How to upcycle a duvet cover

I don’t need to tell regular readers that my son is a huge Thomas the Tank Engine fan. I spotted a vintage Thomas duvet cover in a charity shop and snapped it up for a couple of pounds. When I got it home I wasn’t sure how to use it – re-size it as a toddler duvet, a bean bag cover or cushion cover. Instead I thought it would make two fun fitted sheets. The ones we’ve been using have been plain blue and these would be a little different.

It was quite simple to make. I unpicked the duvet cover, which had a different pattern on either side, and re-sized it for a toddler bed. The mattress measured 140cm x 70cm x 10cm so I trimmed the sheet slightly to 180cm x 110cm, this included a 5cm hem. I also slightly trimmed each corner, them pinned the hem and sewed along it, leaving a small gap to thread the elastic through.

To thread the elastic I attached it to a safety pin and threaded it through the fabric. I didn’t cut the it until I had tried the sheet on the bed, making sure it was a snug fit around the mattress.

I put it on the toddlers’ bed without him seeing so when he whipped back his duvet to climb in he saw it and loved it!

Linking up with handmade monday, craft schooling sunday and nifty thrifty things