How to make a bed runner?

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If you want to spice up your bedroom style a little, you might consider adding a bed runner to your bed.

A bed runner is a fashionable accessory first used in hotels.

It is a piece of cloth usually 18 to 24 inches wide that drapes at the head, center, or foot of the bed.

Normally designed with a touch of color to add style to the plain bed covers.

Bed runners are used the same way as partial coverlets, commonly known as bed scarves.

Recently, it has also been popular as home decorations.

If you’re planning to sew one, the steps in this article will help you.

Before that, let’s check first the usual reasons why bed runners are used in the first place.

What Is The Purpose Of A Bed Runner?

Explore the list of reasons below as to how bed runners are considered useful from different perspectives.

Aesthetics

Plain bedspreads can be boring as time goes by.

Other sheets are pretty but become too normal.

Adding bed runners can enhance the overall look of your bed and room.

It is perfect to flair up your otherwise dull-like bed covers.

Cleanliness and pest detection

Aside from looks, hotel guests are often wary about the cleanliness of the bed especially those who plan to spend the night.

A bed runner keeps your bed cover from dirt on your luggage if you place them on your bed when unpacking.

It can also help guests know if the bedspreads are clean.

With white bedsheets often used as bed coverings, a contrasting color of bed runner can also indicate how often it is washed.

You can also easily see if you’re sharing the same space with some nasty critters like bed bugs.

I bet you don’t want to sleep together with these uninvited guests, or should I say pests.

Freshness

Changing and customizing bed runners are relatively easy.

Depending upon the color or theme you want, a bed runner can adapt smoothly.

You can also choose what type of fabric to use for your next bed runner project.

Depending upon your time and budget, you can also use embroidered silk or polyester materials for your bed runners.

Cost-effective

Instead of making big-time renovations with your room, like repainting, you can make your room stylish by adding a piece of cloth.

You can choose a color for your bed runner that best suits your room.

Some bed coverings can be obsolete because of obvious stains that require an expensive substitute.

You can prefer using bed runners that are easier to be replaced.

What You’ll Need In Making A Bed Runner?

It will take about two hours to finish a bed runner, but circumstances may differ depending upon your sewing skill.

To help you prepare, here are the things you’ll need in making your bed runner:

Sewing machine
Tape measure
Fabric
Dressmaker’s pins
Iron
Fusible interfacing
Quilt batting (for quilted bed runner)

Steps To Make A Bed Runner

The following sections present steps on making two kinds of bed runners: simple and quilted.

Here are the ways on how to make a bed runner:

Step #1. Getting the right measurement

Add 26 inches to the measurement of the bed’s width.

Step #2. Folding the fabric

Fold the fabric into two with selvage edges to another and side to side.

Step #3. Creating a rectangle

Create a rectangle on the fabric, then add 1 inch to the desired overall measurement of your bed runner.

Your rectangle will have a dimension of 73-inch (47 inches and 26 inches) by 18-inch if you wanted a 17 inches-wide bed runner in a 47 inches bed.

Step #4. Cutting

Cut on the marks creating two matching strips, then cut one piece of fusible interfacing.

Step #5. Ironing

On the wrong side of one of the strips, iron the interfacing.

Step #6. Pinning

With the right sides facing, pin the long sides on one end, then stitch with one half seam allowance.

Step #7. Turning the bed runner

Turn the bed runner side out and press it flat.

Step #8. Finishing the bed runner

For finishing and securing all around the bed runner, stitch one-fourth from the edges.

Steps On Making Quilted Bed Runner

Are you wondering how to make a quilted one? Here are the steps:

Cut two strips of fabric.

The width of the strips should be 1 inch wider than the desired width.

The length is the same as the width of the bed plus 26 inches.

Make a piece for batting the pin it to the back on one of the strips.

Measurement depends upon your desired dimension.

Place the other strip in front of the first strip, then pin the two together.

Using one-half inch as seam allowances, stitch on the two long sides and one end.

Trim the seams to one-fourth inch.

Turn the runner side out, then stitch one-half inch from the edge or your preferred quilting design.

Stitching Things Together