The Coziest Secret To Living Like An Adult

Your bed ought to be a haven of utter bliss. But high thread-count linens aren't exactly budget-friendly. So, we found a sneaky way to make it happen with a little bit of fabric, and a lot of elbow grease. These three no-sew — yes, no machine required — hacks take patterned yardage and transform it into a faux headboard, makeshift bedskirt, and a layered duvet, all ideal for summer. It doesn't matter if you never paid attention in Home Ec class — you're about to zzzz sweetly and soundly. The Graphic Backdrop
Can't afford a headboard? No problem. Simple, just create definition around the bed as an illusion. We were nuts over this piece of silk by Brooklyn-based Fort Makers, but knew we probably would never get around to actually sewing it into something. Solution? Just hang it on the wall where it takes centerstage.

The Trick: Measure approximately four feet above your mattress and put two small nails into the wall, so that they flank the mattress. To know how much fabric to buy, add the height of both sides and width across and then add three feet (to leave a generous amount for draping). Lastly, hang your piece and secretly tape the fabric to the nail so the piece stays fanned rather than clumping together.

Silk piece by custom order, Fort Makers, duvet and pillow shams, Dusen Dusen available Fall 2015.

Wrap-Around Bedskirt
We don't want to hate, but why are nice bedskirts always white? Not to mention pricey. Switch it up and put the party on the bottom with a fitted rose-pattered piece of fabric from IKEA. A tight shape to the lower part of the bed is a great contrast with the very sweet print.

The Trick: To know how much fabric to use, measure the length and width of your bed that shows from the front and sides. Fold the fabric so it almost hits the floor and create a tight fold on each corner. Then use a staple gun to secure the fabric to wood planks (yes, we said it was a hack). Don't have a place you can borrow one from? Use tape, we promise we won't tell.

Pattern-Party Layered Bedspread
The best part about fabric is that you can endlessly layer and experiment with patterns. For the summer, store your duvet away and place a thin white blanket (we used an affordable IKEA one) over top and then layer a gorgeous top spread of various fabrics. Dare we say that throw fabrics are the new throw pillows?

The Trick: We saved the best (and easiest) for last. No, seriously, all you need to do is layer fabric for this one (and you can even keep the edges raw). Don't be afraid to combine contrasting stripes, spots, and dyes. If they are all in the same color family it'll create a popping visual tapestry. Finally, throw on as many pillows as possible.