DIY - Sheet Keepers Tutorial

I'm not promising I'm back for good here... but I put together this little "last minute project" (that I've been meaning to do for weeks now) this afternoon, and knew if I didn't post it right away... I wouldn't ever. Since it's FUNCTIONAL not VISIBLE, it looks kinda gross. But hey... it cost me $3.00.

What are we making today? SHEET KEEPERS!

No, not THESE THINGS

(can I tell you how happy I am to have figured out how to link to someone else's photo? I am really happy)

But ones that you DON'T have to roll the bottoms of your sheets for... that will keep your sheets pulled to the bottom of the mattress... that you won't see AT ALL... and that cost $3.00 a set instead of $30. I like that last part especially. Oh, and they'll take about 10 minutes to make AND install.

SO, what do we need to start with?
1) shirt stays - Essentially, we want garter belt clips - from an old garter belt, an actual package from the store, or from these shirt stays. This tutorial will be based on the shirt stays I picked up for $5.00 (and only used half of)  Added bonus? We won't be using the elastic, which means you get a couple stretches of 1" elastic FREE for your stash!

2) 1" ribbon. I like the ribbed stuff because it makes me FEEL better, but any type of ribbon will do. It should just fit the wide edge of your clip (if you're using a different kind than me, it might not be 1"). Added bonus? It can be HIDEOUS ribbon, because you won't see any of it. I picked up a few yards for $0.50 at the thrift shop.

3) Sewing supplies, like thread (no need to match anything), and a sewing machine or needle, and scissors.

4) About 10 minutes, and ideally, a buddy (buddy not necessary... this preggo chick did it all by herself)

NOW! lets get started!!

First, cut the hemmed edge of the shirt stay off below the hem (so you'll have a LITTLE wiggle room when we're done)

Then detach the rest of the elastic from the other side.

(save your leftover elastic for some other fun project)

OK, we're making 2 for our bed, so you might want to repeat those last two steps on another shirt stay, but once that's done... we're on to sewing.

Take your hideous ribbon and fold the edge over to prevent any fraying, and stitch it to the elastic left on one of the straps. I did one correctly, and one incorrectly... you want to make sure (if you care) that the white part faces the sheet, and so the fold is on "top"... like this:

Stitch it down in whatever way makes you happy and comfortable that it will stay.

Now, go to your bedroom, and stick it under the foot of the bed. We're measuring where the other side goes... of course, I could have ACTUALLY MEASURED my bed (or even looked up standard widths beforehand) but this was easier. Make sure that your sewn edge just hits the edge of the mattress on one side, and note where the other end of the ribbon comes out - add about an inch, and cut it. If you use the link and MEASURE... you'll want 1-2" more ribbon than the width of the bed (so for Queen... the width is 60"... so I need 61-62" of ribbon... ish)

Back to the sewing machine (or maybe you measured and never left...) to sew the other side. Guide the ribbon through the stay, and fold over the edge to "hem" it... and sew it down. That easy. Just like this! (of course, I took pictures of the one I did "wrong" but it will still work either way. Just make sure that your white pieces will be facing the bed on both ends and you'll be fine - or twist it under the mattress... no one's gonna know!)

 Ta da!!  Sew up your second one and you're ready to put them on your bed!!

It's easiest if you have a second set of hands to help you wiggle it under your mattress... but totally do-able without a friend. If you're doing it alone, I suggest wiggling to the approximate location on both sides slowly, and attaching ONE side to your sheet, then pulling the other side to the right location after fishing it out from under the mattress. You DO need to fish a little to get them on, but they should stay in place between washings and you DON'T need to lift the whole mattress to do it. I used 2 locations, but if you really wanted, you could probably just use one per side (or more if that suits your fancy). Remember that one pack of shirt stays will make 4 straps so for $6.00 you can EASILY have straps for two beds.

Our bed before:

And after:

And a close-up of the side:

It took me longer to WRITE this post than it did to MAKE these, take pictures of the process and put them on!  Don't let your super-comfy Jersey sheets roll up on you tonight... make some quick sheet keepers instead :)

-Betsy