for, but I just don't trust my sewing skills that much! Maybe I can find a nice lady in the neighborhood who sews, or just try it, I guess! 
Thanks for posting the pictures!
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4Real Forums : Our Lady's Loom, Larder, and Laundry
Topic: Bedding for bunkbeds?
